GRITTERS & GRAFTERS GET SET FOR WINTER

BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE LORRIES KEEPING OUR ROADS CLEAR

- JAMIE BRASSINGTON News Reporter

THE 18-tonne cab rocks gently from side to side as we exit the lorry depot in Brownhills.

There's a small convoy of us with our yellow lights flashing and it feels like we're going on an adventure.

We've just left a site that houses the council's lorry fleet along with a huge open shed containing a giant mound of salt.

When the weather turns cold and it snows in Walsall, this is where gritting teams emerge from to clear the borough’s roads.

It's not snowing today but with winter on the horizon, the gritting lorries are carrying out a ‘road familiarisation’ exercise through various neighbourhoods. Essentially, it’s a dry run.

These vehicles can be a common sight during daylight hours when it snows or temperatures drop towards freezing - but it’s a job that is 24/7 and can be a rather thankless task.

When the majority of us are sleeping warm at night, these drivers are hitting the streets during darkness and freezing temperatures.