Snow Hauling

    We have assessed our snow hauling operations over the years and determined that the fairest way to bill is per load, based on the cubic yards each box hauls. We document each load to ensure accuracy and transparency.

    Our fleet consists of a variety of trucks and semi-trucks with large boxes capable of hauling significant amounts of snow in a short period. We also have large loaders appropriately sized for the job, ensuring efficiency. Our bigger loaders can break into hard snowbanks, fill their buckets completely, and load trucks quickly.

    To maintain efficiency, our trucks dump the snow, and if any remains stuck in the box, we have an excavator or loader with a boom on standby to clear it out immediately. This ensures that trucks return empty every time. We utilize our 68,000- or 100,000-pound loader to push snow up quickly and high, eliminating delays in dumping. Billing by the hour would be costly if the right number of trucks is not utilized, leading to either trucks waiting on loaders or vice versa. Additionally, running with partially loaded trucks due to snow sticking inside would be inefficient.

    When hauling snow, our system ensures seamless transitions between jobs. While the last truck is being loaded, other trucks are already heading to the next site or are on location. The loader moves ahead and begins loading the next job while the final truck from the previous job is still dumping. This workflow makes continuous recording difficult, as we are already engaged in the next job before the first one is technically completed. If we were to pause between jobs for billing purposes, it would waste time and increase customer costs due to additional crew hours.

    Charging per load, based on cubic yards hauled, is the fairest method. This system encourages us to be as efficient as possible because inefficiencies would result in our own losses.

    We appreciate that many customers have cameras, allowing them to see each truck being loaded, the number of buckets used per load, and the trucks arriving and leaving their locations. This visual record eliminates timekeeping issues for billing, as our trucks do not start and finish at the same time, making time tracking more complex.

    Other contractors may typically charge by the hour. However, those who take the time to observe our operations will notice key efficiencies in our approach:

• We use large loaders to maximize efficiency when loading snow.
• Our trucks return empty each time, with no residual snow stuck in them.
• Our dump boxes are large, allowing us to haul more snow per trip.
• We utilize older but reliable trucks for snow hauling, as they are more cost-effective to operate. Our newer trucks, which have more electronics, are reserved for summer operations to avoid excessive wear from road salt.
• At our dump site, we have a loader continuously pushing up snow, preventing bottlenecks. If a truck gets stuck, the loader quickly pulls it out.
• We have an excavator or loader with a long boom to clear any snow sticking in the boxes, ensuring our trucks return empty.
• We haul snow to our shop on Easterday Ave, which allows for shorter hauls. This reduces the number of trucks needed to move the same volume of snow in a given period, saving customers money when compared to hourly billing models. For large uptown customers we have our Radar Rd. pit we can use if or when needed.

    Our system is designed to maximize efficiency, reduce costs, and provide fair and transparent pricing for our customers.