Fleet equipment and contracts
Management
We set policy and procedures for MnDOT fleet management. This includes providing and supporting the department's Equipment Management System (M5) and automated fueling system, as well as providing fleet information products and training.
Purchasing contracts
We're responsible for equipment purchasing, which also includes development of detailed technical specifications. Procurement contracts are prepared to not only serve MnDOT internal customers but also other units of local government throughout Minnesota. We also sell used equipment.
Snow plow truck fabrication and maintenance
We engineer and fabricate snow plow trucks for the department. Some of the fabrication is done in-house with certain portions being managed and outsourced to private vendors. We're also responsible for preventive maintenance and repair of all Central Office equipment which ranges from automobiles to soils drill rigs. We purchase and manage all shop, fabrication, plow truck parts, office, electrical services, highway signs and other miscellaneous materials.
Snowplow facts
- MnDOT plows 30,400 lane miles of state highways and interstates in Minnesota. One mile of a four-lane road equals four lane miles.
- MnDOT has more than 800 snowplows, including many reserve trucks that provide backup if a snowplow needs maintenance or is damaged.
- 275 MnDOT snowplows are equipped with cameras to give motorists updated views of road conditions, you can see those cameras on 511mn.org.
- MnDOT has more than 1,800 full-time and part-time snowplow drivers statewide. All operators are required to have a valid Class B commercial driver’s license. MnDOT also provides extensive two-week training for new operators each year at Camp Ripley, Minn., and annual refresher training for veteran plow drivers.
- MnDOT has 150 truck stations statewide, with 23 of those in the Twin Cities Metro area.
- Fully equipped trucks weigh as much as 66,000 pounds, 15 times more than an average car.
- The average lifespan of a snowplow is 14 years and a tandem-axle snowplow costs more than $260,000 each.