The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is seeking primary snowplow operators to fill a staffing shortage.
Snowplow operators work 12-hour shifts to clear snow and ice and to pretreat highways and bridges whenever possible in advance of approaching storms. A commercial driver’s license (CDL) is required, although KDOT will help selected applicants obtain their CDLs.
Interested applicants can apply on the agency’s website. KDOT will hire seasonal employees and will deploy employees, including supervisors and managers, to plow snow.
“KDOT field crews always do their best, but with less staff, it could cause delays to clear snow and ice from the highways,” KDOT Clay Adams, director of field operations, said. “We are able to pull in crews from across the state to affected areas, but that’s not always possible depending on the scope and severity of winter storms.”
Currently, KDOT is approximately 25 percent short of its preferred number of snowplow operators.
This staffing shortage is greater than others the agency has dealt with in recent years. Additionally, staffing shortages mean highways may not be cleared of snow and ice in a timely manner.
KDOT field offices have completed premaintenance work on snowplows and other equipment, and are fully stocked with salt, sand and other materials.