Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - With reports across the country of snow plow driver shortages, Western New York communities can breathe easy. Those in charge say their ranks are full for the upcoming winter season.
Susan Surdej of the New York State Department of Transportation tells WBEN the Western New York(WNY) region is fully staffed, and she credits recruitment efforts. "Those have proven to be successful because we are not facing a shortage of drivers this year," says Surdej. The WNY region covers Erie, Chautauqua, Niagara and Cattaraugus Counties. She says those who come in enter at all kinds of levels. "We really bring those temporary and permanent drivers and in the summertime, to get them all up to speed for winter," says Surdej. There are roughly 500 staff members in the WNY region.
In the City of Buffalo, Public Works Commissioner Nate Marton says he has 67 plow drivers, and right now, that's a full roster. "We look to make sure we've got adequate staff all the time that's spread across our fleet times that we pull those folks in, we have overtime, on front ends and backends of shifts," says Marton. He notes that's for normal weather situations, not for historic events like Snowvember 2.0 or the Christmas Blizzard.
Marton says the number is always subject to change. "I think evaluating how we respond and what that level response is changes over time. What was typical or standard 10 years ago, we need to look at that all the time," says Marton. He notes every response to the residents needs to be dynamic so it's not a static position that city is committed to.
Suburban highway superintendents are not dealing with plow driver shortages either it appears. In Amherst, Patrick Lucey says he'd like to have a few reserve drivers. "I do have some of my employees, my drivers who are off on long term injuries," explains Lucey. There still are the required number of drivers available to help clear snow.
Lucey says he has six extra drivers available, which can be helpful during a big storm. "If I had to continually plow over, let's say 20 hours, 24 hours, we may have to knock off a little while, where I don't have the luxury of putting out extra plows to keep some of the main roads open until we can call the crews back in again. So basically, they had to go home and rest or sleep," says Lucey.
He says some employees with a CDL license aren't necessarily interested in becoming a plow driver. "(That's) because of our starting pay for the driver itself, which is contractually negotiated and set by the town in the union that represents the drivers," notes Lucey.
In West Seneca, Highway Superintendent Brian Adams says his town is in good shape. "We have a very, very good crew, Adams says. He oversees other aspects of public works and adds, "We are able to kind of plug and play and use those other employees as backups as needed for emergency situations," says Adams.
During a blizzard, Adams says they have 16 trucks out on the road. "Every now and then, if we only have to go out assaulting or say the North end or south end of town is getting hit. We do adjust those routes. But typically for a major snow event will run you know 15 or 16 trucks," says Adams.
Adams says there are two person trucks, and when one partner can't come in, the other slides over and drives that route. That opening is then filled by another member of that department or another if necessary.