Hey props for teaching someone your trade instead of guarding it like the secret to life. That’s how you instill trust and confidence into your employees
Been driving for an outfit up here in Montreal for ten years, We use John Deere 6000's with blades and blowers and your pro tips are spot on. I find it best to survey the property before it snows this way you can see all your drainage ,sprinklers and curbs and such. Here in Montreal, city by-law states that the snow on the sidewalk and street in front of your driveway can stay on the street but any snow on your driveway/property must stay on your property. My personal favorite is when the client says " Don't put the snow on my Grass". Good times. Great videos , keep em' comin.
Yeah pretty much right on for a newbie. One thing I might add that I've learned in my 40+ years of plowing . When you approach a lot think how can I plow this without backing up. When you are backing up you aren't plowing. If you use a circle method by raising the blade and cutting the wheels opposite the direction of your plow at the end of your run then just make a circle back , you save wear on the transmission and boost speed and safety by only going forward. I bought a toy truck with a plow to try to teach my guys this method. It doesn't work on all lots but those that it will you'll do it 25-30 % faster . Good job on the channel we have had a lot of the same experiences. Keep it up.
I have plowed for years with lawn mowers skid steers city trucks and wheel loaders pretty much anything you would put a blade on . Never thought about drainage. thank you for giving your time and expertise you are a gift I learned some new things today.
I’ve been plowing for 7 years now and this season I let a guy that helps me plow a couple lots this year and I didn’t know how to go about telling him how to do it bc I just learned on my own!! A lot of learning the first time out 7 years ago!! But I just sent him this video ! Lol
When I plow along a sidewalk I stay at least a foot to 2 ft away on the first pass cuz you always get spill. Then the last pass you are only cleaning up a small strip of snow and you can collect it without spilling on the sidewalk.
I prefer to make my first pass 2ft from cars or curbs, then come in tight on the second pass. Gives cleaner results. And get that plow some curb guards if you are going to encourage riding the curb!!!!!
This is all I took from the video, it’s possible to absolutely minimize what falls off onto the sidewalk or curb by doing just this! The rest of it is pretty self explanatory, pick up the speed, there’s snow to move 😂
He's in business to get the jobs done-- can't be going back and forth from site to site to do minor cleanup. Not if you want to make a living, that is. Of course, some people are into giving their work away.
been plowing as a pro for over 20 years good info. By the way back dragging / blades only work the best when you have down pressure, No down pressure you pack what you brag. A skilled operator can do the sidewalk with the blade then clean the curb lol. In the last 2-3 years I have switched to using a skidloader or toolcat more then the truck like 80% more. Same size blade able to do more in a smaller profile with more options less hand work.
I plow in an IT series Caterpillar loader in the winter time. Huge 12 foot blade to move stuff. It's a lot easier than a truck... So this is very helpful for when I move up to a pickup truck. Thanks for sharing!
@@antoonpelsma2788 I don't think Stan is the boss over at GT, although they have joined forces, in order to offer a much more complete product, where they offer everything from lawn mowing to facility management and snow ploughing and removal. At least I couldn't find anything about Stan being the boss of GT.
The #1 fundamental (in my opinion) is the placement of snow during the first big storm of the season. The pile should be pushed as far back as the lot will allow (within reason) to accommodate future accumulation. Nothing is worse than trying to push into a pile that has partially melted, then re solidified as a giant ice mound. Parking lots can obviously complicate the matter due to curbs, but you do what you can.
Great info Stan. I've been plowing commercial lots for 6 years and have to agree with everything you pointed out. Although I started out on the shovel first so have the shoveler mind in back of my head. I hit lots before my guys can get there and get as close as possible to sidewalks, drives me crazy to come back to a lot I just cleaned and the guys pushed stuff everywhere and I gotta clean it up
Municipal plowing: "Ever plowed before?" "Nope" "Okay, take truck 113 to ward 2 and go to it. Report anything you hit." "Okay then" Works out better for some guys than others. 😂
I'm.in Minnesota and recently started plowing. I was hired and no experience _ basically had to learn stuff the hard way this winter. This video is helpful thanks
I had to train 3 new guys with zero plow experience this year..... problem was first snow fall was a foot and a half with 50 mph winds.... got to love buffalo ny
This honestly looks fairly challenging. I don't blame the kid at all for messing up tbh, especially first time with the camera being on him and his boss right there. I'd be nervous too. Hell when I first moved to the midwest and had to deal with wet snow, even just using the snowblower for our driveway in an efficient manner was not intuitive and took some practice. Wish I had watched videos like these 2 months ago lol
This is a great video but the only thing you forgot to say is during a heavy snow to plow with a straight blade first, we say make a mess before you clean up to move the most snow the fastest. I have been plowing over 40 years and really enjoyed your video. God Bless.
My first time plowing with a v plow was last week I made all theese mistakes too lol but I like the slow down part it's not a race , thank you for the advise and video I will be more efficient with my work
The best and most important comment of snow clearing was knowing the property. Hitting a manhole cover a few times in a skidsteer in second gear and you will slow down until you figure out the property trust me!!
Best thing I ever had for the snow blade. Is I found a roll of 1/2 thick rubber conveyor belt. The kind they use at a gravel pit. And put it in between the kick plate and blade. Would last whole season. Cleaned to the pavement. Simple to change like 8 bolts. I cut the entire roll down to length. Pre drilled my holes and had them for years. I left about 4 inch over on both sides. Makes easy work when you next to sidewalks.
