Building Your Job Safety Analysis Binder

Putting together a Job Safety Analysis binder from scratch sounds like one of those projects you tackle with good intentions, right up until you are three coffees deep, surrounded by half-finished documents, and seriously questioning your life choices. Every task needs its own JSA, every JSA needs t…continue

Why Road Crew Safety Training Fails in the Classroom, And How to Keep Their Attention

If you have ever stood at the front of a room full of highway or public works crew members with a PowerPoint clicker in your hand, you already know the feeling, you are not just competing with short attention spans, you are competing with a lifetime of classroom fatigue. For many road workers, tradi…continue

Highway Superintendent vs. Road Supervisor vs. Road Master, What’s the Difference?

If you have spent any time in public works, you already know that job titles can be about as consistent as spring potholes, meaning not very. One town has a Highway Superintendent, the next has a Road Supervisor, and somewhere down the road a Road Master is doing essentially the same job but with a …continue

Rainy Days Are Safety Days

Rainy Days Are Safety Days: Why Every Highway Superintendent Should Keep a Training Binder Handy As every highway superintendent knows, no two days in the motorpool are alike. Some days the crews are out patching potholes or clearing culverts; other days Mother Nature keeps them in the garage watchi…continue

When the Town Board Becomes a Real Pain in the Ass

A survival guide for highway supers with frayed nerves and a half-empty coffee mug. The Anatomy of a Board-Induced Migraine Town boards are like asphalt mixes: every batch is a little different, and sometimes you get one with too much aggregate and not nearly enough binder. One meeting they’re…continue

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

Safety Training Binder Checklist

Safety Training Binder Checklist General Workplace Safety Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) selection and use Lockout/Tagout procedures Proper lifting and ergonomics Slips, trips, and falls prevention Housekeeping and garage safety Fire extinguisher use and fire safety Hazard Communication (HazCom…continue

MS4 Basics for Highway Supers

What You Need to Know About Stormwater Regulations If you’ve been hearing more about “MS4” lately, you’re not alone. Across the country, more municipalities and highway departments are being pulled into MS4 permit programs. If you’re a highway superintendent, it pays to…continue

Slow It Down: Using Check Dams to Control Water Flow in Ditches

For any highway department, managing water flow in roadside ditches is a key part of keeping roads in good shape and protecting nearby land. One simple but powerful tool for the job? The check dam. Check dams are small structures, temporary or permanent, built across a ditch to slow water down, redu…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

Simple Methods of Erosion Control in Stormwater Management

If your crew is responsible for any drainage work, or if you’re managing roads or ditches, you’re also in the erosion control business, whether you realize it or not. Left unchecked, erosion can turn small problems into big ones: clogged culverts, failing shoulders, sediment-laden stream…continue

The Fine Art of Butting Heads With Your Town Board (And Surviving to Tell the Tale)

Let’s face it: if you’ve got a seat at the department head table, and there’s a Town Board in the room, sooner or later you’re going to butt heads. It’s not personal. It’s not even unusual. It’s practically a job requirement. Town Board members come from all…continue