The commercial snow equipment you use in your business can make a huge difference in how successful you are this year!

Equipment affects everything: from fast jobs are completed, to the satisfaction level of your customers and much more!

We’re going to show you exactly which types of commercial snow equipment are best, and some tips to grow your business too, including:

Tools of the Trade

While the needs of each snow removal company vary, here are some of the top commercial snow equipment pieces you should have.

Snow Shovels

Snow shovels are an important part of this commercial snow equipment guide because these tools are used by operations big and small.

Unlike the shovels bought by the average homeowner, commercial snow shovels are:

Shovel Blades

When choosing a snow shovel, you’ll want to pay close attention to the blade size and shape. 

Larger plow-style blades (think 24” or 30”) are great for pushing and scraping snow and can be used for shoveling powder too.

For wet heavy snow, a smaller 18” plow-style blade is ideal as it ensures employees don’t try to lift too much heavy snow at once.

When it comes to shovel noses, you’ve got several different options depending on your snow conditions.

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Shovel Materials

Commercial snow equipment shovels are made of a variety of different materials - and this is often up to your personal preferences!  

While there isn’t a single material that will do it all, it is important to know some of the advantages and disadvantages of each material.

Shovel Shafts and Handle Design

Additionally, be sure to check out the design of the shovels too.

Shovel Handles

While there are a few different handle options, the “D-Grip” is one of the best as it absorbs shock, works well with gloves, and provides more control overall.

If you end up choosing a shovel that doesn’t have a D-Grip, you can buy add-on handles that will allow you to add a D-Grip to your shovels. 

The T-grip handle is also an option that can help provide a comfortable and secure grip.

Lastly, some shovels don’t have an extra grip and simply have a straight handle. 

Buying a Shovel

While the price will vary based on your location and which model you choose, most decent shovels start at around $40.

While that can feel like a lot, investing a good shovel can:

Remember - you need to have the right shovel for the right job. 

Trying to remove all types of snow with a single shovel is going to be tough, and it’s best to have several shovels you and your team can use depending on the conditions.

Shovel Recommendations

Here are some of our top recommendations that made this commercial snow equipment guide:

True Temper’s 18-Inch Ergonomic Mountain Mover: This plastic-bladed shovel has a curved metal handle, is great for pushing and scooping, and only weighs about 3 lbs.

Bully Tools’ 22-Inch Combination Snow Shovel: A fiberglass handle with a D-grip and plastic blade makes this shovel a solid option for scooping–plus it only weighs 3.6 lbs.

Bully Tools’ 22-Inch Snow Pusher: A big 27” plastic blade and long, straight fiberglass handle make this a solid choice for pushing snow.

Snow Plows

For the biggest snow removal jobs, a snow plow is a HUGE game changer.

If you are somewhere that gets heavy snow each year, you’ll probably want to make the investment!

When choosing the right plow for your business, you should consider:

New vs. Used Snow Plows

As you might expect, snow plows can be an expensive part of your commercial snow equipment lineup.

If you’re just getting started, it is easy to think that a plow is a good place to save a few bucks.

But like a used truck, it isn’t the best choice.

Plows literally get scraped across asphalt and concrete for the entire season… and you don’t know how well the plow was maintained either!

New plows are an investment in your business and also a chance for you to build a relationship with the dealer.

That way if you have any issues with your plow in the height of the snow removal season, you’ll be able to get them resolved fast.

Truck to Plow Size

The size of the plow you end up choosing has a lot to do with the size of your truck.

Be sure to do your own research based on your truck’s gross vehicle weight rating, but a good rule of thumb is:

Plow Blades: Residential vs. Commercial Jobs

When it comes down to choosing the type of blade shape you need to decide if the snow removal you and your team are doing will be residential vs. commercial.

Simply put, most residential work would need a straight plow blade. 

Straight plows are great for clearing driveways and don’t require much training for your team.

If you’re going to be doing more commercial jobs (think complete neighborhoods, parking lots, streets, etc.) you’re going to want to go with a V-Plow.

Yes, these blades are more expensive than a straight plow and you’ll need more training.

But the upside is that they take less wear-and-tear during a storm, and can plow through heavy snow much easier.

Snow Plow Blade Materials

Like snow shovels, the blade material of your snow plow is important and has its own set of pros and cons.

