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Brickman & Target Lot

16K views 91 replies 41 participants last post by  PhilFromErie 
#1 ·
Anyone else on here plow for as a sub for Brickman at a Target store? I'm a small operation and one of their reps just contacted me with a rush request to bid on a local Target at a seasonal rate. He tells me to use NOAA 30 year average to calculate my costs. I told him forget that, it has snowed more frequently the last 5 years probably due to global warming so that 30 year average is skewed.

Does anyone who does commercial work in Chicago area know how many times they went out last season? It seemed like February we were out every day with nuisance snows salting. These guys want us little guys to take a huge risk and offer a low flat rate for the season. How do you guys even begin to calculate the costs with so many variables?

I'd love to get into larger commercial work but it could put me out of business in a hurry if it snows more than what you calculate and they are slow or no-payers. How good is Brickman about paying?
 
#3 ·
snow4me;1306745 said:
Anyone else on here plow for as a sub for Brickman at a Target store? I'm a small operation and one of their reps just contacted me with a rush request to bid on a local Target at a seasonal rate. He tells me to use NOAA 30 year average to calculate my costs. I told him forget that, it has snowed more frequently the last 5 years probably due to global warming so that 30 year average is skewed.

Does anyone who does commercial work in Chicago area know how many times they went out last season? It seemed like February we were out every day with nuisance snows salting. These guys want us little guys to take a huge risk and offer a low flat rate for the season. How do you guys even begin to calculate the costs with so many variables?

I'd love to get into larger commercial work but it could put me out of business in a hurry if it snows more than what you calculate and they are slow or no-payers. How good is Brickman about paying?
It's always a rush but if you are dumb enough to believe in global warming then you probably can't come up with a seasonal price either.

A seasonal price isn't a risk. It is one of the few ways to fix your variables.
 
#4 ·
cretebaby;1306799 said:
It's always a rush but if you are dumb enough to believe in global warming then you probably can't come up with a seasonal price either.

A seasonal price isn't a risk. It is one of the few ways to fix your variables.
Thanks you just made my day with two of the dumbest statements I've ever read on here.:laughing:

Let me help you out...global warming is a fact of life read any science journal on the subject matter. Did you just wake up from a 30 year nap?

A seasonal price only fixes the variables for the buyer... I thought this was a forum for suppliers :dizzy:
 
#5 · (Edited)
Ok let me get this back on track before it falls off the rails. I'm not new to snow removal however I am new to large commercial accounts requiring fixed price seasonal bids. Last year I plowed 12x and salted only another 5x the year before it was 11-2 or something close to that and the year before was around 13 and 3. The NOAA 30 year average for my area is closer to 9 and 2 so if I were to ignore the last 3 years and calculate my bid based upon the 30 year average thus ignoring the recent trend I would reduce my profit significantly and possibly lose money on an account like this.

My point being these big box stores are encouraging low bids and could care less if another small business owner loses his shirt:realmad:

Does anyone know how reliable Brickman is when it comes to getting paid and do they write fair contracts? I just want to know if I'm wasting my time calculating this bid?
 
#8 ·
snow4me;1306808 said:
Thanks you just made my day with two of the dumbest statements I've ever read on here.:laughing:

Let me help you out...global warming is a fact of life read any science journal on the subject matter. Did you just wake up from a 30 year nap?
You seriously think that global warming is fact? :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Me thinks you voted for Obumma as well.

A seasonal price only fixes the variables for the buyer... I thought this was a forum for suppliers
Really grass hopper? A seasonal fixes your gross income for the year. So what if it snows a couple more times then you figured. You will lose less that way then if it snows a couple less times then you need to cover your costs for the year on a per event pricing system.

ps Your 30 history should take all that "global warming" into consideration. Besides you don't need to use the 30 years history. Use last year if you wish.
 
#12 ·
TCLA;1306845 said:
Seems like....?!

IF you are not new at this, why did you not learn about documentation right away?

Nuisance salting? I didn't know that existed...
I see we have another nitwit with a chip on his shoulder this one from Michigan...last one from Iowa.

"Clowns to the left of me Jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you"

I was not going to look it up but since we have so many critics on here I did later this afternoon hence my later post "Last year I plowed 12x and salted 5x." The 5 times salting were for what those of us with higher than a 3rd grade education call nuisance snows. When it snows enough to make it slippery and not enough to plow. Nuisance; It means that which causes offence, annoyance, trouble or injury. It is more efficient to salt only when there is less than an inch of show which happened 5 times last year.
 
