The Iowa Department of Transportation is testing a new pothole-filling system. Traditionally, the Iowa DOT has filled potholes using conventional hot and cold mix pothole-filling solutions that pair a dump truck and a trailer-mounted hopper, and at least two or three staff to spread the material with shovels and compaction tools. The new system involves one staff person and a self-contained truck. According to the IDOT, a Cimline Durapatcher is operating in Council Bluffs and Ames. This unit mixes and applies emulsion in a fraction of the time of traditional methods. IDOT said that after the Interstate 80 work zone crash that killed staff member Matt Dickerson near Council Bluffs in 2024, field staff and leadership have sought out safer ways to accomplish routine work like patching. “The ability to remove staff from the operation takes more employees off the road and increases safety. It puts one in a truck cab that protects the operator and it eliminates others who could be doing a different task for the day,” DeSoto/Perry Garage Maintenance Supervisor Cory Kirkpatrick stated in a press release. “With no staff on the roadway and faster filling, this truck also reduces the disruption to the public, so we’re able to provide a higher level of service to our customers.”