Snow plowing

[Cat Powerwash]

I didnt know where to put this thread so I stuck it here. Any of you do snow plowing for the winter months? If so, can anyone tell me how they charge for this service. I bought a new pickup with a plow this year and looking to do parking lots as well as my residential customers. All responses appreciated!

 

[Larry L.]

I do not remmeber the web page but I think if you will type in Lawn care forums you'll find the forum also has snow plowing.

 

[Mark]

Dan Shannon might be able to help you, I believe he does snow plowing also.

 

[north coast]

I think you’re a little late to be looking for snow removal contracts seeing how it is December already. 90% of our snow removal contracts are signed in August for the up and coming winter. Try to hook up with a contractor in your area to sub for and gain experience. Usually Shopping centers, large parking lots require a crew of several trucks plowing and salting parking lots, people shoveling and salting sidewalks. What type of truck and plow did you get? We sell our accounts on a contracted price for November thru March. The only additional charge is for salt. We do have some that are on a per push price.

 

[Cat Powerwash]

just bought a 2006 dodge hemi 2500 with a 8 ft western plow. I do have some friends that plow that will probably need help so even if I dont get any customers on my own, I'll still be plowing.

 

[Dan S]

You can always find customers..... The bad thing about snow plwing is almost as bad as being in p/wing biz. But if you remain small and only do what one truck can do you will do fine and make sum gr8 money. The only way you can really make the jack is to have several trks. going and a good salt spreader. And to have people you can count on to be "on - call ".One year I had 3 trks. going > It was a pain in the ass .even though I paid 15 dollars an hour you still could not count on people to get up and out of bed..........>> the first storm of the year YES but after that people get lazy and dont wanna plow. Sure there is a few that will get outta a warm bed and help `ya out and remain faithful but when that storm arrives in the middle of the nite and you need to get on it. and either one -er two show up to plow........... next thing you know you cant get it all done or you are late in removing it. Then just like p/wing they look for other people to plow it and the circle continues.

Not to mention God forbid you cant get to there location and you hold the snow plowing "contract" ....... they need it plowed You may loose that account.

Now if you just wanna plow here ~n~ there with one trk. doing driveways you can remain busy. The problem we have around here is people dont know squat about there driveway .....meaning >> "Oh Chit thats right I forgot about that ditch that was there". Or you get to their location and it's the house WAY on top of the hill and they waited or they finally found the sucker to plow it.and it's froze and you burn your way up-and down that miserable driveway only to make 30bucks er so. Not too mention the snow drifths .

It can be done and unless you get lucky to get a post-office or small store to plow you may be running all over going from one driveway to another ..... at the end of the day you burnt 50 bucks in gas ......... Your tired you made maybe 100 bucks and now your neck and knees fills like rubber. HA HA ..



Think your done huh? ............... Now before you turn the engine off and dream about that nice warm bed where your mate has been for hours all snuggled up ZZZZZZZ like a bear............ You gotta do your own drivway......sure it can wait till you get sum ZZZZZZ but .... Guess what you decided to go to bed............. and what seems like a two hour zzzzzzzz was only a 15 min one.. cuz you just answered your phone and sumbody else whats you to plow them out......... So you get dressed head out leave your driveway un-plowed . go plow again......... meanwhile your better half is stuck in your own driveway !! Hmmmmmmmmm damn snow anyways........>> Good luck I know you will make it work.

I sold my plows and now just use the one for my own driveway ! yep the money wasnt too aweful bad but . The repairs on the trks. was do-able and those miserable nites when the wind was blowin the worst thats when the plow stopped working and you have to go out with a flash light in your mouth and a cold wrench to do sum adjusting .........
@ least my driveway is done and I can now head out and play in the snow making snow dust with a 4wheller.

 

[Bleemus]

Snow? What is that? [white]

 

[north coast]

It’s just as hard to find the right people to wash trucks for a living. There is decent money in it and it fills in those cold snowy days when you cannot wash, gotta pay the bills in the winter. Most of our snows plowing jobs have very little handwork and I like sitting in that heated seat working the control pad rather than washing a truck in the freezing cold.

 

[Cat Powerwash]

We'll see what happens. I have a brand new truck with a brand new western plow. I'm sure when people see me driving down the road they will flag me down. I still have my residential accounts to do.

 

[Clean County]

Hey Cat,
Hows that Landa you bought from me working out?? I'm still Powerwashing here in NY but I think its time to stop because its getting to cold. I just put a shopping center(The whole complex and flatwork) on hold untill next year and there is a few Cedar shake houses that I have calls to do. There going to wait to even though this one lady wants her's done before Christmas..yea right!!

Good luck with the snow plowing.

 

[Cat Powerwash]

Hey John,

Landa was being used daily this year. runs great. I had brought it in for service because of burner probloms. They had taken the entire burner out to clean it due to the soot build up over the years and also burner was adjusted to high but now it works great! Pump oil was changed as well as the belts. I have been using karosene for a cleaner burn. The surface cleaner was sand blasted and painted and used all year with no problems. we just finished our last house wash on monday. Gotta love this weather! I cant beleive we are still washing in December. All my gutter cleanings are done so now I can sit back and relax. I am looking to build an enclosed trailer setup with the landa this winter and install a 5gpm cold water unit in my chevy 3500 van. Do you know anyone selling one? I just want the motor and pump with the battery.



Dino

 

[Clean County]

Hey Dino,
I'm glad it all worked out good for you. Yea this weather had been good. As for an engine with a pump for sale I would look for that on ebay. Or you could just buy a used engine and a new pump that would match up with it. This is the fun time of year when you shop and it aint x-mas shopping that I'm talking about

 

[Ron Musgraves]

Good thread