MDOT ‘Roadeo’

Published 4:05 am Friday, March 25, 2016

    Mississippi Department of Transportation District 5 workers converged on Newton Thursday to compete in their own style of rodeo.

    The group of heavy equipment operators spent the day competing against each other in the annual MDOT “Roadeo”, an event designed to sharpen their skills while boosting morale.

    The annual contest and training event shows how MDOT employees maintain and enhance their daily operating skills while making sure their duties are being performed as safely as possible, said Heath Patterson, state maintenance engineer for MDOT.

    “We get together once a year in our six districts throughout the state to compete in various equipment problems to help these guys hone their skills so that we are safer against adjacent traffic as we do our work throughout the day,” explained Patterson, “The better they are at completing each of these problems the safer they can perform their duties day to day.”

    About 160 contestants performed skills like maneuvering different pieces of heavy equipment into tight spaces, handling small objects with a backhoe, and parallel parking a dump truck, all while being judged.

    “They compete in three truck events — single axle, tandem axle, and tractor with lowboy trailer,” Patterson said. “They also compete in motor grater, backhoe, as well as tractor bush hog. It’s an event that makes you appreciate the skill it takes to operate some of this heavy road equipment.”

    For Matthew Thorne of Newton, a state and district winner, taking the top title is all about bragging rights.

    “For me it just feels good to know you are the best operator in the district,” said Thorne. “That’s why I like competing, plus I know I am doing my job as safe as I know how.”

    Each event is scored and winners from the District 5 competition will go on to compete in the state competition in Tupelo in June. From there, winners will go to Savannah, Georgia to compete regionally against 10 other states.

    “For the winners it might be the first time they have ever traveled out of state competing with other states,” Patterson said. “The last two years we have finished second place among all 11 states that compete, and we are striving to bring home the crown this year.

    District 5 is made up of ten counties in East and Central Mississippi. It’s one of seven districts in the state.