More US drivers could find themselves stuck on snowy highways or have their travel delayed this winter due to a shortage of snowplow drivers, per the AP. States from Washington to Pennsylvania, including Montana and Wyoming in the Rocky Mountains, are having trouble finding enough people willing to take the comparatively low-paying jobs that require a Commercial Driver’s License and often entail working at odd hours in dangerous conditions. It's a common theme this year: A labor shortage and lingering concerns about the pandemic have left employers scrambling to find enough school bus drivers, waiters, cooks, and even teachers.
“We want the traveling public to understand why it could take longer this season to clear highways during winter storms,” said Jon Swartz, the maintenance administrator for the Montana Department of Transportation, which is short about 90 drivers. “Knowing this helps motorists to plan ahead and adjust or even delay travel plans.” Several states are either already feeling the crunch or could be soon: Heavy snow is predicted in the coming days in large swaths of the country, including Utah and Colorado, where more than a foot is forecast in higher elevations. Over a half a foot could drop in parts of Nebraska and Iowa. Parts of Nevada and New Mexico also expect winter storms.
State transportation departments say there are several reasons for a lack of snowplow drivers: the low unemployment rate, an aging workforce, and an increased demand for diesel mechanics and CDL drivers in other industries. One of the main competitors for states seeking workers with a Commercial Driver’s License are private trucking companies that have been raising driver pay, in some cases several times this year, to fill their own shortages and meet the increasing demand to move freight and clear supply chain bottlenecks.
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