Winter Storms:- Each winter, unpredictable weather creates an avalanche of logistical and financial problems for local governments.

As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, these challenges are compounded by staffing shortages due to illness and quarantine. Local government officials struggle to find ways to keep their streets clear and safe, while meeting the expectations of local schools, businesses and residents, and managing spiraling costs.

However, the easy-to-use technology that has fueled the success of ride-sharing services is making inroads, so to speak, in snowplow fleet management and delivering a real difference for U.S. cities and towns this winter.

SNOWiQ, an Uber-like mobile application, helps municipalities quickly boost and manage their snowplow fleets. The program can match available plows and drivers with the snowy streets that need them most, enhancing local resources with the help of on-demand area contractors. The system clears the way for any resident or contractor with a truck and plow attachment to receive approval to plow city streets -- and get in on the action (and the income) of keeping wintery roads safe.

One notable example of the utility of SNOWiQ can be found in Montgomery County, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC, that requires its full-time snow removal fleet to scale on a moment's notice.

The county turned to EastBanc Technologies, developer of SNOWiQ and the TERRAiQ platform whose smart technology fuels SNOWiQ and several other intelligent fleet management solutions, to modernize its operations and enable its field team to provide a fast and effective emergency response during winter storms.

The SNOWiQ application makes it easy to add contractors on an as-needed basis and to equip the entire fleet with the same easy-to-use tool -- a mobile application on their smartphones that is highly visual and shares route progress, updates and new requests in real time.

After completing a pilot, the program was launched full-scale for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. Full-time county drivers and on-demand contractors receive and report plowing progress from their mobile phones.

This strategy provides local supervisors with a detailed picture that enables maximum efficiency of workforce dispatching and scaling. An added benefit allows residents to access a public-facing SNOWiQ-powered dashboard to see real-time information about area snowstorm response activity.

The success of SNOWiQ highlights the feasibility and promise of mobile technology to help local governments deliver better service and cut costs. When spring comes and the snow stops falling, TERRAiQ technology could even be deployed to support building inspections and leaf removal, along with other on-demand public services.

Visit eastbanctech.com to learn more about SNOWiQ and the TERRAiQ suite of applications that power today's innovative connected experiences and improve our daily lives. NewsUSA/SP