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Packed snow turned ice on steep driveway, help!

37K views 43 replies 19 participants last post by  mwalsh9152 
#1 ·
I have a customer that I recently took over plowing from whoever he had before. It's a U shaped drive with the legs of the U very steep uphill from the street. They must have not plowed very often and driven on it a lot because there is a THICK mat of well groomed ice under the snow. I have to get a run at each leg of the U from the street and backblade the snow off in a 4-wheel locked slide down the drive, exposing the ice so slick you can hardly walk up. I feel bad because removing the snow makes it slicker.

I think I'm going to have to put some product down. I was thinking about mixing some sand and salt together and spreading it by hand after plowing but I'm afraid its just going to slide down as they pull in/slide out.
Any suggestions?
 
#27 ·
Just wondering because to me, 15-20 minutes of putting those chain's on to avoid damaging their property or your truck to the point it can't be driven would be worth it.

Sounds like a real PITA Driveway!
 
#28 ·
We got 12" of the wet heavy stuff between 11am and 8pm today with 35mph winds.
I didn't get a pic of the lot in question, but this should give you an idea of the snow we get/got.


I plowed the street in front of my house in Painesdale with my yard plow scout/toy (that's right, no doors).



Video of another customers driveway that isn't nearly as bad as the one this post is about but gets drifts off the lake.
DD/plow truck on the 2nd push after hammering through a 4 foot heavy wet snow drift. The driveway was clear this morning. (yes I know I forgot to turn on my important light)





I salt tommorow
 
#29 ·
That's awesome!!. The first pic is a cloths line pole and I assume it sticks out of the ground 5-6 feet, that means there is 3-4 feet of snow on the ground. I don't know if I have ever seen that much snow on the ground at one time. Hopefully its gone by the time we get up to porcupine mtn state park this Julyussmileyflag
 
#30 ·
Plowtoy;1461608 said:
That's awesome!!. The first pic is a cloths line pole and I assume it sticks out of the ground 5-6 feet, that means there is 3-4 feet of snow on the ground. I don't know if I have ever seen that much snow on the ground at one time. Hopefully its gone by the time we get up to porcupine mtn state park this Julyussmileyflag
Should make for enough moisture for skeeters and black flies. Thumbs Up :laughing:
 
#32 ·
Plowed the "U PITA" driveway yesterday and was able to get up high enough to plow both legs but I can't make the turn to head down the middle. I talked to the customer and he was actually really happy with the job I've been doing. Said I'm better and cheaper than the last guy.
We are supposed to be getting a warm up (40 degrees) after another foot or so of snow tonight through sunday night so I'm going to take y'alls advice and take some tire chains and a 40 lb bag of salt and see if I can get the the pack more manageable. I'll for sure get a pic of the driveway when I do that.
 
#33 ·
larboc;1462381 said:
Plowed the "U PITA" driveway yesterday and was able to get up high enough to plow both legs but I can't make the turn to head down the middle. I talked to the customer and he was actually really happy with the job I've been doing. Said I'm better and cheaper than the last guy.
We are supposed to be getting a warm up (40 degrees) after another foot or so of snow tonight through sunday night so I'm going to take y'alls advice and take some tire chains and a 40 lb bag of salt and see if I can get the the pack more manageable. I'll for sure get a pic of the driveway when I do that.
I'd be happy too if I was that customer. Hope your charging him enough!
 
#35 ·
larboc;1462429 said:
I charge $15 per push for almost everyone. I'll be adding on time and materials for salting/chaining.
You gotta start charging more! That way you cover your costs, wear and tear, etc.. I charge a minimum of $30 per push for resi's. and if we have a storm over 4 inches, its double.

Customers wont mind being charged more during a storm! payup
 
#36 ·
I'm with Boss Lawn. Gotta adjust pricing per driveway, no sense in charging an easy in and out driveway the same as a driveway that will nearly total your truck everytime you show up (technically speaking)
 
#37 ·
BOSS LAWN;1462440 said:
You gotta start charging more! That way you cover your costs, wear and tear, etc.. I charge a minimum of $30 per push for resi's. and if we have a storm over 4 inches, its double.

