 In Utah, we use all kinds of snow removal equipment. We have to. There are so many different situations. Plows take care of a great deal of the snow, but we also need dozers, loaders, graders, and blowers to clear off the shoulders when the snow begins to build up. But removing the snow is only part of the job. We need to sand, too, because even a small amount of snow could become treacherous if we don't. There are several types of sanders in use. This one's the most common, and it's the one we'll concentrate on in this program. It runs by hydraulic power and is temporarily mounted in the dump box of a truck. Basically, it's all hopper. The sander carries about 15 tons of material. Inside the hopper, there's a conveyor to carry the material to the back of the sander. Here, the material passes through an adjustable discharge gate. From there, the material falls into the spinner so it can be thrown out onto the road. Finally, deflectors at the bottom of the spinner regulate the width of the coverage. To get the best use from the sander, you'll need to know how to hook it up. Check it out, operate it, clean it, and store it. OK, let's start with hookup. Basically, all you have to do is back the truck in under the sander. Raise the dump bed, disconnect the front chains, lower the bed, and disconnect the rear chains. But the trick is to get the sander centered in the bed. If you don't, the weight won't be evenly distributed. And besides, you won't be able to hook up the tie-down devices. So if you find that the sander isn't centered, try gently pushing it with a loader. OK, once you've got it centered, hook up the tie-down devices. Make sure they're secure. And the sander has its own lights. So make sure the sander is connected to the truck's electrical system. Now, as I said earlier, the sander runs off hydraulic power. So the last step is to hook up the hydraulic hoses. There are three of them, one to the conveyor motor, one to the spinner motor, and one return line. Be sure to wipe off the hydraulic fittings before hooking them up so you don't force dirt into the lines. And that's it for hookup. Now, daily checks. The first thing you should do is check the hydraulic oil level. The reservoir will be under the bed, outside the frame, or inside the frame. And remember, whenever you raise the bed to check anything, be sure you block it. Next, check the oil level in the auger pump. Some of the pumps use different types of oil. So be sure to add the right type if it's low. The wrong type of oil can blow the seals out. Check the spinner shaft, plates and bolts, and hydraulic hoses. Make sure everything's tight and secure, and look for damage or excessive wear. You have a couple of adjustments to make, too. One for the amount of sand you're placing, and the other for how wide you're placing it. For the most part, the deflectors are set the same. That's because you're normally sanding one traffic lane. So you won't have to adjust the deflectors very often. It's different with the discharge gate. You'll change the amount of sand you're placing, depending on the type of road and the conditions. The specific setting to use is basically a matter of experience. For a starting point, though, ask your supervisor. One more thing before you start up. Check the hopper for any buildup of material, and clean it out if there is any. OK, now turn on the conveyor and the spinner. Make sure the conveyor is running smoothly, and check the spinner shaft to see if it's bent. Look over the hydraulic hoses, too. Make sure there are no leaks. You have to let the truck run for 15 minutes or so to let the hydraulic oil warm up. And that warm up period is a good time to do your regular daily checks on the truck. Keep in mind that the sander has its own lights. So check them as well as the truck's lights, and clean them off, too. They don't do much good if they are covered up. OK, that's it for the daily checks. Now let's look at operation. You'll find two control knobs in the cab for the sander. One for the conveyor speed, the other for the spinner speed. By adjusting both controls, you can increase or decrease the amount of material being placed and the width of the placement. Sound familiar? It should. As I said earlier, the discharge gate and the deflectors control the amount of material placed and the width of the placement. You'll also remember that the amount of material you place depends on the road conditions and the level of service you're giving the road. So by having a control for the speed of the conveyor in the cab, you change the amount or the coverage without stopping and getting out. One more thing, sanders are calibrated at the beginning of the year. There should be a sticker in your cab to tell you how much coverage to give. If there isn't one, find the proper settings and write them down so you'll know next time. Well, that's how it works, but when should you sand? Well, normally you should sand whenever you're plowing. The idea is to get rid of the snow with the plow and to give the surface traction with the sand. You should also sand if there's a snow pack under the snow you're removing. Sanding's the only way to free it up so you can plow it. Of course, there are always exceptions. For instance, if there's heavy drifting across the road, the sand most likely won't do much good. As you can see, the snow is blowing across the road. Sanding here would catch the snow. So instead of blowing across the road, the snow would build up, making a worse situation. Here's another example. When there are two of you plowing, you should both sand unless the rear truck is directly behind the first truck. That only makes sense. You don't want to plow off the sand that was just put down. So a lot of it will be a judgment call on your part. Keep in mind, though, that if putting down sand will help give traction, then by all means, put it down. Well, that's just about it for operation. Just a few more things. First, keep an eye on your rear view mirror. Make sure the sander is working. Second, when you've used all the material, be sure to disengage the hydraulic pump. There's no sense in running the sander when there's nothing in it. And third, when you get back to the station for another load, get out and check over everything. A problem with the sander could start any time. Now let's look at cleanup. As you know, the material used in the sanding operation will tear up the equipment in no time if it's not cleaned out. Of course, at the same time, it doesn't make much sense to clean out the sander while it's still snowing. But you should clean the sander and the truck as soon as possible after the storm is over. Here's the procedure. Basically, all that's involved is hosing it down. But there are several things you'll want to make sure are clean. First of all, the conveyor and spinner. The best way to get them clean is to keep the whole system running while you're cleaning it. And second, be sure to hose down the brakes thoroughly. If the salt gets into the cylinders and hardens, you won't have any brakes. So turn the front wheels so you can get a clear shot at them. The last step is to lubricate the conveyor. Just pour some rust inhibitor over the conveyor while it's running so you get the whole conveyor. Get the sides of the hopper too. OK, now the last item on the list, storing the sander. Just reverse the procedure for hookup. Be sure you unhook everything. All the hydraulic hoses, the tie-down devices, and the electrical connection are a few points that you should lubricate too before putting the sander in storage. There are two on the auger pump and one on the spinner. Of course, always wipe off the fittings before greasing so you don't force in dirt. Be sure to grease the conveyor sprocket too. It's between the cab and the sander, so you might find it easier to get to after the sander is unhooked. Back the truck in. Raise the bed. Hook up the chains in front, hook up the chains in back, and lower the bed. But before you drive away, double check to make sure everything is unhooked. And that's it. You can be sure the sander will be ready the next time you need it.