It takes an army of plows to remove snow from the streets of DeKalb.

DeKalb boasts several International 7400s trucks, the main force in DeKalb’s snow removal arsenal. These 270-horsepower diesel behemoths feature an air-ride cab, ten foot plow and a salt bed.

The insides of DeKalb’s International 7400s are lit by gauges and buttons. The plow is controlled by three levers, one for each function: tilt, turn and raise/lower. The salt spreader is managed with a digital display and several buttons.

“It’s something you really have to learn by doing,” said T.J. Moore, director of DeKalb Public Works.

Moore and Mark Espy, assistant director of DeKalb Public Works, know what it takes to be a plow driver.

“I drove a snowplow for 14 years before I took the assistant director position,” Espy said.

Moore said the DeKalb team is effective and efficient at plowing.

“They do a really good job making the streets…smooth,” Moore said.

DeKalb has several smaller plows to handle the downtown area and parking lots.

In order to qualify to drive a plow, a person must attain his or her Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), Moore said. DeKalb is split into six plow sections that are divided up by 14 drivers.

Snow plows always work in tandem. The lead plow clears the heavy snow whilst the rear plow clears any snow the lead plow left behind and spreads salt on the road. Two sections of the city have three drivers, while the remaining sections have two.

The rear of the truck houses a salt spreader; this spreader spins the salt to coat the road evenly. A beet juice mixture is sprayed with the salt for an added melting effect.

Drivers are always working together and are in constant contact with each other via radio. When one section is plowed, the drivers will migrate to another to help out the other drivers. Drivers have the same routes every time they plow, said Johnn Lucius, lead snow plow and sign technician.

While the hours for plowing are as unpredictable as the snow storms themselves, Lucius said he didn’t mind the scheduling.

“I don’t think the hours have ever gotten that bad,” Lucius said.

Lucius has been plowing the streets of DeKalb since 1990 and is now the lead driver. He plows the streets east of Seventh Street and west of Fourth Street. He plows this area for the streets south of Taylor Street and north of Fairview Drive, while two other drivers cover the rest of the section.

“Don’t plan any vacations during the winter,” Lucius said when thinking of the lessons he’s learned on the job. “You’re here to do a job.”

Lucius encourages drivers to stay off the roads during heavy snowfall, and said he’s seen cars that have fallen into ditches during snow storms.

DeKalb Street Operations recommends residents remove their vehicles from streets to enable snow removal procedures. Parking on designated snow routes is prohibited until streets have been plowed curb to curb, according to City of DeKalb Municipal Code: chapter 51, sections 51.13-5.

“Plowing is one of those things you know you’re going to come in and do to completion,” Lucius said.