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Snow Rodeo testing heavy equipment operators' skills in Missoula

Heavy equipment operators have been showing off some of their skills and learning some new ones at the Snow Rodeo in Missoula

Heavy equipment operators show off some of their skills and learn some new ones during the Snow Rodeo.

By: Zach Volheim

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MISSOULA — Heavy equipment operators have been showing off some of their skills while also learning some new ones by taking part in the Snow Rodeo at the Missoula County Fairgrounds.

“The goal is to increase the safety and operational efficiency of our transportation system that is operated and owned primarily by the public in Montana,” said Matt Ulberg who is the director of the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) at Montana State University.

The Snow Rodeo consists of six events; a snow plow road course, precision operation of a backhoe and motor grater, a wheel loader obstacle course, an exam and a diagnostic test.

The snow plow road course is similar to an autocross course, with cones being laid out in a parking lot to create a course. On the course, there are several maneuvers that the operator must complete, including lining up their wheel to fit inside a small cone set almost the exact size of the wheel.

Motor Grater Cube Missoula Snow Rodeo — *Heavy equipment operators showed off some of their skills and learned some new ones during the Snow Rodeo at the Missoula County Fairgrounds on September 25, 2024.*

The precision operation of the motor grater is where the operator must gently knock off pieces of wood — about 6 inches in height — that are sitting on top of a metal pole - also about six inches in height.

For the wheel loader obstacle course, operators must knock tennis balls off the top of traffic cones with their buckets.

The exam is as it sounds like, a test of the operator's knowledge of a given machine. The diagnostics test is a fun one, where operators must find and diagnose what is wrong with a piece of equipment.

With all of these events, operators are given the chance to drive and operate equipment that they typically don’t work with.

“It's a great experience, good practice. It's a good time. I’m glad I came out for it” remarked Fleckly.

Missoula Snow Rodeo — *Heavy equipment operators took part in the Snow Rodeo at the Missoula County Fairgrounds on September 25, 2024.*

While the events may be fun for the operators, they also provide an opportunity to learn.

“The Snow Rodeo is really an operator of safety and operations training opportunity,” Ulberg explained. “The purpose is really to help these operators get better at operating their equipment, try new things. Sometimes people are employed to drive a truck or drive a motor grader and they never get exposure to backhoe or things that we have here for them could have been better, but it could have been worse.”

While operators may gain new skills by attending the snow rodeo, it still proves to be a challenge operating new equipment.

“It could have been better but it sure could have been worse,” said Fleckley, reflecting about the several cones that he hit.

The top contestants from the Snow Rodeo will be qualified to enter the national competition at the North American Snow Conference which will be held from April 6 to April 9, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.