Good for you taking the time to train a rookie since no one does. I lied said i knew what i was doing and had plowed b4 and taught myself and im 1 of the best around now. Side walk guys love how easy i make their job. And my lots have little to no clean up ever when im done
Haha, miss my old ‘75 plow truck, it was a beast. Broke a lot in the learning curve of that first season... slipped one night on that drainage ice and took out a chuck of island I was trying to edge to quickly... slow and smooth is steady
Just directed a snow removal of a 100,000+ square foot parking lot, involving parking rows, handicap poles, peninsulas, storm drains, extensive curbs, and islands. With a team of 5 other people, first time doing snow removal for all of us. The backstory as to how this happened is long, but at the end of the day we got it done and salted. Couldn’t be more proud. Sent photos to the boss’ and received praise. Company 7 ❄️
In 16 years that I’ve been plowing my church parking lot, the biggest thing that annoys me about other plow drivers is not thinking ahead about where to put the next 10 snowfalls. The parking lot where I work is almost always 30’ shorter by the end of the season.
Yeah that was one of the first things I got told when I started plowing with loaders... first snowfall push it as far as you can because you never know how much you'll get that year.
Sort of 6 of one half a dozen of the other Sara, depending on the snowfall a loader with a snow blade will outclear the snowblower or the other way around. Also around here it gets cold enough for snowblowers to freeze up.
I always pushed it back into the field aways with the tractor never ran out of room. My nieghbor ran out of room with piles because lack of space so i had bought a loader for antique john deere so i stacked his piles so he had room with his tractor to push
I plow with my two sportsman 4wheelers in northern Alaska. I’ve got a 2011 sportsman x2 550 and a 2017 sportsman xp 1000 both have the same Polaris plow system. I love em. I’ve been plowing the same yards for 13 years. I can’t stand when someone asked me to plow their yard mid winter and I catch my blade on some random piece of frozen garbage.
Me: appreciates how he does the intro on top of the hood and shows us a first hand perspective of the plow. Kinda looks dangerous though. Just sitting there on a moving truck talking with his hands free. Must be a experienced driver. *This is Andy's very first time ever in a snow plow truck!*
I see major mistakes. He should have turned the truck around so that the driver's side is next to the sidewalk or obstacle. This way you can SEE the edge of the curb or sidewalk. You are still angling the plow the same direction and wind rowing the snow in the same place. Then turn around and take your wind row to where every you are piling it. I use a Myers straight blade. The reason is that the snow will blow across your parking lots. On freeways we call this blow ins or drifting. Salt need moisture to work and if you salt, well then, the snow will collect and stick. Many also salt late at night. but if you wait until like say 6am when people start to come to work, the traffic over the salt will make the salt work better. You can also use beet juice which works better than salt. Also you can use calcium if you have hard pack... we call this a "hot load" BUT you have to follow it up with salt or you will end up with ice skating rink! Another thing is get it while it is fresh! This means watch the forecast and if there is more snow coming make sure you push or stack your snow to allow for more snow later. What I see all the time is people rushing to get to the next job and then during the day it warms up and then the next night it freezes again. Yeah hit that with your plow a few days later and tell me what you think! It is hard on your plows and equipment. A lot of this is common sense but most of you guys want to do the big easy shopping center lots first and then apartments last due to all of the jacking around. Meanwhile most apartments the snow gets tracked and turns to hard pack. The other thing I see all to often is you guys cleaning out drive and what not and taking snow across streets, state routes, etc. if you do this make sure you get it off the road! Don't pile snow at entrances! If you do this and a car hits it and crashes you are technically liable! Further when I come down the road in my state truck with a much beefier plow, I'm going to blast all the snow back in the your drives! Now you have a business who just ripped off and charged a lot of money to clear their lots and now customers have a hard time getting in and out. Be smart about it and you with have happy motorist and customers!
Stanley, thanks! Not trying to be negative in any way but just supplying some additional tips and info! Love your channel! I would love to see some more video on demo, estimating and what not on that segment of your business as I'm looking to get more into that. Snow wise, I know you have a bunch of skid steers and you are just putting them to use in the winter, which is smart! However I looking to get into recycling C&D on a small scale and we have been trying out a lot of brand of compact wheel loaders. I have one JD 244J and for this winter we leased 3. We two setup with the Pro Tech pushers and 2 setup witht he Metal Pless Plow Maxx pushers. You need to check out these two videos! The first is with the Pro Tech.... limited but does a great job! ua-cam.com/video/ure7R2yKWgc/v-deo.html The second is with the Plow Maxx ua-cam.com/video/msWuJl2HOqo/v-deo.html The guys have fought over these two and you really need to try this set up! I don't a UA-cam channel yet but working on it, we do a lot of subdivision and apartment complexes and this video give a great example of what we do snow removal wise. You need to demo these two units for your your business! When we decide on what compact wheel loader we are going with... which I will use in the proposed recycling yard, i'll be using the Plow Maxx. So much better than the skid steers with so much better visibility and no need to trailer the skid steers from lot to lot with this setup! Keep up the awesome vids!
The 4 high and 4 low comment could be debated. In My truck I have to use 4 low. In 4 high My truck will stall out (bad engine) and if it don't then I am going to fast even at idle. Riding the brake isn't an option to slow down since it's a manual transmission. I understand one reason not to use low is because of the gearing change and increase of power from the change. So 4 high or 4 low is all on the truck type of snow and terrain.
If you plow for the state you're the worst kind of plow there is. Stop ranting on UA-cam to make yourself feel superior for no reason, it sounds like you're compensating for something.
Beet juice works better than salt? You do realize beet juice is useless without salt right? The beet juice doesn’t even melt ice, you mix salt into beet juice to make a brine.
Hey Stanley I recommend you try out a snowcaster for all your commercial properties with the long sidewalks it really help speed things up especially on a night where you have two to4"
Maybe there should be short and sturdy blades with an upward curve at the front of the plow sliding against the ground... so that they would not exactly hurt the snow collecting but would help to lift the plow up if there is a small step of some kind ...
9:56 Your speaking on cracking your head when hitting large lips, I have never cracked my head on a lip or damaged a plow or truck while plowing, ever. OK, I'm not lying but I have never plowed before either, lol. I wish I could plow, looks cool overall. THIS IS AN AWESOME VID & EXTREMELY EDUCATIONAL, THX. 👍
I know things are different here, because we do larger lots with bigger equipment. We have an old Secard truck with a sno master 3000 and we use the blower to load trucks on the fly ( remember big lots where we are using graders to windrow ahead of us) just wondering on your bigger lots and I know you have a blower on a skid steer if you have considered offering your clients that option. No snow banks and dry lots in the spring!
