By Andrew Dargatz
EIGHT POINTS That Can Lead to Reduced Operating Costs in Snow Removal Operations Working with construction equipment in snow removal applications also allows for greater visibility in many applications. CASE
T
he snow removal industry is becoming more competitive each year. As that happens, the margin of error between profitability and survival is slim. For large commercial snow removal contractors, the shift from trucks and plows to construction equipment — skid steers, compact track loaders, wheel loaders, compact wheel loaders and backhoes — provides significant operational advantages.
Skid steers parked at strategic locations can be more efficient and effective than pickups. CASE
Is it time for you to add more equipment and give the pickup and plow a rest? Here are eight reasons to consider adding more iron to your snow removal fleet:
1. 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.
2. 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
22
SNOW PRO | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
