Last year's weather was particularly bad at times.

And the salt shortage didn't make it any easier.

This year, PennDOT has put some preventative measures in place.

Andy Kost from PennDOTt said, "Last year we used in total about 60,000tons of salt in District 11 on the state roads. This year we've already stock-piled about 42,000 tons. So, we've got a leg up on any shortages that might occur."

The district's main supplier is standing by, ready to truck in additional salt throughout the winter.

A new conveyor system at Main Salt Dome allows the facility to be filled more efficiently. That will keep more salt on-hand all the time.

And state-of-the art salt spreaders now feature ground speed controllers.

Kost said, "What the ground speed controller does is it constantly monitors the speed of the truck and dispenses the exact amount of salt that is pre-set by the operator when he starts his run."

Not only will that mean less waste, but the information can then be downloaded to evaluate future salt needs, avoiding short-falls.

District 11 maintains 35 salt stockpiles throughout the three-county area that it covers.

Crews will be hitting the roads with nine new trucks this winter.

PennDOT replaces their maintenance trucks every 6 to 8 years to ensure either efficiency.

An eight-ton capacity truck can carry enough salt to cover 50 miles of roadway.