Hiniker C Plow works nicely to back drag on drives and loading docks. A Wrangler is dialed for working smaller spaces, such as at large homes with many small to medium parking areas sprinkled around and multiple garages. Good comments section, always learn something. We are finally out of our 2nd longest ever sub 32F period, 14 days of brrr in PA. The record is 16 days, 58 years ago. This 35 and sunny stuff feels odd, where are we??
A thing I do when plowing is when you reach the edge of the blacktop pick the blade up just a smidge so its no longer floating and that prevents it from dropping and digging into the grass when u push it off the parking lot
I was taught to only plow in 4 low because it’s much easier on transmission and won’t over heat. If in 4 high and your pushing heavy snow it’s to hard on trans. Always make the truck work less it will save reapairs over time
This video is funny my first time plowing my instructions were pretty much the complete opposite. It was my boss yelling at me for 10 minutes where to put snow and that I wasn't moving fast enough, and that was all the instructions I received.
The best way to learn is cowboy up and get out and do it, not watching UA-cam videos. My first time we got 8-10 inches of snow and my dad told me to go do 3 of his lots, I thought he meant with him but he didn’t. The lots took me twice as long as they should but I learned more that night than in this 16 minute video.
Adam Fertig so you spent 4 extra hours failing? Those 16 minutes might have saved you 2 hours and you would have still learned what you learned - only faster.
What i found works for me anyway with curbs take a first pass a blade width away from said curb, then run the curb slow and easy tilting the plow so snow trails into where you made your first pass and go! But curbs .... That's a touchy subject since they are in different conditions from lot to lot and also different heights. That being said always back blade wheel stops with the float unless you know your equipment!! Seen all too many times curbs and wheel stops get ripped up or pushed yup into a pile. 16 years running heavy equipment and 5 years under my belt doing snow but countless sleepless days and nights pushing into 72 hour shifts with skid, plow truck and loaders doing city contracts and private contracts. And ps for those who read this give the snow guys a break from idiocy driving or tempers we keep you lots and roads clear!
I almost always push snow in my skid loader in hare mode. I will give it "gas" to make it go faster as I see fit. I am using a JCB 260 so it might have different controls than what you're using.
I live in Maine and the majority of the people who plow businesses around here leave much of a bigger mess. Come to Maine brother. Also big ups to the man learning for being willing to learn.
Engineer here. I know your kidding about the islands, but its often city zoning regulations that say you must have green space for every x amount of parking spaces in a row. Where I live, if you have 30 parking spaces in a row, you need an island in the middle to break it up. This also goes by % of pavement area. Some of that area needs to be green space.
Not so much for that snowfall but bigger ones, straighten the plow before going into a pile. Also would you ever buy a wideout? I've been running them for 9 seasons and will never go back to another type of plow. So much more productive.
More info on setting skid pad heights (Boss 8.5 ft straight blade). Use of salts before or after snow. Breaking lot into half’s, or thirds to reduce pile in front of blade? When to start a parking lot push, if prediction is 6” or 12” or 18 inches, de we wait till snow stops or push continually. Customer wants spaces cleared for cars... hospital or large office bldg. lot What about adding one end cap to reduce spill during push, worth the effort?
@@Dirtmonkey I am so impressed with your videos. Blown away at how long you have held employees. That says a lot about how you run a business. I have ran cabs and cleaned carpet for years and had to learn everything the hard way. It is amazing how much information on not only plowing but business in general you share. Please keep them coming.
You the man Stanley. You should try running the curb with the driver side of the blade for one to get used of! Mighty Moe Excavating does a few miles of sidewalk ploughing and salting on industrial malls and always cleans the sidewalks,curb completely making it impossible for the truck or tractor to put it back up on that sidewalk.Thanks for the entertainment
Also, from a dead stop, always get moving 1st then drop the plow. Easier on the truck. Then at the end of a push, let the snow slow you down so you'll use less brakes. Also back away from piles before raising the plow so the plow isnt trying to lift the snow pile too. And only lift the plow a little, no need to raise it all the way up. Its easier on the batteries and the plow motor. Just food for thought. Your channel is awesome. Good luck in 2018
My truck has an auto lift and auto drop feature. Makes the 16 hour shifts much less stressful and tiring. I have been plowing for 23+ years and yet to break a single plow or truck, even banging into an occasional frozen pile. I do try to coast into the drop zone and wait for the plow to lift once in reverse before backing up.
@@ethanallen2889 Actually it is called Auto Raise, Auto Lower. Sorry if I used the wrong terms. A plow with ARM/ALM will raise or lower your plow automatically depending on your gear selector position. Normally, it lowers automatically in Park, Neutral, and Drive. Auto raises in Reverse.
I had no idea to be quite honest. I bought a 2008 F350 6.4L CC that had a snowplow on it this past Feb. Now that it is getting closer to winter, I started to do some work on my plow (slight repairs) and noticed this video. Now I know why the Wal-mart parking lots always have snow piled up around the light poles....I'm guessing that's where the drains are. Good information though.
Just my opinion but if your plowing 1-3 inches on a small lot 4-hi is fine. If you're plowing 4+ or heavy wet snow 4-low is much easier on the transmission. Here in Indiana we see guys replacing transmissions every other year because they ran 4-hi all season. Running the truck in 4-low takes some of the load off the transmission, gives you more low end power, and allows it to run through the gears like it should to prevent overheating and premature failure.
i used a truck like that but with fisher v plow, befor that a half ton 88 gmc, befor that a late 80s f250 stick shift with the straight six, hardly any oil pressure but that one moved some snow.
ford guy. however in buffalo ny, my chevy2011 2500 gas. plowed the November storm a few years back beat up hauls a 18ft enclosed trailer with mowers in summer day in and day out absolutely no problems ... 160k on the truck and had to replace nothing but normal wear and tear ....
