The city of Maple Grove works. Chances are you can’t recall the last time—if ever— you have been snowed in or your mail wasn’t delivered. The men and women who plow our streets and bring our post are committed to excellent service and they get it done without fuss. We may hear the snowplow scrape by in the wee hours or nod hello to the postal carrier on our way to work, but for the most part we don’t think about the people who are so vital to the quality of our daily lives. Here’s a salute of thanks to two of the people that keep our community ticking.
Joe Bennett started his job as a snowplow driver the day after his all-night senior party in Osseo. He has been in the job for 25 years since that June. Bennett also runs all heavy equipment for Maple Grove public works, from grading gravel roads to trimming trees in a bucket truck. He gives us the scoop on operating the plow.
What is a typical winter’s day work for you?
During a snow incident, we usually get the call around 11p.m., so we can respond at midnight. Fifteen plow operators and three sidewalk cleaners leave the shop in different directions toward their routes. A normal plow route takes 10 to 12 hours to clear. Everyone helps each other until all routes are completed. Then we return to public works, fill our vehicles and change any plow edges. I race home so I can get a couple hours of sleep before my two boys get home from school. I return a second night with three other loader operators and plow over 600 cul de sacs.
Do you remember a particularly bad storm in recent years?
Two winters ago I worked 67 days in a row. Just about every time we had the city cleaned, it snowed again.
What are your least favorite weather conditions?
Freezing rain! There are times when we have to drive in reverse for traction, spreading salt in front of us instead of behind.
When are you on call?
We are on call 24-7, 365 days a year. Hopefully we get the dreaded phone call from the supervisor in time to plan for sleep. The hardest thing about my job is being away from my family on evenings and holidays.
Do you have any on-the-job pet peeves?
People who park on the streets during a snow emergency. My loader has 24 feet of plow and wing, so there is not much room to spare when plowing a residential street that is typically 30 feet.
Is there anything that residents can do to make your job easier?
If the snow and weather is so bad that we would have trouble with our equipment, please stay home if you can.
Is there anything you'd like the citizens of Maple Grove to know about you and your job?
Our plows are not magic. All snow comes off the plows to the right. Your driveways and sidewalk will get snow even if they are already cleared.
Mail carrier Jason Richardson gets to work at 7:30 a.m., sorts the mail, loads his truck, and spends two to five hours delivering mail. When the mail is delivered, he gets to go home to be with his family. Richardson loves the way that Maple Grove has grown and has enjoyed working for the post office during the past 12 years.
What is a typical work day like?
I check my LLV (long life vehicle) to make sure it is in good condition for the day. Delivery consists of putting not only the typical mail into the mailboxes, but also obtaining signatures for “accountable” mail items and scanning the barcodes for tracking purposes on many of the packages. After delivery, putting things away and tidying up usually takes about 15 minutes before heading home.
What is a challenging work day for you?
One of the hardest days of the year is usually the Monday after Cyber Monday—the first Monday of December. We are still getting a lot of advertisement mail, but also getting a ton of packages. Another challenging day throughout the year is when we get a snowstorm while delivering. When we beat the plows to the streets, it makes for a very long day with a lot of getting stuck and a lot of shoveling.
What makes for a great day at work?
When I have the confidence of my superiors to do my job correctly and know that everybody is working toward the same goals it makes for a peaceful day. Also we have a tradition in the office that whenever somebody has a birthday that person gets to bring treats for the whole office!
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve delivered in Maple Grove?
I’ve seen things from flat screen TVs to tires to coconuts with a stamp.
What does it take to be a great mail carrier?
You have to be able to be self-motivated. Also we need to be meticulous about the mail we are sorting. Mail can come addressed to someone who lived at an address ten years ago and it helps if we can pull that mail out, saving the customer some undue grief. House numbers can be identical on parallel streets, so we have to pay attention to what we are doing. Also, standing for hours can be difficult if a person is not used to it.
What is the best thing about your job?
The satisfaction of knowing I am providing a service to the people and that I am going the extra mile to make sure that happens. Also, knowing that when my mail is delivered I am free to go home. We are not tied to a time clock. When the work is done, we go home.
Do you have any on-the-job pet peeves?
I’m glad you asked! Anything blocking the mailboxes can be irritating, especially when there are other places to park or put the garbage can. The biggest pet peeve I have is mailboxes that don’t get shoveled out. It takes a lot of extra effort to get to those mailboxes and there is always the chance of getting the LLV stuck in the snow.
