Hitch-mounted rack simplifies traffic control

To be prepared for just about anything that can happen on a state highway, maintenance pickups must be outfitted with a variety of tools, including bright orange barrels and cones. While these tools are especially important for highway safety, they can be cumbersome to place efficiently, and when not in use, clutter the limited space in the truck.

When St. Maries foreman Ross Farrell asked his crew to brainstorm safer and more efficient ways to set up traffic control for short-duration operations, Blake Charles and Miles Stevens teamed up and went to the scrap pile.

Charles found a discarded platform and worked with Stevens to add jacks and casters. The jacks and casters make the rack easy to mount to the back of a light-duty truck, creating new and easily accessible storage.

During their visit in early August to District 1, board members were able to observe its utility in a brief demonstration by Farrell, Stevens and Charles.
 
“With this rack, you walk beside the truck while it is moving and place the cones at the same time,” Charles said. “It’s more efficient.”

Farrell agrees, and soon each shed in his area will have one.

 

 

Published 08-31-18