The Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 says its crews are hard at work prepping snow and ice trucks across the eight-county fleet.

“Winter is Coming — and We’re Ready!” ODOT said on Facebook.

ODOT has been conducting 150-point inspections at its garages in District 1, which includes Hancock, Putnam, and other counties.

“We rolled through Hancock County today and inspected the fleet—21 trucks strong and winter-ready,” ODOT said. 

Deidra Noel, transportation administrator for ODOT in Hancock County, is asking drivers to do their part to help their snow plow operators clear the roads as efficiently as possible once the snow starts falling.

“Just take your time and slow down, give yourself enough distance between the vehicle in front of you, especially if it’s one of our trucks. Snow coming off of a truck makes visibility even worse so just back up and give us some space.”

The Hancock County ODOT Garage on Lima Avenue in Findlay is responsible for 633 lane miles in the county, including Interstate 75 from Bluffton to North Baltimore.