Plow operator shortage means Oregon drivers should prepare for snowed-in roads this winter
The Oregon Department of Transportation says a shortage of snowplow drivers means crews will be slower to clear roads, and that drivers should take extra precautions this winter.
ODOT spokesperson Don Hamilton said the agency has 382 vacant maintenance positions statewide. About 130 of those are for jobs that include operating snowplows.
“If we get hit by a major winter event, the public is going to notice a decline in services,” Hamilton said. “Things may not get plowed, salted or spread with sand or de-icer as quickly as we’d hope.”
The possibility of snow is in the forecast. Oregon’s mountain passes may get some snow this long weekend, and the Willamette Valley floor may see flurries next week.
The low staffing statewide means crews may also be slower to clear crashes in all weather. ODOT urged drivers to be patient with crews as they work, and to take their own safety measures.
Hamilton said the reason for the driver shortage is unclear but that ODOT is hiring for maintenance positions. The job requires a commercial driver license.
There’s plenty of competition for qualified applicants. TriMet, the Portland-area transit agency, is struggling to hire workers despite pay bumps and sign-on bonuses. So are delivery services and freight companies.
Drivers can visit TripCheck.com, ODOT’s traffic website, to check road conditions before leaving for long drives, especially over the mountain passes. Travelers should also heed roadside message signs, which may display alerts about poor road conditions, chain requirements or closures.
The National Weather Service recommended drivers carry an emergency travel kit with warm clothes, blankets, flashlights, food and water.
Drivers should carry chains when traveling in areas where they may be needed – and know how to use them.
Within the city of Portland, drivers can check Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Winter Weather Center map for conditions at 500 feet elevation or higher.
PBOT spokesperson Dylan Rivera said the agency plans to have extra crews working overnight on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to apply de-icer to the roads to prevent snow or ice from sticking to pavement on bridges, overpasses and routes at high elevation.
He said staff shortages won’t affect PBOT’s winter weather response this year.
PBOT has updated its snow and ice routes, to make sure it is plowing roads that provide access for buses and emergency vehicles, and clear roads to emergency shelters. The agency has added 82nd Avenue and segments of Skyline Boulevard and Newberry Road to its snow routes.