How to Hire a Snow Plow Company

If you are someone that lives in a typical snow climate, it is usually wise to have a snow plow company booked before the winter season kicks in to gear. You could hire a single driver to have them available to clean the snow out of your driveway if you are a homeowner or you could hire a company if you are responsible for the streets of an entire neighborhood. Either way it is important to know what to look for when in the position of hiring a snow plow service.

Collect Several Estimates

The first step no matter if you are a homeowner, business owner, or city official it is important to contact several drivers or snow plow companies. This will allow you to ask your prepared questions to all of them and report back the differences. You will be able to compare rates and also find out who has the best reputation and gives the highest level of quality.

Prepared Questions

When contacting each company it is important to know what to ask ahead of time. You do not want to sign a contract and realize you are not having a particular service performed, but you never asked about it in the beginning.

• How often the driver or company will plow your driveway, parking lot, or streets?
• What is their procedure when snow falls?
  • Are you required to call when it snows?
  • Will they come automatically?
  • What hours do they plow?
• What (if any) are their additional costs?
  • Are salt and sand included or are they extra?
  • Is there an extra price after a heavy snow fall?
• Do they have a per inch price for each snow fall?

Contracts and Agreements

Agreements with any snow plow driver or company should always be formal. It is important to have a written agreement between the driver or company and yourself. This will protect you in case they do not handle their end of the agreement. A handshake agreement is not going to help you remove the snow from your street if the driver decides he does not want to show up that day or something happens to the company where they are unable to come out when needed.

When you have a written agreement and the company you have employed has malfunctions or are unable to remove the snow, you should receive a refund for services not performed and be able to find someone new. If you pay someone and shake on it, you are at serious danger of losing your money.

Source: How to Hire the Best Snow Plowing Service

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

What All Beginning Snow Plow Drivers Should Know

Deciding to venture into the snow plow world if you live in an area that receives regular snow during the winter can be a way to make some extra money or a way to extend part of your business. Like any new job or project snow plowing requires some thought ahead of time. This is especially true for someone who is only starting out.

If you find yourself looking at several inches of snow on the ground, and suddenly decide that snow plowing would be a lucrative adventure, think again. No professional snow plow company or driver goes into the snow season with no preparation. That can be incredibly costly and not to mention dangerous. There is much that must happen before that first snow hits.

Step 1: Buy a Truck and Plow

The truck and plow you buy will depend largely on your area. You may already have a vehicle that you would like to use, but you will still have to find a plow that your truck or SUV can handle. This will also give you an idea if you will solely being doing driveways or if you will be able to handle moderate to large lots.

The size of the work that you would like to do will also give you an idea of the type of vehicle and type of plow you will need to acquire if you plan to buy one. SUVs are more suited towards driveways and small lots, and although some can handle heavy duty plows not all of them can.

Trucks like the Ford Heavy Duties are more suitable for handling large lots. These are also much more capable of having heavy-duty plows installed such as BOSS models.

Step 2: Do Your Homework

It is definitely important to know what your competitors are doing in order to be successful as a snow plow driver. See what the typical rate is for the size of the job and see if you are capable of matching or beating that price. Know who works for who because this will allow you to earn contracts when one of these drivers or companies decides to no longer work at a specific area. As a newbie, this will also give you a way to learn which lots and residential areas are not being covered, and you can add these places to your client list before the snow sets in.

Knowing what the competition is doing is also a way to see where they excel and where they fail. Can you offer something they cannot? Do you need to work on specific areas to be as good?

Step 3: Truck Maintenance and Safety Inspections

Depending on your state you might have to meet different inspections and have the correct type of insurance coverage. It is always a good idea to determine what paper work you will need to have covered way in advance of winter. This will keep you from meeting any legal issues.

Truck and plow maintenance is also very important. Many snow plow drivers buy a separate vehicle for their snow plow business. It is incredibly important before winter sets in to make sure your truck or SUV is going to be able to handle everything you are going to throw at it. The last thing you want your first season out is to have invested your money and be stuck with a truck that does not run.

There are some truck repair shops that offer 24/7maintenance and will help you get back on the road as quickly as possible. It is a good idea to put these places in your contacts.

Step 4: Test Run

Once you have committed to becoming a snow plow driver and you have completed all the initial steps, the next step is to know your routes. When you make a new client, drive your truck and plow to the location. This will allow you to know the layout and also how your truck will do in any tight spaces, turning, and backing up. When you know the area ahead of time, even in snow you will have much less to worry about.

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).

What Are the Best Vehicles for Snow Plowing

When starting out as a snow plower, the first item you will need to start your business off on the right track is a vehicle that can have a snow plow attached to it. Individuals that have been in this business for several years will have their own preferences on what works best, but depending on what type of snow plowing you plan on doing, the type of vehicle you need could vary.

Popular Makes and Models

• Ford
• Super Duty
  • F-250
  • F-350
• Explorer
• Jeep
  • Wrangler
  • Liberty
  • Cherokee
• Dodge Ram
  • Dually 4x4 with a Cummins Turbo Diesel
• Chevrolet
  • Blazer
    • S10
    • ZR2
  • Silverado (90s)
  • Tahoe (mid to late 90s)
• GMC
  • Jimmy
  • Bronco

What to Keep in Mind for Trucks

Trucks are usually the best option if you plan to work on larger commercial lots. The preferred sizes are crew cab and long bed, 4-wheel drive automatics that weigh ¾ to 1 ton. Also, short-wheel base trucks are always the better way to go. Trucks can also be used for driveways, but those with long cabs are more prone to becoming stuck high-centered and sideways. If you plan on using a truck for driveways then a half-ton one should be fine, but not if you also plan to use it for larger lots.

When SUVs Are a Good Choice

SUVs are used by many snow plow drivers. Jeep Wranglers are actually the most praised SUV followed by Chevy Blazers and then Ford Explorers. SUVs make the perfect snow plow if you plan to focus mostly on driveways; however, they can also do just fine in small lots. If you plan on using an SUV for lots do not wait until you have several inches of snow on the ground. If you plow around ¾ inches at a time, you will not have a problem. Other than that SUVs are great for maneuvering as they can easily turn and back up in driveways, and several of them can easily handle heavy-duty snow plows.

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).