Snowplow driver misses sleep but enjoys the job
If snowplow driver Joe Dugo of J.D. Enterprises had a choice between 8 inches of snow falling overnight or over the course of two days, he’d prefer it all at once.
That way, he can make one visit to each client, then go home and sleep.
No such luck with this storm.
With 25 commercial and 40 residential clients, Dugo, with the help of his two employees and the company’s small fleet of equipment, had made multiple visits to locations in the suburbs since the New Year. By 2 p.m. Thursday, his company already had plowed the parking lot of one Arlington Heights hotel five times.
Dugo said he’s glad that business is good and he’s working hard. And he has managed to sneak in four consecutive hours of sleep between shifts.
Winter can be a slow time of year for a landscaping/snowplowing business, and it’s generally feast or famine this time of year. But when the snow falls, Dugo goes into action.
Driving a Ford F550 7.3-liter turbo diesel dump truck, Dugo confidently makes his way between two cars in the hotel parking lot, with just enough room for the plow. The edges of the plow are marked with plastic rods on either side, and with his 15 years of experience he is able to properly judge the distance between the cars and the plow.
Dugo said not too many landscapers have such a large truck. He likes to drive it because of the weight. The truck doesn’t have any problem maintaining traction while plowing piles of snow.
Despite the long hours, Dugo said he likes plowing snow better than landscaping.
“It’s easier money, and you just sit in the truck all day,” Dugo said. “Basically, you’re like a big kid playing in snow.”