As winter approaches, local departments of public works are struggling to find independent snowplow drivers — and some are offering bonuses as incentives.
And despite saying on its website that the deadline to find drivers has passed, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation continues to digitally advertise on highways that it is looking to hire independent snowplow drivers.
“There has been a decrease in drivers and the city has been unable to find drivers,” said Steve Beem, deputy director for Springfield’s Department of Public Works.
Worcester, Framingham and Brockton are among many cities in the state actively looking for snowplow drivers.
Beem, a snowplow driver for over 40 years, said the city has been unable to find enough drivers in recent years, which leads to snowier, unplowed roads. “People just don’t seem to want to do it,” he said.
Last year, the city employed roughly 135 independently contracted drivers.
To entice people to sign on as snowplow drivers this winter, Springfield is including a $750 performance bonus for drivers — a $250 increase from last winter, according to city documents. The bonus is promised to be given to drivers at the end of the winter season next April.
The base pay rate for drivers ranges between size, class and weight rating of the vehicles used.
For light-duty vehicles, the base rate ranges from $92-$103 per hour. For medium-duty vehicles, the pay ranges from $110 to $120 per hour. For heavy-duty vehicles, the pay ranges from $130-$145 per hour. Construction equipment ranges from $145-$150 per hour, and snow-hauling equipment ranges between $120-$260 per hour, depending on size.
“The city is always prepared, and we do the best we can with what we have,” Beem said.
Chicopee’s mindset is the same, despite also being short-staffed for operators, said Elizabette F. Batista, the city’s DPW superintendent: “We’re always as prepared as we can be.”
“We are continuing to try and fill open positions and we are in need of more contract plow drivers to help offset [being short-staffed] and continue to provide the quick response that residents are accustomed to,” she said.
“Luke Snowalker” is the MassDOT snowplow truck that third grade students at Munger Hill Elementary School in Westfield helped name. (Hoang ‘Leon’ Nguyen / The Republican)
Like Springfield, Chicopee employs a variety of trucks and loaders for the winter season — all with a range of hourly pay.
From pick up trucks to large dump trucks, the hourly rate runs from $95 to $125, whereas loader drivers are paid a range between $130 and $160.
Both cities are accepting applications for drivers. Springfield’s deadline is Nov. 17. Chicopee does not have a deadline and will continue to accept new contracts to “offset [our] shortage in staffing.”
Holyoke’s director of the department of public works was unable to comment.
To help attract interest, MassDOT has increased the base rate for “snow and ice vendors” for most of the vehicles it employs.
All base vehicles have received a 4% pay increase with the exception of one class, which has received a 10% rate increase, the agency says.
The department has also created a new “base vehicle Class Code” for the heaviest vehicles. Drivers of these vehicles will be “compensated at an hourly rate that is 15% greater than the next heaviest Class Code,” according to the DOT.