Buying Your Snow Plow

Ultimately, you’ll need to choose the right plow for your truck and the types of jobs you’ll be doing. 

Here are a few of our favorite brands:

Snow Blowers

As part of your commercial snow equipment arsenal, you and your team should have snow blowers too.

Like the other snow removal tools, your decision will take into account your budget, average snowfall, and the sidewalks and driveways you’ll be working on.

Snow Blower Power

One of the biggest deciding factors is how much power the snow blower has.

For light snowfall and smaller areas, an electric snow blower can probably get the job done.

But when the snow is heavy and or wet, you’re going to need to go with something bigger…

You’ll probably want to go with a two-stage snow blower which is ideal for large drifts and when that snow shovel isn’t going to cut it.

Plus, two-stage blowers are easy to use and work well on hills and uneven areas too.

If you need to go through 3 or more feet of snow you may want to consider a three-stage snow blower.

Snow Blower Models

While there are a lot of great two-stage snow blowers out there, here are a few of our favorites:

Ariens 921046

The Ariens 921046 is a great blower that has power and is still budget-friendly.

It has a strong engine and its one-hand interlock makes it very easy to maneuver.

The only downside is that for commercial use, the warranty is only good for 90 days.

Briggs and Stratton S1227

If you’re typically dealing with small to moderate amounts of snow, the Briggs and Stratton S1227 is a solid choice. 

It has a clearing width of 27” which means that it is perfect for sidewalks and small spaces.

The Briggs and Stratton S1227 also has the same 90-day warranty issue as the Ariens 921046.

Honda Power Equipment HSS1332ATD

If you anticipate heavy-duty commercial snow removal jobs, the Honda Power Equipment HSS1332ATD is the right move.

It has a powerful 3889cc engine, 32” of clearing, and manual speed.

Although it does have a 3-year warranty, this model is considerably more expensive than the previous two options we shared above.

Growing Your Business

Who doesn’t love new stuff?

Getting new commercial snow equipment can be very exciting, but there are a few factors you should consider before you load up your shopping cart.

Snow Business Pricing

One of the biggest mistakes most snow businesses make is not having the right pricing.

Simply put, in order to ensure that your business is able to grow and generate profits you need to be charging enough.

There are a number of factors that you should consider when pricing including:

Once you’ve got a good idea about your pricing and profits you’ll have a better understanding of how much you should spend on new equipment.

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Scaling Your Client Base

Does it feel like you have a ton of happy customers and your team can barely keep up with the demand after a snowstorm?

If not, you may want to spend some time growing your client base.

One of the easiest ways to do that is with a simple client referral program.

Take your best customers, and offer them a small incentive (think free service or gift card) to provide you with a few people they know who would benefit from your services.

Additionally, you can always do some basic advertising for your service too.

While there is a cost to run Google Ads or Facebook ads, this is a proven way to get new leads fast.

Your Software

It is really easy to focus on the shiny new equipment, but oftentimes, one of the best fixes for your company can come from using the right snow removal software.

Service Autopilot helps successful snow removal companies just like yours by streamlining everyday tasks and freeing up their time.

Here are just a few of the ways You can use Service Autopilot in your business:

Ultimately, the right software can help you win more new business, stay organized, and GROW profits too.

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Your Team

While new or additional equipment can help them work more efficiently, it might also be time to expand your team.
Even though it might feel like a challenge, you can still hire great employees with everything going on with the economy.

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Start by doing a little marketing to find the best candidates.

You can run paid ads on social media, use flyers in your area, or post on major job sites (LinkedIn, Indeed, etc.).

Next, you’ll want to prescreen your candidates with a few basic questions that cover:

After that, you can do an in-person interview with your top candidates who made it through the pre-screening round.

You can ask similar questions in the in-person interview (to check for consistency) and a few of the questions below:

Before you make an offer, be sure to ask for references and give them a call.

And most importantly, you’ll want to make sure their wages are high enough to attract the right talent (and keep) them while still maintaining a profit.

Or else… your competition might steal your best candidates! 

Getting New Equipment

You’ve now got a good idea of what kinds of commercial snow equipment are out there.

Don’t feel like you need to rush into a decision, and some additional research for your specific situation will go a long way.

