Snow removal can be a lucrative business during the winter months. Many landscaping and construction companies offer snow removal services to keep the cash coming in and employees working during the off-season when construction slowdowns occur. Snow can present hazards that are very different than those encountered on the traditional construction site.

Safety should be a significant concern when you add snow removal to the services offered by your business. Professional snow removal takes much more than just a snow plow. Here are some of the different kinds of heavy equipment used for the snow removal process:

• Heavy-duty snow blades
• Power plows
• Box plows
• Skid steer snow blower
• Oscillating snow push
• Snow plow attachments
• Clamp-on snow blades
• Snowblower attachments
• Graders

Before the snowfall, make sure you have your equipment and trucks ready. You want to make sure your snow plows and trucks are set up for safety. That means you will need to make sure you strobe lights or flashing lights because visibility is lower even in daylight hours when it is snowing. You want to stand out to get noticed when you are driving around in the snow and plowing parking lots.

Make sure all employees have undergone the proper training. Safe drivers are much more likely to take better care of the equipment. You are most likely using the trucks year-round for all kinds of projects, so you don’t want them to be damaged while working in the winter weather and removing snow. Make sure your staff can drive safely in the snow and ice and be sure you put snow tires on your trucks before sending them out.

Remember that even the safest driver can have an accident and there are going to be less-experienced drivers out there in the snow as well. Be sure you have the right insurance coverage for your snow removal operations. Make sure you have bodily injury and property damage liability, collision and comprehensive, uninsured motorists’ bodily injury and property damage, and equipment coverage. Also, check local and state laws regarding operating such a business.

It’s the beginning of the year and heavy equipment jobs are starting to come in. This time of year, many cities and municipalities in the northern part of the United States and Canada, start using heavy equipment operators to push snow around. One of the primary functions of these worker bees is to clear snow off of streets so that automobiles and other mechanical traffic can navigate them. It’s an important job that will keep you employed all winter if you are in the right place.

Still, you’ll need to be trained. Here are some of the most recent heavy equipment jobs we know about:

• MADISON, WI hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers.
• NESHKORO, WI hiring heavy equipment operators with Class-A CDL.
• PORTAGE, WI hiring heavy equipment operators.
• LA CROSSE, WI hiring local Class-A CDL truck drivers.
• LOWELL, AR hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers.
• WANO, WI hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers.
• CEDAR RAPIDS, IA hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers.
• YODER, IN hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers.
• JANESVILLE, WI hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers.
• SUN PRAIRIE, WI hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers.
• MANITOWOC, WI hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers.
• CEDAR RAPIDS, IA hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers.
• HOUSTON, TX hiring mobile crane operators.
• GRANITE FALLS, MN hiring certified riggers.
• WARRENVILLE, IL hiring heavy equipment operators.
• CAMP LEJUNE, NC hiring mobile crane operators.
• MUSCATINE, IA hiring mobile crane operators.
• PLATTEVILLE, WI hiring mobile crane operators.

Whether you live in the North or the South, the ATS job board has the best job listings in heavy equipment. It looks like there is a huge demand for Class-A CDL drivers this week.

Winter is here, and heavy equipment operators all over the country are doing some work on the side plowing snow for local businesses and other facilities. If you’ve been asked to plow the parking lot since you know how to operate heavy equipment, do some homework first so you don’t run into trouble.

When Plowing, Where Does The Snow Go?

Before you even start plowing, make sure you know where all that snow is to be piled. It doesn’t make sense to push it against the building or block handicap parking. Think about future snowfalls, too. You want to make room for additional snow if things get crazy.

Another point to consider is visibility. Piles of snow that seem okay to you because you are high on the plow can block visibility for somebody in a low car trying to get into the street safely.

Think about what will happen when it melts. Drains and catch basins need to stay clear so they can deal with the flooding. This is why the snow against the building is a bad idea; people don’t like water in the basement.

Plan Snow Removal Carefully

It’s a good idea to have a plan when doing snow removal. Sidewalks can get shoveled into the lot, then the plow will take care of the snow piles. If a lot of snow is expected, a steady repeated skimming is a lot better than waiting for it to stop before you start plowing. By that time, people have had to drive in it and things get more tricky.

Be careful plowing next to curbs and beside parked cars. You don’t want to do any damage to property!

Get The Best Heavy Equipment Operator Training

If you have done your training at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School, you’ve been exposed to a lot of different types of equipment. This really helps when the opportunity to make some extra money comes up but you have to use the church’s snow plow/tractor combo to do it. The more experience you have with different kinds of snow plow setups, the easier it is to do a good job as a part-time snow plow operator.

The right techniques with the machine plus the right plan for removing the snow make you a person in demand this winter.