The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) received 118 new names for its big orange plow trucks through this year’s Name a Plow program for Vermont schools.
The agency also received 77 entries in the contest for schools to name the new plow truck that has a second plow spanning 21 feet and will be used to clear Interstate 89. That truck is now named “The Vermonster” thanks to the winning entry from Townshend Elementary School. Employees in AOT’s nine maintenance districts were invited to vote, and The Vermonster was the clear winner with 83 votes received out of a total of 281 votes cast throughout the state.
“Vermont students have had a lot of fun naming our plow trucks, and we love seeing what they come up with,” said Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn. “The names create a connection between the communities and our hard-working plow operators, and the program is also a great way for us to talk with young Vermonters about the importance of winter highway safety and the work our teams do to keep the roads well maintained and safe.”
AOT’s Name a Plow program began in 2021, when Vermont schools named 163 of the state’s 250 full-sized plow trucks. In 2022, AOT offered the chance for schools that had not yet participated to submit a name, and 73 additional trucks were named. The new 2024 plow names will replace the old names for all schools that participated in the past and again this year. Plow trucks that were named previously by schools that did not send a new name this year will keep their current names.
Some AOT maintenance district plow operators visited the schools that named a truck on Thursday, Nov. 7, to celebrate the third Vermont Plow Day. Schools are invited to take photos of their students and staff with the plow truck and name sign.
Local 2024 plow names
Barstow Memorial School: No More Mr. Ice Guy
Castleton Elementary School: Big Grimace
Lothrop Elementary School: Edward
Poultney Elementary School: Frost Dragon
Proctor Elementary School: Frostbit
Rutland Intermediate School: The UnBEElievable Snow Plow
Thetford Elementary School: Snoah Gahan
Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative: Sir Plowsalot
White River Elementary – Bethel: The Snow Day Eliminator
Woodstock Elementary School: Snow Lemur
For the complete list of plow names visit: vtrans.vermont.gov/name-a-plow.
