Sacramento, CA…In this Caltrans News Flash, the department’s Division of Equipment unveils one of 14 snowplows which were designed and custom-built in the Sacramento equipment shop. Caltrans’ cost to build the snowplow is 33 percent less expensive than ordering the vehicles commercially.

Some of the safety improvements and innovative features on these vehicles include infrared pavement thermometers, backup cameras, high-speed attenuators, improved high-visibility striping, larger plows, and our highway safety campaign “Be Work Zone Alert” on the rear of the vehicles. Wiring and welding is also done by Caltrans, increasing quality and maintenance intervals.

In a 2014 study to test efficiency, Caltrans delivered 39 custom-built trucks in 287 days, while commercial suppliers delivered 30 trucks in 477 days.