I'd call the leftovers holidays, but pretty much the same strategy but don't have the 4 way blade. If we get a heavy snowfall, I'll make a couple runs, straight push slow to wad up as much as possible and not worry about the holidays, that'll get half the snow down and then do it again to get the other half, because at some points, the windrow gets too big to really get any bite at all.
Great video. Also I now now how to properly wear one of those hats the flap on the front never made sense until I seen you wear it backwards thank you lol
Hey Stanley . Could I add a couple of my observations and I know that this a training video ....but . Where is the strobe light , backup alarm , why does the windshield have snow on it and why is the noob looking out the back window while backing up , this causes blind spots from the direction he is looking out the back window all the way down the other side of the truck . Learning to use the truck mirrors will save a lot of insurance claims . But the rest was spot on that's things I teach new employees also . I always make sure that all accounts are plowed the same way every time keeping the employee in my system and not letting them become a gun slinger . Great video for those that are learning and that's how we get better ....!
the Nice think im my company is is that I Drive the Sander truck where we go to the lots to sand after we plow with the Loader, only 2 lots do we need to toss the Snow back on to the Parking spots for the sidewalk clearing, and those guys tell me when they are done on those 2 lots so that way i can just go sand those lots when they are done, and plow the piles they left.
I'm 50% Polish, guess that's why I don't wear my fir hat backwards like you do . Put a ball cap on to sweat into , do up the snaps on the front flap . Now put the fir hat on the other way around . The ball cap will keep the fir hat from sliding down over your eyes . Now you know the stylin Canadian way . Happy plowing !
Stanley i remember doing very sloped driveways where you would just slide sideways into the street. Just no other way due to all that had to be considered.
i was shown to do all the contours at first after the main are open after the storm , really its all depends on the storm , every storm is a different to plow and all the lots i used to do had a specific snow dump spot that the customer wanted , that was shown to me before snow hit the ground by my boss , i mostly ran case backhoes with in bucket snow pushers!
When it comes to training I feel your pain man. I keep telling my guys "slow & steady wins the race" both in repairs & fuel. I have found the best teacher to be having them fix their own mistakes when it's -40 & blowing snow. You know, broken pins, hydraulic lines, got stuck etc. then they tend to operate at slower speeds. The young fella plowing for you the first time did an alright job, it takes a while to get personalized with the limits of your rigging whatever that may entail & to know where the edge of that blade is. My recommendation to all operators is LEAVE the tunes OFF & pay attention to your truck.
Got a new job last year plowing before the snowmagedon in April. Had to plow 10 lots I had never seen before in my life with 14 inches and no markers left for curbs and islands. My truck took a beating....
The only time we run low range transfer case is on cottage lanes, we have about 30 miles in total with hills it saves transmission from over heating.A good straight blade operator can plow a lot just as fast as a v blade once you get into back side plowing windrows and the straight plow is cheaper to buy and cheaper to run less moving parts
Hey props for teaching someone your trade instead of guarding it like the secret to life. That’s how you instill trust and confidence into your employees
A MONKEY can do that
Mistake #1 sitting on the snowplow as its moving. ?
Matt Rockwell he had to add more weight to the plow lol
Yeah...
yes...ESPECIALLY with a rookie behind the wheel
Matt Rockwell lol no shit🤣
Yeah, beyond stupid.
I've been behind the blade for 23 years and I still watch other people plow on UA-cam.. I just really enjoy it
Gotta give Andy credit for being a good sport.
Been driving for an outfit up here in Montreal for ten years, We use John Deere 6000's with blades and blowers and your pro tips are spot on. I find it best to survey the property before it snows this way you can see all your drainage ,sprinklers and curbs and such. Here in Montreal, city by-law states that the snow on the sidewalk and street in front of your driveway can stay on the street but any snow on your driveway/property must stay on your property. My personal favorite is when the client says " Don't put the snow on my Grass". Good times. Great videos , keep em' comin.
Thanks!
Yeah pretty much right on for a newbie. One thing I might add that I've learned in my 40+ years of plowing . When you approach a lot think how can I plow this without backing up. When you are backing up you aren't plowing. If you use a circle method by raising the blade and cutting the wheels opposite the direction of your plow at the end of your run then just make a circle back , you save wear on the transmission and boost speed and safety by only going forward. I bought a toy truck with a plow to try to teach my guys this method. It doesn't work on all lots but those that it will you'll do it 25-30 % faster . Good job on the channel we have had a lot of the same experiences. Keep it up.
I have plowed for years with lawn mowers skid steers city trucks and wheel loaders pretty much anything you would put a blade on . Never thought about drainage. thank you for giving your time and expertise you are a gift I learned some new things today.
I’ve been plowing for 7 years now and this season I let a guy that helps me plow a couple lots this year and I didn’t know how to go about telling him how to do it bc I just learned on my own!! A lot of learning the first time out 7 years ago!! But I just sent him this video ! Lol
Your insurance company must love this video of you riding on the front of the truck with a first time plower lol...
I Like your teaching methods with the new guy, taking your time to show him let him learn nice to see! Stay safe boys
"Don't look at me". I heard that so many times when learning to run equipment. lol
Im a seasoned operator and STILL hate the boss watchin me....ill get right the fuk off n tell him to run it n stop fukin watchin me....or fukin leavd
It's hard to take advice from a guy wearing his fur hat on the wrong way...
Straight Up Shots warmer that way. Comfort over style.
I noticed that at the end when I saw this comment lol
And riding on the plow.
Lol
And we are supposed to take his advice on anything ? Plow guys are the dumbest fucks i know .
When I plow along a sidewalk I stay at least a foot to 2 ft away on the first pass cuz you always get spill. Then the last pass you are only cleaning up a small strip of snow and you can collect it without spilling on the sidewalk.
First mistake I saw was him driving with someone sitting on the hood of the truck...
