Statewide Iowa (RI) – If you’ve ever seen one of those big orange snowplows carving a path through the drifts and thought, “That’s the job for me!,” now is your time. The Iowa DOT is in need of several hundred snowplow drivers for the upcoming winter season, which could be upon us faster than you’d expect. Craig Bargfrede, the DOT’s winter operations administrator, says the agency needs to hire a lot of bodies, pronto.
One qualification is having a CDL, or a commercial driver’s license, and Bargfrede says it’s a demanding job to maneuver those snowplows when an Iowa blizzard is blowing.
The job of snowplow driver is critically important to Iowa’s transportation infrastructure, and while it can be highly challenging, Bargfrede says it also has its rewards.
New hires will start at $22 an hour, while returning workers will make $23-50, and Bargfrede says they’re especially low on drivers in one region of the state.
The DOT is holding an open house-style hiring event to recruit temporary snowplow drivers on Thursday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the agency’s Des Moines North Garage in Des Moines.
KIWA Staff Photo
