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Charlotte Haye 21st February 2018

Grittie McVittie, Sir andy Flurry And More – The Unsung Heroes of Winter Roads

‘The gritters are out’ is the single most common phrase you’ll hear in England and Scotland when the weather starts to turn. The cold snap in the UK has prompted the gritting lorries to come out in force, ensuring Britain’s roads are safe despite the snow. In Scotland, you can even track their amusingly named gritting lorries (our favourites are Gritty Gritty Bang Bang, Luke Snowalker and Gritty Gonzales) on a map to see if your area has been cleared yet. But there’s a good reason that the gritters herald the icy weather – and that’s because their job is to work ahead of the appearance of ice and snow, and not before it.

How Do Gritters Work?

Gritters are dispatched to UK roads when the weather forecasts indicate that there might be ice and snow around. They work by dropping large form rock salt on the roads before the snow has a chance to fall. There’s nothing fancy added on – it’s just good old-fashioned salt – like you would use on food – but on an industrial scale. The salt is stored in a large hopper on the back of the vehicle, with a wire mesh spread over the tip to stop foreign objects from falling in and jamming the spreading system. The salt is fed through a duct and to an impeller, which moved back and forth, spreading the salt in an eve, thin layer across the road’s surface. The salt stops the snow and ice from sticking to the roads surface, so ice won’t form and cause a hazard. It also gives cars and other vehicles a gritty surface to drive on, giving them more purchase than tarmac and reducing the possibility of accidents. These vehicles drive on all main and side roads they can fit on, providing a safe driving surface in the worst of weather. In the event of blizzards or other extreme weather, snow ploughs may still be used to clear blocked roads before further gritting is done to melt any ice or snow that’s formed. Gritting is a slow, time-consuming process that can cause traffic delays, but it’s ultimately worth it for the safety of road users and the prevention of accidents.

Who Are Gritter Drivers?

So, who drives gritting lorries? After all, the UK might be cold, but gritting the roads isn’t exactly a full-time job. But it’s an essential one, and it often requires all night driving to make sure the roads are safe before the morning commute begins. Generally, gritter drivers will work between November and April, when snow and ice are most likely. So during the warmer weather, the drivers may take on other professional driving jobs, or jobs that don’t require driving at all. For example, gritter drivers who work for councils might work on the motorways, or as bin lorry drivers for the rest of the year, only taking on gritter driving when it’s needed. But icy roads aren’t just the council’s problem – private properties require gritting too. Supermarkets retail parks and other heavy traffic areas need de-icing to prevent accidents on their property.

You’ll find that gritting jobs for both public and private bodies as winter approaches and the cold weather sets in. Even now, when Christmas is over, the gritters are out in force to protect us from the Siberian winter snap we’re going through. The pay for gritter drivers can range from £10 per hour, right up to £250 for a long shift. That’s mainly because there’s a lot of variation between public and private, company and even vehicles. What is for sure though, is that the most common license types required for a gritting job are Cat B and Cat C (again, depending on the company.

At Easy as HGV, we are able to train drivers for any HGV qualification. We can also advise you on what license would be best to train for, and help you find employment once you are qualified. So this winter, don’t just sit and watch Gritty McVittie go by – get behind the wheel instead! For more information, just get in touch with us today.

Charlotte Haye

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