well i am going to be able to jump out of my lease early for a very little roll over. i am dead set on buying a truck. ( i plan to be a independent contractor for direct tv) well i also figure why not buy a truck with a plow. does anyone know whats involved with starting a plow company i know you need licenses in different towns but would i need a buisness license also. i know very little about this but i have driven a plow truck at my dads old hotel
[quote=“nitroinsane”"]
well i am going to be able to jump out of my lease early for a very little roll over. i am dead set on buying a truck. ( i plan to be a independent contractor for direct tv) well i also figure why not buy a truck with a plow. does anyone know whats involved with starting a plow company i know you need licenses in different towns but would i need a buisness license also. i know very little about this but i have driven a plow truck at my dads old hotel
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if you are going to plow…get a diesel. you will save yourself the price difference in maybe a year with better mpg.
also… your first year… don’t bother with insurance or liscense…start off small by doing neighbors driveways and relatives/friends… and do a little advertising. Word of mouth if you do a good job people will call you nonstop.
Don’t tell your insurance that you are plowing because they will jack up your rates like crazy. just have your clients sign something saying that you are not liable for people falling on ice in their driveways.
Sure, it’s not the most legal way and people on here will flame me but take it from someone who knows a lot of guys who plow in the winter.
Diesel’s are not an economic advantage unless you drive lots of miles.
$2.90 per gallon gas / 10 mpg = $.29 per mile for fuel
$3.20 per gallon diesel / 15 mpg = $.213 per mile for fuel
difference being $.077 lower operating cost per mile to run the diesel. Thus when you add the $7000 (plus 8% tax) for the diesel engine you will find that it takes 98,000 miles for the diesel to pay for itself. Actually a little longer when you include higher maintenance costs as well as buying power service in the winter. Emissions equip has killed the economic advantage of the diesel.
It’s VERY difficult to make money plowing snow. IMO its not worth it to do a driveway for $300 a season. Many [smart] people will not hire you to plow without proof of liability insurance.
Plus people are just a pain about driveways - Don’t come after 8 pm the kids are asleep, get here before 6 am because thats when my husband walks to the mailbox for the newspaper, you scraped my driveway sealer, the flashing light makes my dog bark, BLAH BLAH BLAH. Residential customers are a pain. Commercial work is where the money is at. It’s not easy though. When the snow is coming down you never sleep.
If you can justify the plow for your own use and want to do some neighbors drives for $20 each and shit like that go for. Just don’t go into plowing expecting to make your fortune.
That name again is Mr Plow!
don’t listen to the other guy…
PLOWING…a gas truck gets about 5mpg… where as the diesel gets upwards of 10.
I didn’t think he was buying a brand new truck…if he is…well the diesel is a bit more…
BUT:
at 150K miles…no one is going to want a gas truck… a diesel on the other hand can still pull top dollar. so your resale value is much better.
and the diesel has much better lowend trq making it much easier to plow.
My old roomate was a landscaper/snow plower. Get used to your phone ringing OFF THE HOOK when it snows. People will bitch at you all day and night, asking when their driveway is going to be cleared. The only way you’ll make money is if something of yours/theirs doesn’t break, AND YOU GET LUCKY with the snowfall. If something happens to your truck, and there’s a good chance it may, you’ll be at Casullos for 5 hours straight getting it fixed. Figure on taking out customers mailboxes, digging up their lawn, hitting their fences, etc…, all shit you’ll have to fix in the spring. .ALso, plan on staying up about 40 hours straight a few times a year. Have fun listening to the stupid Don Paul recording every 15 minutes to get the latest update. Just wait til some of your plow buddies find out you have a plow truck, you’ll end up plowing their customers stuff when their truck breaks, it’s like a brotherhood.
the only way to plow:
but you have to be gentle on the hitch receiver.
also… if you get contracts and we have a shitty winter… you make bank!
and if your client doesnt want you there at 3am. to fucking bad.
they don’t control when the snow comes… most people don’t care if you have insurance…they just want the job done.
my buddy profited 23K last year plowing… that paid for his truck. it’s not hard work…if you enjoy driving and don’t mind being out late and don’t go on vaca during the winter than you should be able to do it
Joe, I’ll ask my parents some questions, just pm me what you need to have answered. My parents business does plowing in the winter so I’m sure they can answer anything.
