October 6, 2023

Snow Removal for Dummies: Ask these Questions!

So, your business needs snow removal. It’s getting cold, and you want to keep your customers, employees, tenants, and/or clients safe during your frigid winters. But you don’t exactly know what to look for. Where you live, there are probably several snow removal companies, but how do you know which ones are actually dependable and will get the job done right? 

A horrible situation would be to buy snow removal, but the trucks never show up. When they do come, you never get good service. And when it comes time to pay for the service, hidden charges seem to pop up. If you are looking for a quick guide in finding a snow removal company, you’ve come to the right place.  

Here are the questions you need answers to before you sign your next snow removal contract:  

1. “What services do you provide?” 

Not all snow removal companies offer the same services. They may be able to do broad projects (like a parking lot or a small road), but they won’t do the harder, more labor-intensive services.  

Most snow removal companies will provide basic snowplow truck services. These are the general truck/plow services that can get major parts of snow off big areas.  

For bigger projects, backhoe/skid steer services may be required. Not all companies are going to offer you these services because they won’t have that equipment available. Be sure you know your needs before you meet with a company to ensure that what you need is covered. This service may be more expensive, but for some big jobs, it may be necessary.  

Check to see if the company uses ATVs to remove snow. ATVs are a very convenient and easy way to remove snow from smaller areas, like sidewalks and other walkways. Since it is easier to use ATVs rather than a shovel, your walkways will be clear much sooner if your snow removal company uses ATVs. 

In some cases, your snow won’t be able to be removed with machinery. In these areas, you’ll need someone to strap on their boots, grab a shovel, and start pushing snow in those hard-to-reach areas. Not all companies will do this. If you want an immaculate property, free of snow, shovel services will be necessary.  

Salt and ice melt are a must. If you don’t want slippery surfaces, you will want to ensure that you get salt and ice melt included with your snow services. The last thing that you will want is to have dangerous surfaces for the visitors to your business.  Be sure that you know what kind of ice melt you need.

Here's a quick guide to the different types of ice melt.

Rubicon has taken great care to provide you with all these services. We’ve taken the time and effort to plan ahead for you. When the snow falls, you’ll know that you are getting all the services you need, when you need it. Find out more about Rubicon snow removal.  

2. “How big is your snow removal truck fleet?” 

Here is a shameless plug: Rubicon snow removal has the biggest fleet of privately owned vehicles in the Western United States. You likely won’t find a company that will have a snow removal fleet as big as ours.

With that said, there is a very important reason you want to know how big the truck fleet is. Put simply: the bigger the fleet, the more capable the company. It’s important to understand why we emphasize more capable and not more efficient.

Just because you have a big fleet, doesn’t mean that you are more efficient. You have greater capabilities to be more efficient. Management of your fleet, scheduling of your fleet, and quality of equipment are also a contributing factor to effectiveness of a fleet.  

As mentioned before, Rubicon snow removal has the biggest fleet of privately owned vehicles in the Western United States. But we also manage our trucks with care, we never overbook our trucks, and we always look to keep our equipment in tip-top shape for the next job. Not only is Rubicon capable, but Rubicon is effective.  

3. “What happens on a snowy morning?” 

After you’ve asked about the services that are offered, and after you’ve discussed the capabilities of their snow removal fleet, it’s now time to understand what happens the morning of a snowstorm.  

Imagine a morning that you show up to your facilities, and your snow isn’t cleared. Where is your snow removal company? You need them now!  

Unfortunately, you call, you text, and you aren’t getting any answers. You don’t know where they are, you don’t know if everything is safe, and you certainly don’t know when your snow is going to be cleared from your property.  

For Rubicon, we know exactly what happens the morning after a snowstorm. Here’s Rubicon’s plan:  

  1. We plan around storms: We keep a close eye on forecasts and plan around storms. We are always tracking winter-related developments. Rubicon's philosophy is to prepare and plan before complications arise.  
  1. Team communication: Now that we’ve planned around the winter conditions, we schedule the team to get out at the right time in the morning. The Rubicon snow warriors are veterans of winters. We know exactly when we need to be there to get your snow cleared before it becomes a problem.  
  1. 24/7 Account managers: With Rubicon, you’ll receive an account manager who will work with you 24/7 if you have any concerns or questions. We are also able to remotely track our trucks without having to call out to our employees. We’ve done our best to have the ability to answer any question that you may need on the morning of a snowstorm. 

We can’t speak to what others are doing with the morning of a snowstorm. But as you can see, Rubicon has thoroughly planned for the morning of snowstorm.  

Conclusion 

Our hope is that you will know exactly what to ask a prospective snow removal company when you sit down with them. Coming out of a meeting with a snow removal company, you should know exactly what services that they are able to provide for you, how big their fleet is (and how capable it is), and you should know exactly how they will handle a morning just after a snowstorm.  

As we’ve shown you, Rubicon is prepared for snow removal this upcoming winter. For this upcoming 2023/2024 snow removal season, keep your property clean and clear of snow with Rubicon.  

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