PORTLAND (AP) – When the wind howls, the snow flies and the temperature hovers around zero, Tom O’Connell is in his element.

A veteran fuel truck driver for Downeast Energy, one of Maine’s largest heating oil companies, O’Connell dons his long johns and heavy coveralls and logs long hours to ensure that his customers in Portland’s most densely populated neighborhoods keep warm.

O’Connell welcomed Gov. John Baldacci’s emergency proclamation on Thursday aimed at triggering a federal waiver to permit drivers to work longer hours to prevent heating oil tanks from running dry during the prolonged cold snap.

“This gives me a chance to work more days. It helps us and it helps the customers,” said O’Connell, who has driven fuel trucks for more than 15 years. “We don’t want to see anyone running out of oil, especially the elderly.”

O’Connell already has been working six-day weeks and logging close to the 60-hour maximum and now expects to see that increase to 65 hours or so while the weather remains frigid.

The governor’s proclamation said fuel oil is in heavy demand because of the cold, and supplies have lagged behind demand.

It warned that a lack of deliveries would threaten public health and safety because of the bitter cold. In Portland, the temperature has been below freezing since Jan. 14 and has dipped below zero three times.

There were no plans afoot in either New Hampshire or Vermont to seek waivers similar to Maine’s.

Downeast Energy’s South Portland office was so busy that its general manager, Mark Lodge, spent some time behind the wheel of a fuel truck to ease the workload on his 18 drivers. It was the first time this winter that Lodge made deliveries.

January usually ranks as the busiest month for Maine’s fuel retailers, but the past week or two have been particularly tough, he said.

The sustained cold has increased the already heavy demand for fuel, he said, while recent snowstorms – both large and small – have slowed traffic and made it more difficult and time-consuming for drivers to navigate slippery roads.

Higher oil prices also are a factor. Lodge said his “will call” customers – the 35 percent not on automatic delivery – are requesting smaller quantities of fuel because of the expense, and that forces drivers to make more frequent trips.

Most residential customers burn roughly 1,000 gallons of heating oil a year, he said, but the period between December and February accounts for more than half the total. Under current conditions, it’s not unusual to have to refill a standard 275-gallon tank at three-week intervals.

Relying on the degree-day formula to assess customer needs, Lodge aims at refilling the tank when 180 gallons have been consumed, providing a cushion to avert a “run dry.”

Drivers like O’Connell, who delivers in Portland’s congested Munjoy Hill and West End neighborhoods, can make as many as 45 deliveries per day, while those whose routes are more rural and require more travel between stops may hit only 30 dwellings.

The workload is so high during the winter that oil companies often have to draw upon seasonal drivers to augment the year-round staff.

“Part of the challenge is having enough drivers who are properly trained and hold commercial licenses with hazmat (hazardous materials) endorsements,” Lodge said. Lobstermen, construction workers and landscapers are often a good fit because their jobs are also seasonal.

Navigating a 2,800-gallon truck on slippery roads in nasty weather and standing in the cold while tanks are filled can be a grueling job, especially when long hours are the rule.

“We’ve had a lot of overtime,” Lodge said. “They get fatigued after a while.”

The job becomes more demanding when homeowners fail to clear the driveway or leave an open path to the fill cap, forcing drivers to stomp down the snow or grab a shovel. As a device that he calls “positive reinforcement,” Lodge has his drivers leave a thank-you card for customers who clear the path. And at the end of the heating season, he holds a drawing from among those customers and awards 100 free gallons to the winner.

The mid-day temperature had barely climbed into double digits as O’Connell made his rounds. He was en route to a routine delivery when a dispatcher relaying word of an emergency “run dry” at a multi-unit apartment building on Mellen Street prompted him to shift course.

After finding a parking spot in front of the building, he placed the 150-foot-long hose over his right shoulder before vaulting a 3-foot snowbank and dragging the hose to the fill point near the back. O’Connell filled the tank with 275 gallons, then headed to the basement to prime the furnace so it would start up.

Then it was back to his delivery schedule, one that puts O’Connell on the road at 7 a.m. and keeps him busy until 5 p.m. But he’s not complaining about the long hours. “I love it,” he said.