More U.S. drivers could find themselves stuck on snowy highways or have their travel delayed this winter due to a shortage of snowplow drivers — a reality that could hit home as winter storms start dumping snow from the Intermountain West to the Upper Great Lakes.

In preparation for winter weather, the Virginia Department of Transportation has started to equip snowplows with tracking devices throughout the state.

A huge swath of the United States lies ­within the “salt belt,” which is the states that use large amounts of salt during the winter to control snow and ice on roadways. These states primarily are located in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest portions of the country.