I do know they are required to carry some hefty insurance because they don’t just do driveways but also parking lots like Wal-Mart, Wegmans, and a few other large lots that are occupied by big business’.
[quote=“sedlmeier101,post:8,topic:37100"”]
also… if you get contracts and we have a shitty winter… you make bank!
and if your client doesnt want you there at 3am. to fucking bad.
they don’t control when the snow comes… most people don’t care if you have insurance…they just want the job done.
my buddy profited 23K last year plowing… that paid for his truck. it’s not hard work…if you enjoy driving and don’t mind being out late and don’t go on vaca during the winter than you should be able to do it
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Contracts go both ways.
All depends on stipulations, all of ours were always along the lines of, fresh salt at 3am before business opened, and then check again at 530am, plow anything 1/2 inch or more, etc.
It is good if you have a very mild winter like we do back home, but if you get shitty weather… good luck you often get a few hours of sleep and can pull a few 24 hour days depending on weather and contract deals.
You’re going to spend more in gas and repairs than you will make trying to do any private plowing.
[quote=“ryanmcell,post:10,topic:37100"”]
plow anything 1/2 inch or more, etc.
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a 1/2’’ shit thats steep. Most guys have to plow anything over 2’'. You can charge hourly, by the trip, or an agreed amount for the season. If you work for a business that does snow plowing in the winter you can work under them and be covered under insurance otherwise i think its about a grand to insure yourself. Better act fast tho the bidding has already started.
Yeah the 1/2" jobs were at places like the nys building back home, the police station, and a few other priority places that needed special care, not all of them are 1/2" otherwise thatd be redic haha.
I plowed a few years back and made a killing. Over the two winters I made about 9k, and it was easy money. I had 2 commercial customers and a dozen residential customers. The key is to make sure you know the properties before you plow. Also, make sure you get a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck. The transmission will thank you.
Also I currently have a 95 F350 powerstroke and get between 15 and 19 mpg no matter what I’m doing. A coworker has the 460 -2wd version of the same truck and gets 4-6.
ugh, i love plowing
i just could not see you plowing peoples driveways. i think you would do more damage to peoples properties 
[quote=“Zong,post:15,topic:37100"”]
ugh, i love plowing
[/quote]
We know already. :gay:
[quote=“sedlmeier101,post:5,topic:37100"”]
don’t listen to the other guy…
PLOWING…a gas truck gets about 5mpg… where as the diesel gets upwards of 10.
I didn’t think he was buying a brand new truck…if he is…well the diesel is a bit more…
BUT:
at 150K miles…no one is going to want a gas truck… a diesel on the other hand can still pull top dollar. so your resale value is much better.
and the diesel has much better lowend trq making it much easier to plow.
[/quote]
At 150k the 2nd trans is about done if they plowed with it. If it’s an 07 the DPF should be done by then too. That emissions shit is going to kill the newer diesel’s resale.
I like diesels as much as the next guy, but they aren’t the answer so much anymore. Many people are going to gas power and trading in two years. Now as for my 12V, I’m buying one of them one of these days.
If, like most plowers, you are getting an auto I’d recommend a GM with an Allison. Older trucks with 3 speeds TH400 or C6 hold up pretty well. Stay away from Dodge’s especially with the Cummins those trans don’t live very well without upgrades. Ford Torqshifts are troublesome when plowing. Stay away from them unless they have the upgraded snap ring. Otherwise the snap ring that retains the 1-R planetary comes out of the groove allowing the planetary to walk eventually grenading and breaking the case. Very common problem when plowing with those. The six speed Aisin in 07+ Dodges is pretty strong and should hold up well to plowing but time will tell.
[quote=“nappy1380,post:17,topic:37100"”]
We know already. :gay:
http://www.nyspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38598
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[quote=“sedlmeier101,post:5,topic:37100"”]
don’t listen to the other guy…
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Yeah, what ever you do don’t listen to Brockway, a guy who I’m pretty sure design’s truck transmissions for a living and lives and breathes full sized trucks.
He and I might not agree on much, but when he speaks trucks I listen.