HARRISBURG, Pa. — Even though we're still in October, PennDOT officials say prepping for the winter months is a 24/7-365 task.
"Winter is kind of the standard of how PENNDOT's effectiveness is judged in a lot of ways," Alexis Campbell, Press Secretary for PennDOT said.
With nearly 40,000 state-maintained roadway miles and 2,200 plow trucks, the department is hiring 700 part-time operators to plow the roads during inclement winter weather.
"These are good, civil service level positions that really do make an impact on the quality of life of Pennsylvanians every day," Campbell said.
"I consider our winter operators pretty much the unsung heroes of PennDOT," Dave Thompson of PennDOT's 8th district said.
That district covers Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. He says the more urban areas of the district is where they need help the most.
And officials also note that COVID-19 won't stop winter from coming, either. So, they're adhering to proper protocols to keep their employees and the public safe.
"We are adhering to safety protocol as far as our crews are concerned," Thompson said. "Social distancing, wearing masks, cleaning tools, cleaning touch points in our stock piles. We believe we can perform our Winter service and adhere to our safety protocols."
In order to become an operator, applicants would need a commercial driver's license (CDL). However, PennDOT is also looking for other jobs, including diesel mechanics, radio operators, welders and more.
PennDOT also is reminding drivers details about basic safety on the roads during the winter. They say the simplest way to guarantee your safety during inclement weather is to not travel. Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a free smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
You can find more information about open positions with PennDOT at www.employment.pa.gov