More Features, More Problems? Rethinking Asset Management for Small Towns

Highway departments love tools, but they love usable tools even more. When towns start shopping for an asset management system, the conversation often drifts straight into buzzwords like artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, mobile LiDAR, and dashboards with more colors than a DOT detour ma…continue

Buying Big Toys: A Casual Guide to Getting Equipment the Right Way

Let’s be honest – one of the best parts of working in a highway department is the equipment. New trucks. Bigger plows. Shiny new mowers. Who wouldn’t want to bring home some new toys for the crew? But here’s the thing: before you go adding that $250,000 grader to your wish li…continue

Keep Your Chainsaws Sharp and Your Backups Sharper: A Road Super’s Guide to Backup Saws

You know what’s worse than a beaver dam blocking your culvert? A beaver dam blocking your culvert and your only chainsaw refusing to start like a teenager on Monday morning. Highway superintendents, listen up: If you’re only relying on one chainsaw to keep your roads clear of fallen tree…continue

Don’t Fill That Sinkhole!

There you are, sipping your coffee, thinking the day might actually be calm, when suddenly the phone rings. A resident reports that “a chunk of the road just collapsed under my Subaru.” You head out to investigate and sure enough, there it is: a small blacktop crater that looks like the …continue

Can You Say No to a Utility Road Cut? Kinda, Sorta, Maybe

Let’s say you’re a highway superintendent enjoying your morning coffee when BAM! – you get word that a utility crew is planning to slice up your freshly paved road like it’s a sheet cake at a church picnic. Can you stop them? Well… you can try. And if you play your car…continue

Call Before You Catastrophe: Why Digging Without a Locate Is a Terrible Idea

Let’s paint a picture: it’s a sunny Tuesday, your crew’s out on the shoulder with the backhoe, ready to dig. You’re swapping jokes, maybe arguing about where to get lunch, and then BOOM. You just turned a quiet ditch project into a fireworks show by hitting a gas line. Congra…continue

The Heavy Equipment Every Small Highway Department Should Have

Running a small highway department? You don’t need a million-dollar fleet, but you do need the right tools to keep your roads safe and your crew productive. The good news is, with a solid core set of equipment, even the smallest towns can punch well above their weight when it comes to road mai…continue

How Cold Is Too Cold for Rock Salt?

When the snow starts falling, rock salt (sodium chloride) is the go-to weapon for most highway departments trying to keep roads safe and passable. But like any tool, rock salt has its limits, and knowing when it stops being effective can save you time, money, and a lot of wasted effort. Let’s …continue

Crack Sealing Can Help You Stretch Road Life

You don’t need to be a pavement engineer to know that cracks are bad news for your roads. But here’s the good news: you can fight back, and one of the simplest, most cost-effective tools in your arsenal is crack sealing. Let’s take a quick drive through the why, when, and how of cr…continue

Why Mowing Road Shoulders Matters

If you run a highway department, mowing the shoulders of your roads isn’t just about keeping things looking tidy, though that’s a nice side benefit. Regular shoulder mowing plays a critical role in both road safety and environmental responsibility. Let’s break it down. 1. Sight Dis…continue

How to Keep Fleet Maintenance Costs Under Control

For any highway department, one thing that can eat through your budget faster than a dump truck burns diesel is fleet maintenance costs. Between wear and tear, unexpected breakdowns, and rising parts prices, it can feel like you’re always chasing repairs. The good news? With a little planning …continue

Are You Ready for the Unexpected?

No matter how many years you’ve been in this line of work, one thing remains true: the road will always find a way to surprise you. One day everything’s running smooth; the next, a plow’s buried to its axles in a snowbank, a backhoe is on its side in a ditch, or your only salt spre…continue