OSHA liked your comment
I prefer to make my first pass 2ft from cars or curbs, then come in tight on the second pass. Gives cleaner results. And get that plow some curb guards if you are going to encourage riding the curb!!!!!
Devyn Hogan u a pro :O
This is all I took from the video, it’s possible to absolutely minimize what falls off onto the sidewalk or curb by doing just this! The rest of it is pretty self explanatory, pick up the speed, there’s snow to move 😂
Couldn't you do that and come back in with an ATV to clean up around cars and sidewalks?
He's in business to get the jobs done-- can't be going back and forth from site to site to do minor cleanup. Not if you want to make a living, that is. Of course, some people are into giving their work away.
@@knokname6466 ill figure it out soon, im about to start plowing also.
Patience and a good teacher makes all the difference
That's for sure !
been plowing as a pro for over 20 years good info. By the way back dragging / blades only work the best when you have down pressure, No down pressure you pack what you brag. A skilled operator can do the sidewalk with the blade then clean the curb lol. In the last 2-3 years I have switched to using a skidloader or toolcat more then the truck like 80% more. Same size blade able to do more in a smaller profile with more options less hand work.
The kids doing a good job for his first time keep up the good work
I plow in an IT series Caterpillar loader in the winter time. Huge 12 foot blade to move stuff. It's a lot easier than a truck... So this is very helpful for when I move up to a pickup truck. Thanks for sharing!
that has to suck having your boss right there watching i remember my first time with my dad not that fun.
pignuts I remember my first time with your dad, agreed, not fun
Its never fun when your dad is the boss
First time with my dad was a bit rough too
Antoon Pelsma pause
@@antoonpelsma2788 I don't think Stan is the boss over at GT, although they have joined forces, in order to offer a much more complete product, where they offer everything from lawn mowing to facility management and snow ploughing and removal. At least I couldn't find anything about Stan being the boss of GT.
The #1 fundamental (in my opinion) is the placement of snow during the first big storm of the season. The pile should be pushed as far back as the lot will allow (within reason) to accommodate future accumulation. Nothing is worse than trying to push into a pile that has partially melted, then re solidified as a giant ice mound. Parking lots can obviously complicate the matter due to curbs, but you do what you can.
The biggest mistake made is being in the lot with Stan and his camera lol 👍👊 good tips
Great info Stan. I've been plowing commercial lots for 6 years and have to agree with everything you pointed out. Although I started out on the shovel first so have the shoveler mind in back of my head. I hit lots before my guys can get there and get as close as possible to sidewalks, drives me crazy to come back to a lot I just cleaned and the guys pushed stuff everywhere and I gotta clean it up
I snow plow for a municipality, and i'm glad to see someone put out a video on this training exercise. Thanks for putting this out there.
You're welcome 😀👍
Municipal plowing:
"Ever plowed before?"
"Nope"
"Okay, take truck 113 to ward 2 and go to it. Report anything you hit."
"Okay then"
Works out better for some guys than others. 😂
I’m getting a 2012 6.2 L. It’s encouraging to see that a truck can handle such a big parking lot!!
Just earned myself my own company plow this evening. Your little pointers helped an awful lot on a commercial site 👌
I'm.in Minnesota and recently started plowing. I was hired and no experience _ basically had to learn stuff the hard way this winter. This video is helpful thanks
I had to train 3 new guys with zero plow experience this year..... problem was first snow fall was a foot and a half with 50 mph winds.... got to love buffalo ny
This honestly looks fairly challenging. I don't blame the kid at all for messing up tbh, especially first time with the camera being on him and his boss right there. I'd be nervous too. Hell when I first moved to the midwest and had to deal with wet snow, even just using the snowblower for our driveway in an efficient manner was not intuitive and took some practice. Wish I had watched videos like these 2 months ago lol
Lol, thanks for watching now Dennis !
This is a great video but the only thing you forgot to say is during a heavy snow to plow with a straight blade first, we say make a mess before you clean up to move the most snow the fastest. I have been plowing over 40 years and really enjoyed your video. God Bless.
Thanks Timothy!
Super helpful! I might be going into a new position at my job and knowing how to plow helps tremendously with the hiring/promotion process!
Always Plow first!!... side walks last....
If your Shovelers throw snow back into the lot you need to teach your shovelers how to do it the right way
My first time plowing with a v plow was last week I made all theese mistakes too lol but I like the slow down part it's not a race , thank you for the advise and video I will be more efficient with my work
The best and most important comment of snow clearing was knowing the property. Hitting a manhole cover a few times in a skidsteer in second gear and you will slow down until you figure out the property trust me!!
Best thing I ever had for the snow blade. Is I found a roll of 1/2 thick rubber conveyor belt. The kind they use at a gravel pit. And put it in between the kick plate and blade. Would last whole season. Cleaned to the pavement. Simple to change like 8 bolts. I cut the entire roll down to length. Pre drilled my holes and had them for years. I left about 4 inch over on both sides. Makes easy work when you next to sidewalks.
I love this video! I plow for a living in the winter, and a lot of these pointers are actually helpful!
Nice job coaching him and he did pretty well for his first time and you in his face with the camera
Good for you taking the time to train a rookie since no one does. I lied said i knew what i was doing and had plowed b4 and taught myself and im 1 of the best around now. Side walk guys love how easy i make their job. And my lots have little to no clean up ever when im done
Thats awesome Jason! I need guys like you on my crew
Haha, miss my old ‘75 plow truck, it was a beast. Broke a lot in the learning curve of that first season... slipped one night on that drainage ice and took out a chuck of island I was trying to edge to quickly... slow and smooth is steady
Stan I quit the shitty corner cutter job and joined the Union. Life is good. Thanks for the inspiration man. Keep doing what you're doing.
Unions are for the peasants who can't make it in life. You did great parents must be proud 🤮 tax draining PARASITE
Just directed a snow removal of a 100,000+ square foot parking lot, involving parking rows, handicap poles, peninsulas, storm drains, extensive curbs, and islands.
