It's early October, but the city's plow truck drivers are already gearing up for winter!



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- It's not an easy job, but we rely on them every winter to help us get from Point A to Point B. Plow truck drivers make our commute possible when there's snow and ice on the roads -- and even though it's early October, they're already getting ready to get out on the road!

On same day the wind blew in, so did Franco Festi. On a two-week tour of the Midwest, the Italian traveler was in Milwaukee on Wednesday, October 8th for the very first time. He didn't visit in the middle of a Wisconsin winter, but he says he can imagine what that might be like.

Locals don't have to pretend!

Brian Field has been plowing snow for 20 years. He trains plow truck drivers at Milwaukee's Department of Public Works.

"They are out there for long hours under conditions where the news is telling everyone else to stay home and we have to come out and start plowing," Field said.

After hours of classroom work, "drivers in training" have to make dry runs -- taking side streets.

"We get them into tight areas and get them used to driving with a plow on the front," Field said.

Prospective plowers have to pass a final drive test.

It's not an easy job. It's stop-and-go, and in-and-out during a shift that can be very long. If you can handle that and a heavy suspension, you might have a future in pushing snow.

The Department of Public Works will dispatch about 90 plow trucks during a snowfall event, and shifts can last up to 12 hours -- sometimes more during a big storm.