Solving a Snowplow Driver Shortage with Modular Construction

As most east-coasters know, it’s a time of year that we usually see a lot of snow. Yet states across the country are short hundreds of snowplow drivers, and it’s causing some towns to raise wages to over $300 an hour, and even offering “snow bonuses” in some cases. Now, government entities are investing in ways that would help to offset this shortage of snowplow drivers.

According to Insider, the pandemic created a unique need for private delivery and trucking jobs, in turn offering a decent income to drivers. Because of this, we are now seeing a decrease in other occupations, including winter-operation workers. Although the Department of Transportation is considering raising wages, it is hard to compete with private entities who can make these pay decisions much faster.

Here are a few rare incentives we are seeing in an attempt to gain snowplow drivers:

• Watertown, a suburb outside of Boston, is offering hourly wages for snowplow drivers ranging from $86-$310.
• Lowell is offering $85 an hour for pickup truck drivers with snowplows and $155 an hour for wheel-loader drivers with a 12-foot plow.
• In central Massachusetts, seasonal rates are paying an additional $10 an hour for drivers, bringing it’s highest-paid position to $190 per hour.
• Colorado raised its annual road maintenance salaries to $40,000 and are offering “snow bonuses” up to $2,000.

As winter storms hit, a snowplow driver is often on call for 24 hours a day and can work 12-hour shifts under sever weather conditions. This is not just mentally taxing but a physically exhaustive job. “Driving a snowplow is a bit more than just being a truck driver. They have to control putting salt and sand down. They have to control the plow. It’s very difficult to take someone with little to no experience and put them in a plow and turn them loose”.

In an attempt to compete with private entities, local government is investing in modular bunk houses for snowplow drivers. By providing a designated area for drivers to rest and recover, the task of plowing becomes more feasible. Often, snowplow drivers are just seasonal workers who are hired by the government during winter months. Because they are not year-round employees, they don’t have access to the amenities that other workers would have. But with these modular bunk houses, they will have a designated place to utilize.  

Government agencies often work with specific budgets and timelines. Because of this, they utilize modular construction due to it's affordability and quick time-to-completion. The restrooms, showers, bunks, and other building components are built off-site in a manufacturing facility. They are then brought to the site by truck where the full building is completed. Modular fabrication is an increasingly popular construction method used by commercial organizations around the word.  

If you are interested in learning more about modular bunks for snowplow drivers, please contact one of our representatives today. Or request a free quote!