With a team of 5 other people, first time doing snow removal for all of us. The backstory as to how this happened is long, but at the end of the day we got it done and salted. Couldn’t be more proud. Sent photos to the boss’ and received praise. Company 7 ❄️
In 16 years that I’ve been plowing my church parking lot, the biggest thing that annoys me about other plow drivers is not thinking ahead about where to put the next 10 snowfalls. The parking lot where I work is almost always 30’ shorter by the end of the season.
Yeah that was one of the first things I got told when I started plowing with loaders... first snowfall push it as far as you can because you never know how much you'll get that year.
Option 2: Loader snowblower. :-)
Sort of 6 of one half a dozen of the other Sara, depending on the snowfall a loader with a snow blade will outclear the snowblower or the other way around. Also around here it gets cold enough for snowblowers to freeze up.
I always pushed it back into the field aways with the tractor never ran out of room. My nieghbor ran out of room with piles because lack of space so i had bought a loader for antique john deere so i stacked his piles so he had room with his tractor to push
David Fiedler
I want to punch the guys that plow the church I go to. They always put piles near sidewalks and parking spots.
I plow with my two sportsman 4wheelers in northern Alaska. I’ve got a 2011 sportsman x2 550 and a 2017 sportsman xp 1000 both have the same Polaris plow system. I love em. I’ve been plowing the same yards for 13 years. I can’t stand when someone asked me to plow their yard mid winter and I catch my blade on some random piece of frozen garbage.
Me: appreciates how he does the intro on top of the hood and shows us a first hand perspective of the plow. Kinda looks dangerous though. Just sitting there on a moving truck talking with his hands free. Must be a experienced driver.
*This is Andy's very first time ever in a snow plow truck!*
I see major mistakes. He should have turned the truck around so that the driver's side is next to the sidewalk or obstacle. This way you can SEE the edge of the curb or sidewalk. You are still angling the plow the same direction and wind rowing the snow in the same place. Then turn around and take your wind row to where every you are piling it. I use a Myers straight blade. The reason is that the snow will blow across your parking lots. On freeways we call this blow ins or drifting. Salt need moisture to work and if you salt, well then, the snow will collect and stick. Many also salt late at night. but if you wait until like say 6am when people start to come to work, the traffic over the salt will make the salt work better. You can also use beet juice which works better than salt. Also you can use calcium if you have hard pack... we call this a "hot load" BUT you have to follow it up with salt or you will end up with ice skating rink! Another thing is get it while it is fresh! This means watch the forecast and if there is more snow coming make sure you push or stack your snow to allow for more snow later. What I see all the time is people rushing to get to the next job and then during the day it warms up and then the next night it freezes again. Yeah hit that with your plow a few days later and tell me what you think! It is hard on your plows and equipment. A lot of this is common sense but most of you guys want to do the big easy shopping center lots first and then apartments last due to all of the jacking around. Meanwhile most apartments the snow gets tracked and turns to hard pack. The other thing I see all to often is you guys cleaning out drive and what not and taking snow across streets, state routes, etc. if you do this make sure you get it off the road! Don't pile snow at entrances! If you do this and a car hits it and crashes you are technically liable! Further when I come down the road in my state truck with a much beefier plow, I'm going to blast all the snow back in the your drives! Now you have a business who just ripped off and charged a lot of money to clear their lots and now customers have a hard time getting in and out. Be smart about it and you with have happy motorist and customers!
Awesome info- Thanks!
Stanley, thanks! Not trying to be negative in any way but just supplying some additional tips and info! Love your channel! I would love to see some more video on demo, estimating and what not on that segment of your business as I'm looking to get more into that.
Snow wise, I know you have a bunch of skid steers and you are just putting them to use in the winter, which is smart! However I looking to get into recycling C&D on a small scale and we have been trying out a lot of brand of compact wheel loaders. I have one JD 244J and for this winter we leased 3. We two setup with the Pro Tech pushers and 2 setup witht he Metal Pless Plow Maxx pushers. You need to check out these two videos!
The first is with the Pro Tech.... limited but does a great job! ua-cam.com/video/ure7R2yKWgc/v-deo.html
The second is with the Plow Maxx ua-cam.com/video/msWuJl2HOqo/v-deo.html
The guys have fought over these two and you really need to try this set up! I don't a UA-cam channel yet but working on it, we do a lot of subdivision and apartment complexes and this video give a great example of what we do snow removal wise. You need to demo these two units for your your business! When we decide on what compact wheel loader we are going with... which I will use in the proposed recycling yard, i'll be using the Plow Maxx. So much better than the skid steers with so much better visibility and no need to trailer the skid steers from lot to lot with this setup!
Keep up the awesome vids!
The 4 high and 4 low comment could be debated. In My truck I have to use 4 low. In 4 high My truck will stall out (bad engine) and if it don't then I am going to fast even at idle. Riding the brake isn't an option to slow down since it's a manual transmission. I understand one reason not to use low is because of the gearing change and increase of power from the change. So 4 high or 4 low is all on the truck type of snow and terrain.
If you plow for the state you're the worst kind of plow there is.
Stop ranting on UA-cam to make yourself feel superior for no reason, it sounds like you're compensating for something.
Beet juice works better than salt? You do realize beet juice is useless without salt right? The beet juice doesn’t even melt ice, you mix salt into beet juice to make a brine.
Hey Stanley I recommend you try out a snowcaster for all your commercial properties with the long sidewalks it really help speed things up especially on a night where you have two to4"
Maybe there should be short and sturdy blades with an upward curve at the front of the plow sliding against the ground... so that they would not exactly hurt the snow collecting but would help to lift the plow up if there is a small step of some kind ...
9:56 Your speaking on cracking your head when hitting large lips, I have never cracked my head on a lip or damaged a plow or truck while plowing, ever. OK, I'm not lying but I have never plowed before either, lol. I wish I could plow, looks cool overall. THIS IS AN AWESOME VID & EXTREMELY EDUCATIONAL, THX. 👍
Appreciate it just got my first plow going out tonight
Awesome, thanks for watching!
