As winter storms arrive, some states face snowplow driver shortages
CBSN
A shortage of snowplow operators is impacting U.S. states from Oregon to Ohio, with transportation officials blaming low wages and a tight labor market.
The shortfall could make roads less safe as winter weather arrives, including the historic storm that is now sweeping across the nation and prompting blizzard warnings from Montana to New York, experts say.
The average hourly wage for a snowplow operator is $25 an hour, but trade association National Coalition for Open Roads (NCFOR) said earlier this month that the wage isn't sufficient, especially as can make almost as much at fast-food restaurants. State transportation agencies are taking steps such as lowering the minimum age to drive a snowplow to 18, but shortages remain, the group said.
