Caravan 208B
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 240; Flight Crew Total 2500; Flight Crew Type 1200
Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Vehicle
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Weather
While taxiing in to our ramp in poor visibility conditions; just across the alpha bridge while on alpha moving towards our gate; An airport Maintenance (Yellow & Black) truck X failed to see us and drove straight towards us. By the time he saw us and slammed on the brakes; he came to a skidding stop not more than 5 feet from the propeller. I was only a split second away from an emergency shutdown. Ground controllers were informed and I was requested to contact the tower and report the issue on a recorded line. Note; our ground personnel at ORD witnessed the event as well.Due to the restricted visibility from the ice on the windshield from the landing; I did not see the truck until it was in my Forward Field of view (FOV)! though my first officer noticed the vehicle failing to stop; and informed me before the truck came into my FOV. It looked like the vehicle was performing some sort of support for ramp deicing and the driver's head was turned towards the other snow plows instead of monitoring where they were going. When they slammed on the brakes; we were already at a stop; my hand was on the condition lever for an emergency shutdown.
C208 Captain reports a near ground collision with an airport vehicle that is supervising the snow plows but apparently not looking ahead. The C208 had stopped and was about to shut down the engine when the truck driver noticed the aircraft and stopped quickly.