I know things are different here, because we do larger lots with bigger equipment. We have an old Secard truck with a sno master 3000 and we use the blower to load trucks on the fly ( remember big lots where we are using graders to windrow ahead of us) just wondering on your bigger lots and I know you have a blower on a skid steer if you have considered offering your clients that option. No snow banks and dry lots in the spring!
Hiniker C Plow works nicely to back drag on drives and loading docks. A Wrangler is dialed for working smaller spaces, such as at large homes with many small to medium parking areas sprinkled around and multiple garages.
Good comments section, always learn something.
We are finally out of our 2nd longest ever sub 32F period, 14 days of brrr in PA. The record is 16 days, 58 years ago. This 35 and sunny stuff feels odd, where are we??
A thing I do when plowing is when you reach the edge of the blacktop pick the blade up just a smidge so its no longer floating and that prevents it from dropping and digging into the grass when u push it off the parking lot
Thanks, I have snowplowed with big machines on highways, never did lots.
I was taught to only plow in 4 low because it’s much easier on transmission and won’t over heat. If in 4 high and your pushing heavy snow it’s to hard on trans. Always make the truck work less it will save reapairs over time
This video is funny my first time plowing my instructions were pretty much the complete opposite. It was my boss yelling at me for 10 minutes where to put snow and that I wasn't moving fast enough, and that was all the instructions I received.
I have no one to teach me plowing so im relying on you and who ever is posts videos thank you!!
Keep watching Chris, thank you !
The best way to learn is cowboy up and get out and do it, not watching UA-cam videos. My first time we got 8-10 inches of snow and my dad told me to go do 3 of his lots, I thought he meant with him but he didn’t. The lots took me twice as long as they should but I learned more that night than in this 16 minute video.
Adam Fertig so you spent 4 extra hours failing? Those 16 minutes might have saved you 2 hours and you would have still learned what you learned - only faster.
On my 47th year. Love the show!
Thanks Stan!
I live in Florida, but figured it'd be a useful thing to know... for some reason.
What i found works for me anyway with curbs take a first pass a blade width away from said curb, then run the curb slow and easy tilting the plow so snow trails into where you made your first pass and go! But curbs .... That's a touchy subject since they are in different conditions from lot to lot and also different heights. That being said always back blade wheel stops with the float unless you know your equipment!! Seen all too many times curbs and wheel stops get ripped up or pushed yup into a pile. 16 years running heavy equipment and 5 years under my belt doing snow but countless sleepless days and nights pushing into 72 hour shifts with skid, plow truck and loaders doing city contracts and private contracts. And ps for those who read this give the snow guys a break from idiocy driving or tempers we keep you lots and roads clear!
I almost always push snow in my skid loader in hare mode. I will give it "gas" to make it go faster as I see fit. I am using a JCB 260 so it might have different controls than what you're using.
Cool video! This may be odd but I am in my late 40's and ever since childhood I have wanted to run a snow plow. Perhaps one day.
Get a wing plow. XLS,Wide Out, EXT, etc and only in the deepest dumps will you have curb and sidewalk roll over problems.
Great videos. Just purchased a mvp3 ss v plow. Going to be my 1st year plowing. These videos help alot.
I live in Maine and the majority of the people who plow businesses around here leave much of a bigger mess. Come to Maine brother. Also big ups to the man learning for being willing to learn.
Engineer here. I know your kidding about the islands, but its often city zoning regulations that say you must have green space for every x amount of parking spaces in a row. Where I live, if you have 30 parking spaces in a row, you need an island in the middle to break it up. This also goes by % of pavement area. Some of that area needs to be green space.
Not so much for that snowfall but bigger ones, straighten the plow before going into a pile. Also would you ever buy a wideout? I've been running them for 9 seasons and will never go back to another type of plow. So much more productive.
Anyone notice his hat is backwards the whole time?
Dan Yingling nope that's one way to wear it the front from what you think is unbuttons for the back of you neck. Just have to flip it around
Really mustang? Google Ushanka, trapper hat or bomber hat. At least youre confident...i'll give you that.
Yeah you are right. Wear you pants like that. No probs at all))))
More info on setting skid pad heights (Boss 8.5 ft straight blade). Use of salts before or after snow. Breaking lot into half’s, or thirds to reduce pile in front of blade? When to start a parking lot push, if prediction is 6” or 12” or 18 inches, de we wait till snow stops or push continually. Customer wants spaces cleared for cars... hospital or large office bldg. lot
What about adding one end cap to reduce spill during push, worth the effort?
Thanks a ton. Taxi business is dead so going to to try my hand at plowing. Video was great. It was informative and entertaining
You're welcome Anthony, hope you have a great season!
@@Dirtmonkey I am so impressed with your videos. Blown away at how long you have held employees. That says a lot about how you run a business. I have ran cabs and cleaned carpet for years and had to learn everything the hard way. It is amazing how much information on not only plowing but business in general you share. Please keep them coming.
the sound of the plow gliding on the cement is satisfying
You the man Stanley. You should try running the curb with the driver side of the blade for one to get used of! Mighty Moe Excavating does a few miles of sidewalk ploughing and salting on industrial malls and always cleans the sidewalks,curb completely making it impossible for the truck or tractor to put it back up on that sidewalk.Thanks for the entertainment
Also, from a dead stop, always get moving 1st then drop the plow. Easier on the truck. Then at the end of a push, let the snow slow you down so you'll use less brakes. Also back away from piles before raising the plow so the plow isnt trying to lift the snow pile too. And only lift the plow a little, no need to raise it all the way up. Its easier on the batteries and the plow motor. Just food for thought. Your channel is awesome. Good luck in 2018
D Clif10 true. Just posted my night plowing
My truck has an auto lift and auto drop feature. Makes the 16 hour shifts much less stressful and tiring. I have been plowing for 23+ years and yet to break a single plow or truck, even banging into an occasional frozen pile. I do try to coast into the drop zone and wait for the plow to lift once in reverse before backing up.
