PennDOT seeking winter snow-plow operators

PennDOT Safety Press Officer Melissa Maczko pulled her coat a little tighter Tuesday morning as a stiff chilly breeze blew through the department’s stockpile area in Unity, near Arnold Palmer Airport.

“I can feel the winter coming,” she said.

In anticipation of snow season, PennDOT districts across the state are conducting annual training sessions for their full-time and temporary plow operators, helping refamiliarize them with the “wing”-style plows used on interstate highways and other large roads in District 12.

On a four-year cycle, 25% of Westmoreland County operators take the one-day training each year. It will run for two weeks as operators drive a course designed to test their command of a multi-ton vehicle with not one but two large plows attached to the front.

“Everyone has two chances to navigate the wing plow around curves, mailboxes and other common things they’ll see,” Maczko said. “And they’re scored by their peers. Once they complete the training, they’re good to go.”

Bruce Goodwin, 55, of Uniontown has been a full-time PennDOT operator for the past 13 years.

“The training is good just to get back into the swing of plowing,” Goodwin said. “There’s so many buttons.”

And while maneuvering a giant wing plow is second nature for him at this point, Goodwin said the main challenge is the sheer number of vehicles on the road.

“The amount of people driving now is just much more than it used to be,” he said. “Getting out there in the middle of the night is the best time, because there’s no traffic. You can see what you’re doing and concentrate more.”

The National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration is projecting a drier, warmer-than-average winter for the northern tier of the U.S., according to a winter outlook released Oct. 19 by its Climate Prediction Center.

District 12 employs more than 280 operators between Westmoreland, Washington, Greene and Fayette counties. In Westmoreland, they are also looking to bring 19 temporary operators aboard for the winter.

“We also have some full-time positions available in Westmoreland and Washington counties,” Maczko said. “If people are looking for seasonal work in the winter and they have their commercial drivers’ license, they can apply at PennDOT.pa.gov.”

Potential applicants can click on the “Immediate Job Opportunities” link to see a list of available positions.

And while experience is helpful, even operators who are used to a snow plow can take some time to get used the wing plow, according to District 12 Maintenance Manager Ryan Medvitz.

“It adds 2½ feet to the side of the truck, and that’s when it’s tucked in,” he said.