Customers wont mind being charged more during a storm! payup
Its such a fine line. Who know's if his area would support $30 per push. I am getting $20 per push for an average to small drive, but I know my prices are high in my area. Most are charging $10. I'm fortunate my clients appreciate quality service and are willing to pay for it.
 
#38 · (Edited)
BOSS LAWN;1462440 said:
You gotta start charging more! That way you cover your costs, wear and tear, etc.. I charge a minimum of $30 per push for resi's. and if we have a storm over 4 inches, its double.

Customers wont mind being charged more during a storm! payup
dfd9;1459596 said:
Take a gander at his location. I haven't been there in awhile, but I am pretty sure salt\sand are not used extensively in an area that can easily receive 200+ inches of snow.

So just accusing this guy of not being a pro or telling him that drives like that demand salt is rather ignorant. Sure it's a college town, but it's also the UP, where the economy has sucked for about 15 years.

Some folks can live with snow, as it is a fact of life. Others think 1 flake is going to speed up the Mayan calendar and must be salted as it's falling from the sky.
Read my post.

Reread my post.

You get 1/4 or 25% of the snow on average that larboc gets. 2" of snow in the UP\Kewenaaw is nothing to them. 4" would be like your dusting of snow.

Maybe he could get more. Never know until you try. But you have no idea being in an area that is totally opposite of yours. Would you tell Alaska Boss that he needs to charge more? What about the guys in Colorado or Tahoe? There are so many things to consider here, that your post is almost laughable. Amount of snow for one, and the economy for another.

Not sure why you guys can't grasp the concept that pricing is regional, just as plowing is. What is acceptable to your customers might be a minor nuisance to others. Like I said, Yoopers do not freak out and attempt to melt snow as it falls. It's a way of life and they accept it.

ON EDIT:
Never mind, I just checked your profile, you're 19 and know everything. My apologies.
 
#39 ·
dfd9;1462567 said:
Like I said, Yoopers do not freak out and attempt to melt snow as it falls. It's a way of life and they accept it.
That's kind of an understatement. I actually think they drive faster through a foot of snow than in the middle of summer, because the snow dampens all the potholes.........Thumbs Up
 
#40 ·
jomama45;1462621 said:
That's kind of an understatement. I actually think they drive faster through a foot of snow than in the middle of summer, because the snow dampens all the potholes.........Thumbs Up
That would be funny if it weren't true.
Also, the giant snow banks along the highways are about the safest guard rails you could ask for.

In this area, about 1/3 the passenger vehicles you see are pickups, and 75% of them have plows. Plus lot's of people like snow blowers, I couldn't tell you why, I hate those things.
Everybody and their brother "plows for money"
If i can plow a driveway in less than 15 mins I'll charge $15 and that's about as much as you will get up here. I lost one customer that had a giant parking area and a long driveway to a main highway and I wanted $20 for it. I think she went to someone who would do it for less (or free). It wasn't worth it to me.

Supposed to get another 6-8 this weekend.
 
#42 ·
larboc;1459740 said:
So you put on and took off chains every time you plowed?

I've got chains on the rear of my scout that I use to plow my yard at home and yea, they work great but I don't know if I'd want to screw around with them every time I went to plow the guys place. Not for $15-$20 anyway
$15-$20??? Woah, Wilbahhh!
 
#44 ·
that driveway sounds like something I personally wouldnt want to do again next year. The potential to slide into something and damage/put your truck out of service is too high IMO.

Just before opening this thread I was cursing to myself about the damage I did to a tendon in my palm which causes occasional annoyances with my middle finger last winter breaking up pack ice in my own driveway. I got home about 30-45 mins too late after it turned to rain, then the temp plummeted shortly after. After I cleared it as best as I could it rained the next day so I had a 4" thick skating rink I had to contend with.
 
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