Anyone Here In The Snowplowing Business?

Stone Mountain

Just curious. In the winter time, we do commerical snow plowing. This winter I will have 10 trucks and 2 handlabour crews on the road. It is actually more profitable than the deck work in the summer.
Anyone else here do it?
Any comments or stories?

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RobertCDF

I have thought about a number of times... Maybe I should look into it a little more since we have had 2 big blizzards this year.

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copusbuilder

28 years and I have not had one customer

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apkole

Just bailed out last year after 26 years in the industry, 13 as owner. At one point we were servicing around 900 adresses every snowplowing event. All seasonal contracts. The business was started in 1964. I was the second owner. We used six Bombadier SW48, a Trackless blower, a couple of CJ7 jeeps for the sidewalks, and ten pickups with front and back plows for residential drives and commercial lots to get'r done.

Figured out that age and the stress of the business were taking a toll, and decided to try to move on to other things. I happen to place a high priority on family, time with the grandkids at Christmas. After missing 3 Christmas seasons for all the snowplowing activity it was time to move on.

I look at what Denver is going through and remember the Blizzard of '78 here in West Michigan. I get a nervous twitch just thinking about it. Not a fun time. The youngest generation of plowers are clueless about the human and equipment resources needed to move that kind of snow in a timely manner.

Stone Mountain

We started plowing in 1981. We had a Bobcat, and a dumper to tow it. One of our customers asked us to help out with the bobbie, so we did, and we were instantly in the snow business.

Anyway, yes it's tough on time, (I don't plow anymore: I'm 56 and it just kills me) and family, but it can be very profitable.
I make about 45% NET after fuel, labour, and salt, and since I have to have trucks anyway....
I have 6 subcontractors (all of them are my own guys from decking) who have 4x4's with plows, and I have them on a fixed seasonal price. (The lowest gets about $11,000, and the highest about $14,000, for the winter season of 5 months).
If they found their own work, they'd make more, but they either don't know how to find it, or don't want to spend time looking for it.
Plus, it ties them to me, so I don't have to go looking for carpenters every spring.
I do no residential work at all: too cheap. In 1981 the going rate for a 2 car drive was $200.00. A brand new 4x4 with blade was $14,000, and gas was 40cents a litre.
Today, 26 years later, a brand new truck and blade is about $36,000, gas is 90 cents a litre, and the going rate for a residential drive is ....$200.00. We have our own "mexican" labour problem, except it's Russian or Asian.

With commerical work: I have fair size plazas, and several properties with the local gvernment, plus 12 schools. They won't take a "tailgater" with an old truck. They actually inspect your equipment first, and they insist of proof of insurance and Worker's comp, so the playing field is more level. And they pay better.
Quite honestly, if I could increase my snow volume by about another 60%, I wouldn't have to work in the summer. (Yes, it can be that profitable). As it is, all my bills are paid all winter, and I start the season with a few (very few) bucks in the bank.
Happy Holidays!

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Mike Finley

Teetorbilt

I'm with copus! No customers!

It really did snow in Ft. Laud. back in '76. First time in recorded history.

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BreyerConstruct

We also plow.

It can be profitable, but in our area it's too scattered to really be great.
We're set up for it, and if it happens we'll do alright. But if it keeps in the 40's to 60's... Well, I'm hoping some of these potential projects make up their minds!

~Matt

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Master Mechanic

I plow also. Started in 03' and its the best supplmental income for me. I make 400-500 an hour and the most money I ever made was 11k, in 24 hours, on last years Blizzard in NYC. That was a nice day. In three years I have invoiced 85k in snow. My overhead: me, my 2500hd, a helper, and 2 snow blowers. Profit on that 85k, runs around 50%

Larry

K2

I've had a plow truck since 1984 in Colorado Springs and did it a few years commercially. I never saw any big money but that might be because our snow is to sporatic.

I plow my own stuff and that seems to be enough of a pita. Wear and tear, truck repairs, wrecking buried bikes, extension cords, and driveway lights seems to be enough for me.

Generally when plowing the road conditions are bad. you might have to back up 50 to 100 times an hour. When your neck gets stiff and you don't take a good look back someone will be pulling in and they ar not looking too good either.

I'm glad some people do really well plowing but i'll be glad when i don't it anymore.

Oh and proper insurance. That's another thread.

Stone Mountain

K2eoj it's like any other business. You have to be st up for it. The stuff you mention is one reason I never do residential any more. Nor do we plow during the day: too many cars around who for some reason simply are blind to a big snow rig.
All our trucks are heavy duty, and the blades are top of the line, so repairs are infrequent. The only thing I don't like is being up in the middle of the night. I myself don't plow any more: just too old.

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K2

You've probably checked into that plowsite.com. Lots of snow lovers there.

cbelawn

and doing repair / remodel on the side, but with 12" snow (last year 65") at this time it looks like i am not in the plow busness, but i always have enough work.