INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The Indiana state highway department has bought 76 new snowplows, and says that means its trucks will spend more time plowing and less time in the repair shop, according to the Web site www.indystar.com. The purchase will increase the state’s fleet of plows from 1,100 trucks to 1,117, because 59 older vehicles are being retired, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation. The new trucks cost about $120,000 and will last 12 years or longer. The trucks have fiberglass hoods and fenders and stainless steel beds, which prolongs their lives.

The purchases mark the first time the agency has increased its fleet size in more than a decade. For 15 years, the department’s fleet has remained at 1,100 trucks. The new vehicles are Ford International Trucks — a new model for INDOT. The International trucks are an improvement over the older model plow trucks in several ways, according to the department.

While the new International Trucks hold the same amount of fuel as older models, they only have one gas tank. This will allow plow drivers to spend less time at the gas station and more time plowing. Also, several electrical components on the new trucks have been moved to inside the cab. This change will help keep water out of the electrical parts, preventing them from short-circuiting.