Scenario: the first storm hits and calls start coming in. Direct answer: use a table to sort problems by priority, so that the unsafe ones are fixed first. The items are common from shop experience; they are not statistics, and I cannot say how often each occurs.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Quick check | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plow will not lift or angle | Hydraulic fault, low fluid, electrical connection | Fluid level, hoses, connectors, controller | High |
| Hydraulic leak | Hose or fitting failure | Look for fresh oil; check hose condition | High |
| Edge loose or rattling | Bolts not re-torqued after fitting | Stripes and wrench check | High |
| Plow drifts down | Cylinder or valve leak | See the lift-drift article | High |
| Edge does not scrape cleanly | Worn or uneven edge, shoes too high | Height at both ends; shoe height | Medium |
| Plow chatters | Hard pavement, edge style, loose parts | See the chatter article | Medium |
| Lights out | Connector corrosion, fuse, wiring | Plug, fuse, ground | High (safety) |
| Plow trips too easily | Spring setting, edge catching | Spring condition and driver report | Medium |
| Salt spreader will not run | Frozen or blocked material, electrical | Check chute and controller | Medium |
How to run the triage
Triage is about the order, not the diagnosis. Write everything down as it comes in, then work in this sequence.
- Write each call on a board with truck, symptom and time. Memory fails at 03:00, and so does the radio.
- Handle safety-critical items first: lights, hydraulics and loose edges. Those stop the truck from working legally.
- Swap a truck rather than repair on the route if you have a spare unit. A route repair in a storm costs more than a swap.
- Record the cause found. The triage log is next season’s prevention list.
After the storm
The board is only useful if it becomes a list of types.
- Review the board and group the problems by type.
- Decide which could have been caught by a preseason check.
- Add them to next year’s inspection list.
Using the table before the storm
The best use of this table is in the week before the first forecast. Walk the yard with the table in hand and check the items that could be tested now: lift each plow, run the angle function, test the lights and look for fresh oil. Anything found then costs a few minutes; the same fault in a storm costs a truck and a driver. Keep the table in the shop and update it with the faults you meet in your own fleet.
What to avoid
Do not patch a hydraulic leak with temporary tape or leave a loose edge to finish the shift. A short stop is cheaper than a failure on the road.
Boundary: general guidance only; no data on fault frequency. Follow manufacturer procedures and shop safety rules.
Further reading on this site.
Carbide chipped during the first storm. What evidence should we collect? ↗Writing a Carbide Insert Tender Specification That Holds Up ↗Carbide snow plow blades ↗Counting Back From First Snow: A Backwards Plan for Overseas Edge Orders ↗It Is November and Your Edges Are Not Ordered: A Late-Season Triage Plan ↗Five-Minute Triage After a Hard Impact: What to Check Before the Next Push ↗
