The snow in the hard to plow spots and in the inlets of garage door ?
When your plowing a driveway and your trying to get as close aspossible to where the driveway meets up against the garage door inlets do you guys get out and shovel the snow that rides off your blade towards the garage? I know you can back drag it in some cases but when your working with limited room do you leave it or get outa the truck to shovel it off? Also im thinking about getting sander/salter for the back bed of my truck was wondering what those things go for? I want it to be level with the height of the rails of the bed so i can see out of the back of the truck for when im backing up and i dont want it jutting out much from the tailgate bcuz my truck is already long enough. How much are these things and can i get them at a lvl height of my boxbed rails? The Fisher polycaster juts past the rails and the tailgate sander adds too much length for the resi drveways i plow.
Secondly, do you guys who have resi contracts offer clearing of the sidewalks? If you have a poly caster in the back bed how do you have room for a snow blower? Or do you just figure you have to shovel the side walk even if its 50'+ long and 3n1/2'-4' wide? Hw does that work?
In essence, do you guys worry about getting ALL of the snow off the driveway completely? Not having any snow anywhere? What is the conception that the owners have for plowman? I try to get off every area of snow possible, even if i have to get out and shovel small spots that no truck could fit in but realisticly it takes me anywhere from 5-10 mins extra PER TIME :/
LASTLY*- haha sry i have a lot of Q's; How do you guys deal with people asking you if you are going to be there before they have to get out and leave at 6AM? I would love to say that i will hit their house first so that they are able to get out first but when you have SEVERAL people asking you if you are going to be able to get to the before they have to get out AND the route you have is spread out it seems impossible. Is it just a "prioritizing" thing? I would also think that the timing of the storm makes a huge difference too along with how much snow your going to get. How can people ask you to commit that you will be there to clear their driveway every time before they have to get out and leave? Seems impossible? How do you guys react to this request? I'm just starting out so i dont have a lot of contracts but you guys who have a lot must really have to think on how you answer to this request.
Well I plow with slippers on,so I never get out .You can get a tail gate or hitch spreader,but you need to remember its back there.
Never offered sidewalk shoveling.
I would love to have as much experience in plowing snow as you guys who have been around a while doing it. I can't lie, last season was my first year and i did not get a whole lot of experience due to mother natures mild season. I Live in the northeast, more specifically saratoga springs, ny is where i plow. Most people that i plow i have problem spots with some spots being lack of experience causing me to have to get out and shovel snow off. Should i be really worried about getting that line of snow that is left between the closest cut you make near the driveway doors or forget about it? This type of situation im speaking of specifically is when if you are facing the driveway from the road the garage door is on one side of the driveway and not straight back. You tend to leave a strip of snow no matter how close you get as it rides off the blade when u get a lot of snow on it and creates that line of snow near the garage. Now if you don't have enough room to get your truck flush with it to back drag do you get out and shovel it off?
I've been trying to tell people that the plowing contract that they request does not include shoveling the side walks and the they tend to look sideways at me and some a little worried like im trying to cheat them. Idk why they think that shoveling of the side walk would be included for a plowman but i guess thats just what they want added in. How much would you be adding to get out and shovel? I mean some of these sidewalks like i said are enormous and can get up to 75' long and 4' wide. Thats a ton of snow to have to shovel and thats only one account!
BTW im sporting a 09 f250 reg cab, 8' box with 24k miles. A brand new 8' fisher hd straight blade.
I offer shoveling for a few of my your round customers. If you offer shoveling you have to realize that while your shoveling for 20 minutes your truck is sitting there making no money and probably burning fuel because it's idling. So while you're making 5 dollars for shoveling the sidewalk you lost 40 dollars in billable plowing. So if they want shoveled make it worth your while and always insist on calcium on the sidewalks to save your self from a slip and fall.
I only shovel in front of the garage doors for the customers I do walks for.
I would reconsider buying a spreader unless you have commercial accounts that require it.
I shovel the garage doors out at all of my residential accounts. I also do sidewalks at most of my accounts. It may mean my trucks are sitting there idling but it also is what it takes to keep customers around here.
Just get as close to the garage as you can without hitting it. If you leave a foot or so no big deal. Most people understand you can't get everything. If they want the walks shoveled them charge more for the extra time your there. As far as a time to have them plowed out, I always say "we aim for 7 am but the snow doesn't know your schedule".
I only shovel my bigger accounts. Resi don't get it. I do offer it. It costs extra. And for salt I have a push spreader. As for wanting it done by 7am it's not up to me it's when the snow stops.
Some of you guys have it easy! The businesses and resi's I have want lots and sidewalks done. The only thing I leave is the packed down tracks in the driveway from people coming home during the storm. They also expect the walkway from the driveway to the house and mailbox (most houses here have the mailbox next to the front door) . Another fun thing is the storms here generally don't end 'till after 4:00, so most resi's don't get done by 7:00, but they all stay with me, they know I'll get to them as soon as I can.
I shovel the garage doors out at all of my residential accounts. I also do sidewalks at most of my accounts. It may mean my trucks are sitting there idling but it also is what it takes to keep customers around here.
If our comm. or resi arnt shoveled they always call. I just shovel them and cross it off the list so I can feel better.
RonWin We dont do many resi's or condo's to me they are the most PITA lots but its still the same on large props. If you ever get the call for damage to the property and you will, that snow line can make all the proof you need. Example the owner calls and says you hit the garage door or damaged the landscape ect. the snow line can show where you were. Plowing edge to edge and clearing edge to edge are two types of service. People think a snow plow is a vacum cleaner and ice breaker they have limits.
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The only time i shovel is for the elderly. The door issue is why i built my own back blade. I was not sure how well they worked so i built one from a junkyard blade and man was it worth it. Being able to clean out in front of the door makes for a happy customer. In fact one old guy watched me one day when i 1st used the back blade and it did not take him long to open the door and let me back right in the garage so i could pull all the snow away. His daughter fired me for increasing the price last yr and after one storm she called me back, asked if i was the guy with the back plow and apologized. Apparently her dad was impressed with my work and soon realized the extra $3 increase was well worth it as no one else around here uses a back blade. But, you must learn your truck, learn to judge distance in your SIDE mirrors. With the sander or blade on the back you must remember how far it sticks out and judge with that.
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2006 Chevy 2500HD ECSB D-Max with 8' Fisher, 6.5 Stainless sander or Buyers hitch salter
2002 GMC 1500 RCLB with 7.5' Fisher 5.3, dump insert, truck is named "the turd".
SOLD and missed. 2006 Chevy 2500HD RCLB D-Max, 8' Fisher
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