Highway maintenance workers are responsible for maintaining the structural integrity of roadways. This can include highways, airport runways, rural roads and any other paths. Repairing potholes and other signs of damages is a common task in addition to ensuring all highway markers are always clearly visible and in good physical condition.
Your highway maintenance worker job description needs to express the fact these professionals will be standing for hours at a time, sometimes in the heat. Applicants should be in good physical health and be able to endure repetitive tasks.
Active listening skills are paramount because there will be a lot of noise occurring on the worksite, and workers need to be able to hear instructions and be aware of everything going on. If you want more ideas on what to include in a highway maintenance worker job description, read the sample below.
Highway Maintenance Worker Job Summary
Do you enjoy jobs where you actually get to work with your hands instead of sitting behind a computer all day? You can make this city a little better for everyone by applying to be a highway maintenance worker where your days will be spent improving roadways and working with a fun, cohesive team. If you already know how to use aggregate spreaders and tar distributor, that is even better. However, we do offer on-site training where you will learn all the skills needed to be a valued member of the team. The hours may be long, but this is one career path with plenty of added benefits.
Job Responsibilities
- Set up cones and proper signage around construction areas to alert motorists of the obstruction and potentially divert traffic to other streets if entire lanes need to be closed off
- Drive vehicles to clear away any debris from roadways and conduct routine maintenance by driving sweeper to clean highways weekly
- Operate salt spreader during the winter to remove any snow or ice from the roadways to make them safe again
- Inspect city drainage systems monthly to ensure water is allowed to flow freely and does not flood the road
- Spread asphalt across an area that needs to be repaired and tamp it so it becomes even with the rest of the road
- Use power tools to fix lighting structures adorning the side of highways whenever a light breaks down
- Erect new guardrails when old ones become broken and install warning signs of approaching curves if an order comes from local government to do so
- Conduct landscaping work to remove brush and weeds from side of highways
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- High school diploma
- Be at least 18 years old
- Valid commercial driver’s license
- Excellent physical endurance
Preferred:
- Additional college coursework in mathematics and engineering
- Familiarity with basic mechanical equipment
Highway Maintenance Worker Job Responsibilities
Everyone interprets a job title differently. This brings to light how important it is to clearly define responsibilities in your highway maintenance worker job description. At public agencies, where many of these laborers are employed, the hiring process tends to be more in-depth than at family-owned businesses. Although surveys show approximately one-third of jobseekers browse openings in hopes of improved benefits, don’t assume that everyone is looking for a government job just to cover healthcare costs and earn a pension. Others have greater concern for higher salaries, advancement opportunities and skill growth potential. The better you’re able to define the duties of the worker, therefore, the more likely you will attract suitable candidates.
Use bulleted points to draw attention to each of the highway maintenance worker job responsibilities. Start duties with action verbs, then explain tasks in detail. Try to convince qualified jobseekers of the value of their contributions.
Here are a few details you could incorporate into your highway maintenance worker job description:
- Operate heavy equipment such as tractors, rollers and dump trucks
- Remove obstructions by trimming vegetation and taking down private signs
- Provide flagging services to keep traffic flowing during partial road closures
- Inspect, clean, maintain and repair tools
- Apply gravel during winter and run plows to remove snow and ice from major roadways
- Fill and submit work report forms
Highway Maintenance Worker Job Specifications
Carefully consider the impact of what you include and exclude in the qualifications and skills section of your highway maintenance worker job description. Unnecessary specifications may discourage suitable jobseekers from applying. Creating too short of a list, on the other hand, could result in receiving a large number of inquiries from people who wouldn’t actually be ready to do the work without extensive onboarding and training.
Other considerations for your highway maintenance worker job specifications include writing for SEO and outlining your organization’s culture. To improve search results, analyze popular keywords and integrate these into your post wherever possible. One study showed the importance of search engine optimization by revealing that jobseekers carry out 124 million job-related searches on Google each month. Although government organizations may seem to offer little “company culture,” you can use historical and geographic references to call attention to how hires may naturally harmonize with the region’s activities and ideals.
Feel free to use the following abilities as inspiration for your highway maintenance worker job description:
- At least six months of experience as a laborer in construction or maintenance
- Adept at operating hedge trimmers and chainsaws; tree climbing skills are a plus
- Able to follow instructions from team leads and managers
- Safety-conscious and quick at reporting incidents
- Valid driver’s license and capable of earning a CDL
- Strength to lift 35 pounds continuously and 60 pounds occasionally, all without assistance