In Their Shoes: Watertown Asphalt Plant Operator

WATERTOWN (CBS) - April is the start of pothole repair season. The ground has warmed up enough to be patched up. Right now, cities, towns and the state are spending millions on the asphalt to fill all those holes.

In Watertown, Aggregate Industries has a two ton asphalt batch plant. "We make asphalt for anyone who wants to buy it," General Manager Bob Anderson says.

Doug Tolman runs the plant, taking orders from truck drivers who pick from dozens of different recipes.

Belts and buckets mix rocks and petroleum into a sweet concoction.

Once the special recipe of sand rock and liquid asphalt gets mixed together, it gets dropped below into the waiting truck at 325 degrees. The race is then on to get from that truck into the ground before it cools off.

Right now, the plant is cranking out 200-300 tons of asphalt every day. For Doug, an easy going guy the glass is always half full, but, the pothole needs to be completely full.

Does it drive him crazy when he hits a pothole?

"Absolutely, absolutely," he says. "I want to grab some mix and throw it in so I don't do it again."