It may only be autumn, but it is never too early to start preparing for winter.

SWISCo, a company owned by us, has recently taken delivery of three new winter salt gritters from Econ Engineering.

Adding these to SWISCo’s fleet of vehicles will be a valuable tool over the coming months. Brand new and built to order they come with a preloaded routing software package.

This new technology will allow a gritting route to be uploaded directly into the vehicle, helping advise the operatives where to go and which areas to treat.

Having the gritters equipped with the pre-programmed software should ensure the delivery of a timelier gritting service, prevent routes from being double gritted and as a result, avoid the wasting of gritting salt.

The new vehicles will be an asset throughout autumn and winter, but these are not the only preparations SWISCo have been making for the return of winter. Recently, SWISCo took delivery of 500 tonnes of gritting salt, stored within the depot and ready to be used when needed.

Thanks to the SWISCo garage and fleet team, the new vehicles will receive a pre-use service to prepare them for operational use.

It is not anticipated that the ongoing shortage of HGV drivers will affect SWISCO’s ability to carry out winter maintenance across Torbay over the coming months. SWISCo currently have trained operatives from across the business to drive the gritting vehicles.

Although collections of waste and recycling have largely returned to normal, SWISCo are still being affected by the HGV driver shortage and are continuing to advertise and recruit for the role.

As the weather starts to get colder the team of trained operatives will be out in the new gritting vehicles, helping to make the streets of Torbay safer for driving this winter. 

Councillor Mike Morey, Cabinet Member of Infrastructure, Environment and Culture for Torbay Council said: “These vehicles will be a fantastic asset for the SWISCo winter maintenance team. The new vehicles are an impressive sight, and the integrated state of the art software will aid our teams in treating Torbay’s roads. When the cold winter weather does arrive the winter maintenance operatives and vehicles will be ready to work across Torbay to keep traffic moving safely.”

If you are interested in joining SWISCo as an HGV driver, find out more information and  how to apply.

More information on Torbay’s winter service plan and related information about roads in winter.