How to Get the Most out of Snow Plow Work in Residential Areas

Residential neighborhoods may not seem as profitable to snow plow drivers as commercial work, but in many cases that pre-judgment is wrong. Residential jobs can be very profitable if the driver knows how to market his business. After answering a few specific questions, any snow plow driver will be ready to take on residential properties.

The very first step any driver must make when heading into this specific type of snow plowing work is how they plan to work. This means deciding if they are going to work for cost or quality. Working for cost typically means the driver will have competitive prices to try and beat out the other competition. Consequently, this usually means taking a lot of work at a low profit.

Alternatively, the driver can set their prices at rates that are fair to them. This might lead to less business, but those looking for a job well done will be the ones booking the driver's calendar each snow season. This tends to lead to less jobs than going the competitive route, but the monetary difference will be made up with well-paying clients.

The snow plow driver will also need to think of ways that they are different from their competitors. They need to advertise what they are known for and be sure to stick to it so clients will spread the good word about the driver's snow plowing business.

Also, any guarantees to clients should be in writing and should specify exactly what that guarantee means. For instance, if the driver promises to remove snow between a certain set of hours, but a large snowfall hits at the end of the driver's day. This should be made clear that there is no time to complete the job that specific day, and the contract makes sure to point instances like this out.

The owner of a snow plow company should also be sure to plan for each season. This means drivers know the routes they will be taking beforehand, all equipment has had the proper maintenance and is in correct working order, and that the company has a dependable service to go to in case of any breakdowns or malfunctions.

Last, a snow plow driver should take care to pay attention to the little things. On any residential job the driver should apply any and all customer requests. They should make sure to avoid burying hydrants, mailboxes, and especially parked cars, and be considerate to the rest of traffic that may be on the road. Each of these is a way to provide excellent customer service and create long lasting customers that return to the driver's snow plow business each year.

Source:  http://grounds-mag.com/snow_ice/1998_august_profits/

Since 1936, Levan Machine & Truck Equipment has provided truck equipment such as snowplows, spreaders, liftgates, central hydraulic systems, and PTO’s, as well as general truck repair and maintenance to the greater Reading Pennsylvania area.  Levan Machine & Truck Equipment is an approved vendor for the Pennsylvania Costars municipal purchasing program (Contract #025-072).