With labor in short supply, it’s no surprise that there’s a nationwide shortage of plow drivers. For areas of the U.S., such as the Midwest, that get hit hard with snow, that could complicate travel this winter season.

Now, communities across the region are working to fill positions before the snow falls and sweetening the deal.

“We’re competing against the private industry for getting the people we need,” Mark Geib, administrator of MDOT’s Transportation Systems Management Operations division, told the Detroit News. Geib says they’re offering a $20-25 hourly pay, plus overtime and “solid benefits.”

MDOT hires temporary drivers each winter, and according to Geib, they comprise about a third of the employees who operate the state’s 1,200 snowplows. For information on MDOT job openings, go here.