Who says government can’t have a little fun? The North Dakota DOT has made an annual tradition of letting citizens around the state come up with creative names for the DOT snow plows that patrol our regional roads and highways. It’s both fun, and serves a secondary purpose of raising public awareness around the work of keeping roads clear and the public safe.
This year around Minot, we’ll have ControlSaltDelete on the job; it’s a wordplay on the tech phrase Control Alt Delete that’s widely known for ending a troubling program and getting a computer unfrozen. It’s a fitting name, well done!
The full news release from the NDDOT is below.
Featured Image: A ND DOT Snow Plow, picture from DOT Facebook page.
—- BEGIN NEWS RELEASE, ND DOT —-
BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) today announced winners of the second annual NDDOT Name-A-Plow Contest. A total of 890 snowplow names were submitted from across North Dakota through the duration of the contest which ran Nov. 3-27.
Winners have been notified and will have the opportunity to meet with the operator of the plow they named, as well as have their snowplow name displayed on the equipment.
2022 NDDOT Name-A-Plow Contest winners:
- Bismarck District: Plowabunga
- Devils Lake District: Scoop Dogg
- Dickinson District: Big Leplowski
- Fargo District: Plow Force One
- Grand Forks District: Austin Plowers
- Minot District: CtrlSaltDelete
- Valley City District: Sleetwood Mac
- Williston District: Blizzard Buster
North Dakotans had the opportunity to submit snowplow name ideas for a snowplow in the district where they live. Snowplow names submitted for each district were narrowed down by district employees and the overall winners were chosen by the NDDOT team.
“We are thrilled that our second Name-A-Plow Contest had even more submissions than the first,” said NDDOT Director Ron Henke. “Thank you to everyone who submitted a name and thank you especially to our snowplow operators who work long hours in tough conditions to keep North Dakota moving. Safety needs to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind while driving this winter and downloading the ND Roads app is a great place to start.”
Follow these tips for safe travel this winter:
- Know before you go – download the ND Roads app or visit travel.dot.nd.gov for the latest road information.
- Slow down and drive according to conditions.
- Stay back from snowplows to stay clear of blind spots and avoid being impacted by the sand and salt material the plow is dispensing.
- Know where the plow is on the roadway. It could be in either lane or on the shoulder.
- Passing a snowplow can be dangerous and the road is the clearest behind the plow. If you do choose to pass a plow, be careful and never drive through white-out conditions caused by cross winds or plowing snow.
For more information on driving safely in winter conditions, visit dot.nd.gov and check out the winter travel links at the bottom of the homepage.
###