Related: How to Grow Your Snow Business

Originally published Nov 22, 2023 7:07 AM

To be a successful snow plow business, you need to be able to get your team to your clients’ sites… fast.

That means that you need the right tools BEFORE a big snowstorm.  

One of the most important tools that your snow business needs is a snow plow route app! It can help you:

So if you want to learn how to TRANSFORM your business with the right snow plow route app, keep reading!

What to Look For in a Snow Route App

So you want to be safer, serve more clients, and maximize productivity.

That means it's time to search for a snow plow route app, and here are some of the features you should consider.

Routing Your Team

The right routing app can literally save you HOURS each week.

For lots of snow removal businesses, that means having a pre-built master route that is done before the storm hits.

That means after a HUGE snow storm you can get your team out there to remove snow fast.

You can keep your customers happy and put your company on the fast track for more success.

Features to Make Daily Tasks Easy

While some businesses still run on paper or with a whiteboard, you really need to have software in place.

The right snow software (like Service Autopilot) has great features that can help you with ALL daily operations!   

A great snow plow route app can:

From a snow plow route app, you’ll be able to quickly communicate with your team where they need to go and how to get there fastest.

Grow Your Snow Business... Faster (and with Less Stress)

Instant invoicing

Better scheduling

Manage your clients and employees all in one system

Start Software Tour

Tracking and Monitoring Teams

With everything going on during a busy snow season, time management is key.

That usually means eliminating small tasks and finding ways to save time.

One of the best ways to save time is to stop tracking down employees using text or calls. 

Make sure your snow removal app can track and monitor your team out in the field.

Not all snow plow route apps do this, but this single feature can save you a TON of time. 

Also, with snow and icy conditions, knowing the location of your team is important for safety too.

Work Smarter

While it might seem like you can use any map app and start putting in addresses, there is a way to work smarter with a snow plow route app.

The best apps take advantage of the latest technology by using algorithms, job priorities, and even fuel costs to create the best routes possible.

Not only is this a huge time savings for you and your team in the field, but it also means you don’t have to worry about the best way to get to each client.

Communication

Snow plow route apps are also great for communication.

That means you can use them to send messages to your team who are actively removing snow in the field.

If your employees have a great snow plow route app, managers can also assign new jobs to them or send schedule updates to employees while they are on the job.

It also means that you can use the app to message your clients with important info like:

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Making A Decision for Your Snow Removal Business

So with a variety of snow plow route apps to choose from, you need to make a smart decision.

Here are a few additional considerations to think about when choosing your snow plow route app.

Team Needs

Do you have a good idea of the struggles that your field team is facing on a daily basis?

It can be tough but try to take a step back and look at the world through their eyes.

Work with them to pinpoint the top 2-3 issues that they are facing. How can a new snow app help them?

Take this into consideration when looking at snow apps. What features could help your team?

Maybe tools like a good communication system will save them time and help them get updates faster.

Or maybe smart routing can help cut down the time they spend on the road. 

Getting a new snow plow route app could mean excitement and efficiency for some, but it can also be “something new” to learn.

Either way, be sure to set expectations with your team, letting them know your reasons for choosing the app and how you’ll help them get up to speed with training and whatever else they might need.

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Future Business Needs

It is also really important to factor in the needs of your business now, and in the future too.

The right app will help you now and as your company grows in the future.

You want an app that has scalability built in which means it can work with small teams and large teams.

That means you can easily add more teams and trucks that will service more clients and remove more snow!

The best snow app also has multi-location or franchise capabilities… so you don’t have to worry about outgrowing your software.

Trials, Demos, & Evaluations

Lastly, before you make a decision about which app to use, you should take some time to properly evaluate the app.

That could mean scheduling a quick demo to see how the app works firsthand and how it could benefit your business.

It also might mean setting up a free trial so you can test out the snow plow route app with you and your team.

Remember to do your research and make sure that the app has the features, support, and integration you need for you, your team, and your company.

Get Your Snow Plow Route App

There you have it!

The right snow plow removal app can:

Now you know what factors to consider when choosing a snow plow route app that is right for you and your business.

Related: Total Guide to Hiring Snow Removal Employees

Originally published Dec 1, 2023 3:37 AM