Meet one of the drivers who clears snow off Twin Cities highways
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One hundred and fifty miles and 12 hours a shift. That’s what Maggie Faris drives, sometimes every day of winter, if the snow keeps falling.
“And that's Mother Nature's choice when we're done,” she said.
Faris is a transportation generalist with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Her job involves routine maintenance on roads, but during the winter, she mans the wheel of one of the many snowplows across the state.
Faris said she got into plowing after being laid off from her factory job where she drove box trucks. A friend recommended she check out the MnDOT's open jobs, and she found her fit.
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“When I was a little kid, I thought I would be a teacher, for sure,” Faris said. “I'm really glad I'm not a teacher, though.”
Faris recalled at one point doing 28 12-hour days in a row, during one particularly bad snow season. But with all that overtime comes a lot of time off. Faris said it allows her to pursue other passions including an acclaimed comedy career.
“I love that we get to do different stuff all the time. I love that it's never the same day. I love the flexibility,” she said.
December marked Faris’ ninth winter plowing snow in Minnesota. Her driver’s cabin is full of switches, buttons, monitors and radios all used for effective plowing and communication on the roads. But her favorite tool on the plow is a little unconventional.
“The drink holder,” Faris said. “Every piece of equipment needs to have a good drink holder. You got to have snacks. You got to be comfy, cozy and enjoy.”
This conversation is a part of our Job Interview series, where we talk to everyday Minnesotans about the rewards and challenges of their work. This interview has been lightly edited for style and clarity. Click on the audio player for the original version.
Official title: Transportation Generalist with the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
What I actually do: I drive a snowplow.
A great day at work: When you're driving a giant truck on the highway and you're pushing a lot of snow, it's fun. It's just a fun sensation to get that out of the way.
You know how people watch those videos of people power washing stuff or mowing lawns or stuff like that? That's how it feels. Like you go out and the roads are just a mess, and then you clean it up. And it's very satisfying when they're all dry and everything's great out there.
A not-so-great day at work: I was out there one day, and it was just glare ice, and there was nothing we could do. I had to do this one road off the side, and I literally had to drive up it backwards so that I could salt in front of me, so that I could get any traction at all.
What I’ve learned: You really have to have some gumption. And being here nine years, I think I've shown to myself that I have a lot of strength.
