Each year, the kind of winter we will experience is an unknown. Being fully prepared for whatever may come is the reason the Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 is looking for snowplow drivers and will hold a hiring event on Thursday, Nov. 16 to find them.

The event will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at ODOT’s District 1 office, located at 1885 N. McCullough St. in Lima.

That day, interested applicants may apply for a total of 19 temporary positions available in Allen, Defiance, Hancock, Hardin, Paulding, Putnam and Van Wert counties.

Applicants will undergo a driving record check and must take a required physical abilities test prior to being interviewed for a position.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent; a valid class A or B commercial driver’s license (CDL) with a tanker endorsement, without air brake restriction; and three months of training or experience in basic equipment operation.

The salary is $16.59 per hour. These are temporary positions and benefits are not provided.

Plowing snow is the primary need of the department, said Kirk Slusher, deputy director for the Ohio Department of Transportation District 1.

“We’re looking for people who can work 40 hours a week from December to March, but on-call and part-time options may be available,” he said. “If you have another job or only work weekends and you’d like to work Monday through Thursday, we can perhaps accommodate that,” he said.

It’s also not necessary to have experience in a plow. 

“If you meet the basic requirements, we will teach you to plow,” said Slusher.

Those interested are encouraged to apply in advance at careers.ohio.gov prior to attending the hiring event. On the website, filter results by department and select “Transportation - District 01.”

The Ohio Department of Transportation maintains the state's largest man-made asset – the transportation system. ODOT's mission is to provide the safe and easy movement of people and goods from place to place. As a $2.8 billion per year enterprise, ODOT invests the bulk of its resources in system preservation through maintenance, construction and snow and ice operations.