The Colorado Department of Transportation is looking to hire Highway Maintenance Specialists right now. Looking at their web page, it appears over 150 job openings are available right now in Colorado.

Are you passionate about travel? Do you enjoy promoting safety and highway improvement? This may be your next gig.

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What Is a Highway Maintenance Specialist?

If the job title sounds a bit vague, there's a reason why. According to CDOT's job openings webpage, "No two days are exactly the same in CDOT highway maintenance. Your daily work activities change based on project needs and also vary based on weather, environment, and road conditions."

Primary job activities include:

  • Plowing snow
  • Operating heavy equipment, such as tandem dump truck, loader, tractor mower, etc.
  • Mowing grass and weeds
  • Removing debris from roadways, including rock, mud, and deceased animals
  • Removing debris from culverts, tunnels, etc.
  • Shoveling gravel, sand, concrete, and asphalt
  • Digging ditches
  • Installing and repairing guardrails, highway markers and signs, warning signs, and lighting
  • Filling potholes and roadway cracks
  • Setting out signs and cones for traffic control
  • Removing and covering graffiti
  • Installing pavement markings/striping
  • Stopping or slowing traffic in emergency situations
  • Maintaining equipment and performing minor repairs
  • Following safety guidance and wearing proper safety equipment

Where Are The Jobs Located?

Job openings are available all over the state of Colorado as of Monday, August 29, 2022. Let's do a little name-dropping. Here are a few locations with job openings:

  • Granby
  • Bayfield
  • Morrison
  • Seibert
  • Mead
  • Boulder
  • Grand Junction
  • Nucla
  • Delta
  • Durango
  • Aurora
  • Pagosa Springs

What Are The Job Qualifications?

There are a handful of qualifications you simply must possess. Those include:

  • Must possess and maintain a valid Commercial Driver’s License Class A or B with no restriction on air brakes that allows operation within Colorado.
  • If you have a non-Colorado Commercial Driver’s License, you must be eligible to drive in Colorado with your CDL at time of hire. If you currently live outside of Colorado and relocate to reside in Colorado, you must transfer your CDL to Colorado within 30 days of relocation.

You Won't Be Getting Rich Anytime Soon

How's the pay? Well, this is where we hit a roadblock, pun intended. Looking at CDOT's Facebook post for these gigs, there's a ton of chatter regarding compensation. Most of the comments express a certain disenchantment when it comes to the pay rate.

Judging by the comments, most people feel workers with CDLs can easily find higher-paying work in the private sector. At the same time, though, some comments suggest CDOT's benefits package can be very attractive.

What Do You Have To Lose?

You'll hear people say it again and again, when an opportunity presents itself, you should always consider the possibilities. If you later discover the offer is of no interest, you can always turn it down. It never hurts to ask. Why not apply?

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