The South Dakota Department of Transportation has been nationally recognized by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and their Research Advisory Committee, who select 16 projects each year…

He says that nowadays, there’s a lot more to snowplows than meets the eye. They’re equipped with all kinds of gadgets, gizmos and gear to make sure that when you hit the streets, you’re safe and sound.

“They are no longer trucks,” says Carlson. “What we call them now, is they’re computers on wheels.”

The trucks have smaller versions the MDSS system called MDC’s.

“It records with our plows up or down the amount of material going out of the back of the truck, and if anything’s fallen from the sky,” Carlson says. Which gives them a forecast of how that road is progressing and determines the output of materials.