Snow RemovaL

Responsiveness

When it snows, does it make more sense to have your employees try to manage a route, and fight road conditions and traffic to service your customers, or to drive to strategically parked pieces of equipment that allow them to plow one or more accounts with that machine? This provides a number of advantages:

Plowing begins sooner = faster responsiveness = greater customer satisfaction.

The employee “clocks in” when he gets to the lot with the machine. Their time is now 100% billable, and labor costs are not wasted driving from account to account.    

Labor Efficiency

While every lot is different, construction equipment presents the opportunity for a higher percentage of productive work to take place. Trucks are only removing snow when moving forward. Too much time is wasted with trucks having to go in reverse.

Skid steers are not only more maneuverable than a truck to clean around islands and light poles, but skid steers are also more efficient. They can push one way, spin around and push the other way. Add in the advantages provided by attachments such as a sectional snow pusher, which removes more snow on the first pass than fixed blades or pushes, and these machines also help remove snow in fewer total passes.  

Fuel Savings

Pickup trucks feature engines with greater horsepower. Why perform a job on a platform that runs at 300 to 400 horsepower when equipment that operates at 74 to 200 horsepower will work just as well? The most common machines in snow Removal applications range from 74 to 110 horsepower.

Also, consider the fuel burned when driving from the shop to the lot, from lot to lot, and back to the shop. Head-to-head, construction equipment provides lower total overall fuel costs.          

Wear and Tear

In addition to fuel savings, there’s also less wear and tear caused by a lower-horsepower engine and its components than that of a higher-horsepower pickup truck. This helps improve uptime and long-term reliability.

Stay Protected

Even though most equipment (hopefully) that you’ll use in winter weather will have a cab or at least some protection from the elements, make sure you still wear the appropriate clothing and protective equipment. Generally, we recommend hard hat, safety glasses, and hearing protection when operating skid steer loaders and other heavier equipment. Also, make sure you don’t have loose clothing that could catch on hydraulic or steering control systems.

Daily Circle Check

Pushing snow can be tough on any piece of equipment, so make sure you do a daily circle check of each machine that includes checking the fluids, attachments, tires/tracks, back up alarms, lights, and other key areas for damage or problems.

Train for Safety 

Anyone who will operate snow management equipment for your organization should go through at least annual refresher training on the machine(s) they will operate, and some detailed training specific to the uniqueness of managing snow & ice with that machine. Your safety training should include basic safety information, some hands-on time on the machine, and discussions about potential hazards. Also, make sure you have any operators sign off on safety training once its completed, and keep the files. 

Efficiency + Safety = Success

Efficiency in snow Removal is key to staying ahead of the storm. Efficiency doesn’t mean just doing the work faster, it means speed plus performance to a defined level. Think of ways to ensure efficiency while fostering safety, like coordinating pieces of equipment onsite to work together.

Avoid Excessive Down Pressure

Some operators in the industry apply too much down pressure while plowing, especially in skid steer loaders, causing the wheels to lift off the ground. This is not recommended as it could cause damage to property and create unsafe conditions for operators and anything nearby.

Visibility is Critical

Make sure the equipment you use has adequate visibility for the operator, and that all proper lighting/warning sound devices are in working order.