#14 ·
snow4me;1306861 said:
I see we have another nitwit with a chip on his shoulder this one from Michigan...last one from Iowa.

"Clowns to the left of me Jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you"

I was not going to look it up but since we have so many critics on here I did later this afternoon hence my later post "Last year I plowed 12x and salted 5x." The 5 times salting were for what those of us with higher than a 3rd grade education call nuisance snows. When it snows enough to make it slippery and not enough to plow. Nuisance; It means that which causes offence, annoyance, trouble or injury. It is more efficient to salt only when there is less than an inch of show which happened 5 times last year.
Hey Jim he called you a nitwit.:laughing:
 
#15 ·
cretebaby;1306857 said:
I think it is a cousin of hungry salt. :nod:
It's called a "nuisance snow" which is what I wrote in my original post but apparently both you and TCLA can't read or comprehend.

Didn't anyone ever tell you it is better to remain quiet and be thought a fool than to respond to a post on a public forum and confirm it?
 
#19 · (Edited)
SullivanSeptic;1306864 said:
That's all you salted? I had way more saltings than that. You only salted 5 times without plowing? Did I read your post right?
I just double checked and realized I missed one salt only applied on 12/16 so I've got 6x up here in Barrington...how many do your records show from this past year and where are you located?

If some of you guys had seasonal contracts last year and had to salt 30x what did that do to your bottom line on those accounts. I realize that you should accept some seasonal contracts to ensure you make money in a low snow year. It seems to me that they key to mitigating your risk in snow removal is to keep a good balance between seasonal and per occurrence contracts. I'm just wondering what the Chicagoland guys use for a basis when calculating their costs on a seasonal contract. I mean if you salted 30x last year on a 6 acre lot and let's just say your cost was $500 per salt application then you spent $15K on salt alone. What are you guys bidding on something this size where you can still make a profit?
 
#20 ·
snow4me;1306861 said:
I see we have another nitwit with a chip on his shoulder this one from Michigan...last one from Iowa.

"Clowns to the left of me Jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you"
I was not going to look it up but since we have so many critics on here I did later this afternoon hence my later post "Last year I plowed 12x and salted 5x." The 5 times salting were for what those of us with higher than a 3rd grade education call nuisance snows. When it snows enough to make it slippery and not enough to plow. Nuisance; It means that which causes offence, annoyance, trouble or injury. It is more efficient to salt only when there is less than an inch of show which happened 5 times last year.
Did you just quote a "Steelers Wheel" song in a plowing forum? I was just checking?
 
#23 ·
SullivanSeptic;1306876 said:
I plow from Kankakee to Midway Airport. I dont have my records in front of me, but we went out at least 20 times for salt
Im from Midway North to Northern Palatine and from the Lake to far west Glen Ellyn. I think 2009-10 was somewhere in the 26-29 range of salting, about 30+ the year before and at least 30 last season buy Im to lazy to look for exacts.
 
#24 ·
Excuse me, nit wit from wisconsin chiming in here, I love seasonals! Especially when you keep good records, know your costs, and have the eright equipment, and personnel. The only thing that throws me off is global cooling, (its a scientific fact) look it up
 
#25 ·
SullivanSeptic;1306874 said:
Did you just quote a "Steelers Wheel" song in a plowing forum? I was just checking?
Yep here's another from the same song going out to my other fans here in Chitown...

Trying to make some sense of it all,
But I can see that it makes no sense at all,
Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor,
'Cause I don't think that I can take anymore
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.
 
#26 ·
newlooklandscp;1306884 said:
Im from Midway North to Northern Palatine and from the Lake to far west Glen Ellyn. I think 2009-10 was somewhere in the 26-29 range of salting, about 30+ the year before and at least 30 last season buy Im to lazy to look for exacts.
I did only per occurence contracts last season and my customers of course only wanted to pay for one salt application per ice or snow less than 2" event. If I had seasonal contracts then I'm sure the number would have been much higher.

Are you saying you salted 30 plus times without plowing and plowed and salted another dozen times? I only counted and charged 3 plows for the blizzard. What did you guys charge for with your per occurrence contracts on that one?
 
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