30. October 2023
Disposal company
Disposal and service company trains for winter service
Braking exercises with trucks, Unimogs, tractors and gritters: 40 drivers now practised for winter operations on the premises of the waste disposal and service company (ESB). The driver safety training is offered on several dates every year.
In heavy snow, fog, rain and poor visibility - the drivers of the waste disposal and service company are also on the road in difficult weather conditions. Winter work in particular usually takes place in the early hours of the morning and in the beginning of rush-hour traffic.
Driving the clearing and gritting vehicle safely is particularly demanding. It is not only a matter of applying the optimum amount of grit and operating the clearing equipment safely at the same time. Rather, the vehicles, equipped with a salt spreader weighing several tonnes and the clearing blade, behave completely differently than in normal working conditions.
In order to meet this challenge in the upcoming winter in the best possible way, the ESB drivers have now received special training from the KAS driving school in Kalkar. On the one hand, the focus was on safe control of the vehicle, but on the other hand also on the special nature of winter driving.
Training under real conditions
"Our employees also benefit from the training for the rest of the year," says Heinz Welberg, Head of Waste Management and Services. The training sessions have been offered regularly since 2018 - with a break due to corona. Two more dates are planned for this year, says Welberg.
After a short theoretical briefing by the trainers, in which the special situations in the early morning winter service were once again addressed, the proper condition of the vehicles and the load were checked together. Then it was time for the practical training.
Under real conditions and in full working gear, the participants carried out various exercises with their vehicles on the ESB premises on Benzstraße. These included emergency braking at different speeds and on different road surfaces, estimating passage widths, turning and obstacle courses as well as slalom and reversing exercises. Frequent rotation ensured that all participants were able to complete a high workload of exercises.
Consideration for the winter service
Ultimately, the colleagues of the ESB who are deployed in the winter service are also dependent on the assistance of the Bocholt population, says ESB manager Heinz Welberg. "As road users, pay attention to the municipal clearing and gritting vehicles, keep a sufficient distance and give space for this important task for everyone's safety," says Welberg.
To be able to react calmly, allow a few extra minutes for the wintry journey through the city. "Prepare yourself and your vehicle for the wintry conditions in good time," advises Welberg.
Information on winter road clearance services
Further information on winter road clearance services in Bocholt can be found on our winter road clearance services page.