Tony Robbins ...what the heck is auto lift and auto drop?
@@ethanallen2889 Actually it is called Auto Raise, Auto Lower. Sorry if I used the wrong terms. A plow with ARM/ALM will raise or lower your plow automatically depending on your gear selector position. Normally, it lowers automatically in Park, Neutral, and Drive. Auto raises in Reverse.
Tony Robbins ....that sounds like a terrible feature
I had no idea to be quite honest. I bought a 2008 F350 6.4L CC that had a snowplow on it this past Feb. Now that it is getting closer to winter, I started to do some work on my plow (slight repairs) and noticed this video. Now I know why the Wal-mart parking lots always have snow piled up around the light poles....I'm guessing that's where the drains are. Good information though.
Thanks for watching Timothy
Just my opinion but if your plowing 1-3 inches on a small lot 4-hi is fine. If you're plowing 4+ or heavy wet snow 4-low is much easier on the transmission. Here in Indiana we see guys replacing transmissions every other year because they ran 4-hi all season. Running the truck in 4-low takes some of the load off the transmission, gives you more low end power, and allows it to run through the gears like it should to prevent overheating and premature failure.
I think the best part about this video is the guy talking to us is wearing his hat backwards!
Nice going teacher! Andy looks like he getting the hang of it.
i used a truck like that but with fisher v plow, befor that a half ton 88 gmc, befor that a late 80s f250 stick shift with the straight six, hardly any oil pressure but that one moved some snow.
I've also heard if you spray a little vegetable oil on your blades it keeps the snow from sticking
I use to teach guys to drop the plow just after they start to back away from the pile to get the extra weight of snow off the front of the truck.
Just got my first plow.. Snowdogg EX. Never used one before, but it seems pretty easy. Thanks for the video !
Awesome , thanks for watching!
Good video. I plow with my ATV, but the same principles apply just in a down sized way. I enjoyed this.
ford guy. however in buffalo ny, my chevy2011 2500 gas. plowed the November storm a few years back beat up hauls a 18ft enclosed trailer with mowers in summer day in and day out absolutely no problems ... 160k on the truck and had to replace nothing but normal wear and tear ....
I'd call the leftovers holidays, but pretty much the same strategy but don't have the 4 way blade. If we get a heavy snowfall, I'll make a couple runs, straight push slow to wad up as much as possible and not worry about the holidays, that'll get half the snow down and then do it again to get the other half, because at some points, the windrow gets too big to really get any bite at all.
Great video. Also I now now how to properly wear one of those hats the flap on the front never made sense until I seen you wear it backwards thank you lol
Good video. I'd like you to demonstrate the best way to plow a lot with many islands and cars in your way. Thanks!
Hey Stanley . Could I add a couple of my observations and I know that this a training video ....but . Where is the strobe light , backup alarm , why does the windshield have snow on it and why is the noob looking out the back window while backing up , this causes blind spots from the direction he is looking out the back window all the way down the other side of the truck . Learning to use the truck mirrors will save a lot of insurance claims . But the rest was spot on that's things I teach new employees also . I always make sure that all accounts are plowed the same way every time keeping the employee in my system and not letting them become a gun slinger . Great video for those that are learning and that's how we get better ....!
the Nice think im my company is is that I Drive the Sander truck where we go to the lots to sand after we plow with the Loader, only 2 lots do we need to toss the Snow back on to the Parking spots for the sidewalk clearing, and those guys tell me when they are done on those 2 lots so that way i can just go sand those lots when they are done, and plow the piles they left.
I'm 50% Polish, guess that's why I don't wear my fir hat backwards like you do . Put a ball cap on to sweat into , do up the snaps on the front flap . Now put the fir hat on the other way around . The ball cap will keep the fir hat from sliding down over your eyes . Now you know the stylin Canadian way . Happy plowing !
Good video highlighting the mistake helped a lot to no sarcasm at all
Stanley i remember doing very sloped driveways where you would just slide sideways into the street. Just no other way due to all that had to be considered.
i was shown to do all the contours at first after the main are open after the storm , really its all depends on the storm , every storm is a different to plow and all the lots i used to do had a specific snow dump spot that the customer wanted , that was shown to me before snow hit the ground by my boss , i mostly ran case backhoes with in bucket snow pushers!
Nice video! I've never used a truck to plow and if I did I would probably have 4975733 mistakes but thanks for these tips! Minnesota for life
Thanks for the video. I live in Michigan and wanna start plowing next season, I found this extremely helpful!
This video is gold!
When it comes to training I feel your pain man. I keep telling my guys "slow & steady wins the race" both in repairs & fuel. I have found the best teacher to be having them fix their own mistakes when it's -40 & blowing snow. You know, broken pins, hydraulic lines, got stuck etc. then they tend to operate at slower speeds. The young fella plowing for you the first time did an alright job, it takes a while to get personalized with the limits of your rigging whatever that may entail & to know where the edge of that blade is. My recommendation to all operators is LEAVE the tunes OFF & pay attention to your truck.
I'd add to this "Crank the heat and roll the window down so you can HEAR what's going on" as well! :)
Wolfsden EnterprisesLLC
And turn down the radio
Used car dealer here. I've blown a few hydraulic lines. Fun stuff
I've watched others training drivers but yours is the most informative for the beginner Keep em coming
Four wheeler crews work great for curb pans at large places and the sidewalks.
Got a new job last year plowing before the snowmagedon in April. Had to plow 10 lots I had never seen before in my life with 14 inches and no markers left for curbs and islands. My truck took a beating....
That's too bad! Hope things go better for you this year!
The only time we run low range transfer case is on cottage lanes, we have about 30 miles in total with hills it saves transmission from over heating.A good straight blade operator can plow a lot just as fast as a v blade once you get into back side plowing windrows and the straight plow is cheaper to buy and cheaper to run less moving parts
Yes!