Sponsored Editorial

Imagine you are about to tuck into your tea on a cold evening only to then get a call, mobilising you to leave the house to go and grit Kent’s roads.

That is the reality for 33-year-old Kent County Council (KCC) gritter driver Craig Arthur, who for five years has been patrolling gritting routes across the county.

The father-of-two is one of a team of about 20 drivers working out of the council’s Aylesford Highways Depot who help to keep Kent moving throughout the winter.

The team usually has two drivers assigned to each route, with each one taking it in turns to spend two weeks on call before taking two weeks off.

Craig ‘Spud’ Arthur, whose route this year takes in Marden, Goudhurst and Lamberhurst among other villages, said: “I enjoy it, going out driving the lorries knowing we are keeping it clear and making the roads safer.

“It is nice to drive the gritter. I get to have a couple of hours by myself and enjoy the peace and quiet.

“Usually a couple of loud alarms, a strong coffee and listening to the radio wakes me up ready to head out on my route!”

Spud’s gritting duties are on top of his day job as a KCC Highways Engineer but, having previously worked as a mechanic, Spud prefers the snug warmth of the gritter’s cab to the cold and damp he experienced when he spent his working life laying on his back exploring the underneath of cars in the garage.

“Last year we had a shout at Christmas, which meant I missed my dinner. But it was good that I got to see my son and daughter open their presents in the morning,” Craig added.

“My route takes in some pretty remote places, so sometimes I’ll get stopped by people in villages who wave and say thank you because, if I hadn’t gritted, then they wouldn’t have been able to get out and about on the roads at all.”

Not everyone is so grateful or generous hearted towards KCC’s gritting team though, with some drivers tailgating and sitting impatiently behind gritters. Spud’s advice?

“Nine times out of 10 it is safer to stay well back if you can’t pass safely. The gritter driver will pull over when they can and let you go,” he added.

Visit the official page to learn more about Kent’s gritters and find out about the routes covered in KCC’s winter service.

To keep up to date with live gritting updates and weather reports, visit the Gritting Kent Facebook and Twitter pages.