WA Snow plow operator scarcity blamed on FMCSA, higher pay elsewhere 

A county in Washington is blaming this 12 months’s snow plow operator scarcity on altering FMCSA laws and CDL holders discovering higher paying jobs elsewhere. 

Sometimes, Whatcom County Public Works in Washington state would recruit 54 educated CDL holders for emergency work, which incorporates snow plow operations. This 12 months, the county says that they’re restricted to 40 workers with “adequate coaching and licenses to carry out this work.” 

“A number of elements have contributed to this scarcity, together with the booming building financial system inserting a premium on tools operator jobs, skilled employees retiring, latest FMCSA (Federal Motor Service Security Administration) regulation modifications that impacted County processes and skill to accumulate CDL licensing, and the pandemic limiting CDL coaching alternatives for employees,” the Public Works division stated, reported Fox 13 Seattle.

Consequently, Public Works is warning residents to arrange contingency plans in case sure roads go unplowed this 12 months. The division says plowing secondary roads could take longer as a result of lack of operators.