In an effort to improve safety for the state’s highway maintenance workers, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has introduced the JAWS machine for mounting on state trucks, allowing workers to do their jobs without leaving their truck.
Debris removal is a major part of the job for highway workers, but it is also a dangerous part. JAWS, or Julie’s Automated Waste-Removal System, is a machine that can be mounted on trucks to pick up highway debris. It shifts that debris onto the shoulder to get it away from traffic and into a safer work space. Operators control the machine from inside their vehicle through hand controls and a mounted camera display.
In addition to creating a safer job, state officials say it will be more cost-effective, too. If all goes well, it could require fewer trucks and personnel to get the job done.
“Innovation is at the core of our culture, and this piece of equipment is just one example,” MoDOT Chief Engineer Ed Hassinger said. “Our employees are challenged to take their ideas, put them into practice so we can continually get better. They found a safer and better way to get the job done.”
The new machine was designed by workers from MoDOT’s own Kansas City District and KC Scout. JAWS was named after Julie Love, a highway worker who was killed while retrieving debris in 2004. Now, MoDOT wants to see their machine added to at least 27 more vehicles throughout the state.