Scottsburg Resident is INDOT Roadeo Champion

Seymour District's Johnny Dake is INDOT's top snow plow driver for 2010

SCOTTSBURG, IN - The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) recently held the annual Roadeo at the Indiana State Fair.  Each year INDOT's top snow plow drivers test their driving skills against simulated challenges they will face on the roads the following winter.  Johnny Dake, a 32 year veteran of INDOT scored 2,455 points out of a maximum 2,850 points to win the competition.  The second place finisher scored 2,450 points and the third place finisher scored 2,445.  Dake resides in Scottsburg and currently works as a crew leader at the Scottsburg Unit of the Madison Sub district.  The road to the championship starts out with a competition at the Sub district, proceeds to the District competition and then on to the state finals.

The "truck roadeo" is a competition but more importantly it is a major part of INDOT's snow and ice training to prepare drivers for the upcoming snow and ice season.  The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) tests the aptitude of drivers and trains INDOT snowplow drivers on snow removal skills in a controlled environment.  Safety is the number one concern for INDOT.  The driving skills training provided during the Truck Roadeo training sessions prepare the snowplow drivers to clear INDOT's roadways of snow and ice while reducing the potential of injury to the employee, injury to the traveling public, and property damage.  The course simulates real-life situations, and the course allows INDOT employees to develop skills for new drivers and improve the skills of experienced drivers to provide the safest services possible in the most efficient manner for the traveling public.

Each year about 1,500 employees start out at the Sub district level in competitions, which culminate at the state finals, where each district is represented by their two top drivers-the best of the best.