- Across the US, states are coming up short on the number of snowplow drivers needed for winter.
- Big snow storms could lead to road closures and further snarl supply-chain challenges.
- Last month, towns in Massachusetts were offering as much as $310 an hour to attract drivers.
Transportation officials in several US states are warning of the potential disruption from the ongoing shortfall of licensed snowplow drivers this winter.
Highway departments in Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania told the Associated Press they have been unable to staff up to normal seasonal levels ahead of snow storms that could hit as early as this weekend.
"Everyone's sort of competing for the same group of workers and private companies can often offer higher salaries than the state government," Washington state's Department of Transportation spokesperson Barbara LaBoe told the AP.
"If we have a series of storms over several days or if it hits the whole state at once, (the shortage) is going to become more evident because we don't have as deep a bench," she said.
In addition to having to compete against private companies for drivers — often offering better wages and schedules — LaBoe said the state lost about 151 winter workers due to vaccine mandates.
In Massachusetts, some towns were offering as much as $310 an hour for snowplow drivers, with rates varying on the licensing and equipment needed. Vehicles like pickup trucks that don't ordinarily require a commercial drivers' license to operate don't suddenly need a CDL when a plow is attached.
But the large, specialized equipment needed to keep interstates and major arteries clear does require training and experience to handle safely.
"When you're plowing the road you need to know where the bridge abutment is and where the expansion joints are so you don't hook that with a plow," LaBoe said.
Even if the states could find enough drivers in the coming days, officials said they wouldn't likely be fully trained to work this winter.
"We want the traveling public to understand why it could take longer this season to clear highways during winter storms," Jon Swartz, the maintenance administrator for the Montana Department of Transportation, told the AP. "Knowing this helps motorists to plan ahead and adjust or even delay travel plans."
Swartz' department is short about 90 drivers.
Clogged winter roads have also historically led to additional supply-chain complications – a problem that would be most unwelcome this year.
Alexis Campbell, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, said the agency is short by 270 permanent positions and 560 temporary ones.
Vehicles will still be able to travel, Campbell said, though she sought to temper motorists' expectations: "Our goal is to keep roads safe and passable rather than completely free of ice and snow."