FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — On days when most of us would rather keep it in park, Darrell Turnage's only gear is drive.
"People are staying home and staying out of the way," said Turnage, who drives a snowplow for the city of Franklin. "It’s just easier if everybody stays home until we can get it cleaned up. Then they can come out and do what they need to do."
But Turnage says this winter storm in particular has been a tough road to plow.
"We could make a pass down the road — we get to the other end, turn around and come back — it was snowing so hard it looked like we never did nothing. But we are out here trying. It just kept snowing," explained Turnage.
Now that the snow has finally stopped falling, they can use another tool in their tool box: laying down salt.
"Let the salt activate, then we can come back and plow it like you see the road is now," he said.
Turnage says salt works best when there's some sunlight to activate it, which Middle Tennessee didn't get a dose of until Tuesday. Additionally, because temperatures are so cold, he says it's taking extra trips down roads for his plow to make much of a difference.
"It takes three to four passes you know on the road — mainly," he said.
That's why street departments like Franklin are still having to focus on clearing the main highways first. In Franklin, they also prioritize routes leading to I-65.
"Yea we’ve got certain trucks dedicated to all the fire halls, the police stations and the hospital. We make sure that them really took care of the best we can," explained Turnage.
Turnage loves his job, but that doesn't mean the road is always smooth.
"It gets monotonous, it gets tiring, you get tired, fatigue. You just get out, walk around the truck, get us something to drink and then we start back after it again. That's all you can do to try to stay caught up," he said.
But just knowing he has the ability to help people put their lives back in drive — is what keeps him going. "It makes you feel good trying to help people. I like to help people anyway," said Turnage.
Turnage also recommends drivers give plow drivers plenty of space on the roads. When they have to pull over for you, it only slows them down.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
