your winterizing routine!
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,054
Likes: 10
From: Washington
Get on it. You want to do that before it gets any colder. Not just for your truck, but for you putting them in. I did them on one of the last sunny/warm weekends before the cold hit. Glad I did. A lot of tight spaces to get into. Do it now before your hands are cold and slow moving.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 8,005
Likes: 7
From: Ottawa, Ontario
I got a plowing question for you plowers.
What kinda of money is there to be made in that? Just a rounded out number per month/season is fine.
Just to give me an idea. Never had a plow, nor talk to any plowers about it.
What kinda of money is there to be made in that? Just a rounded out number per month/season is fine.
Just to give me an idea. Never had a plow, nor talk to any plowers about it.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 950
Likes: 2
From: West Bend
I don't do it (though sometimes think I should!) I've heard 50 bucks per driveway/plow. So if you have 1 driveway and they plow it 3 times on a big snow, 150.00 I've even been asked if I was for hire to plow during bad snow storms.
I think the issues get to be in liability. What if my plow's shoe digs a rut in the grass next to their driveway, do they expect me to fix it in spring? Not to mention of you hit something buried under the snow.
Here at work one of the guys plowing the lot hit a light pole in the parking lot. "I just tapped it" he said. Well you can see the tire tracks come up over the curb and past the light post. So in his book "just tapping it" is jumping a curb, snapping the 1/2" bolts to knock the pole over and continue back for another foot. And that's the tire tracks so you know the back of his truck was another 3 or 4 feet back!!
I think the issues get to be in liability. What if my plow's shoe digs a rut in the grass next to their driveway, do they expect me to fix it in spring? Not to mention of you hit something buried under the snow.
Here at work one of the guys plowing the lot hit a light pole in the parking lot. "I just tapped it" he said. Well you can see the tire tracks come up over the curb and past the light post. So in his book "just tapping it" is jumping a curb, snapping the 1/2" bolts to knock the pole over and continue back for another foot. And that's the tire tracks so you know the back of his truck was another 3 or 4 feet back!!
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 20,322
Likes: 789
From: Mi'kma'ki
i dunno about the profit part of it all.overhead isn't cheap.lots of repairs and maintenance to pay for,and long hours out at night.
for parking lots,you better get done them residential drives and get back to keeping them lots open at all times,so it seems like a lot of driving around,and lot of fuel to go through.
3+ per gallon adds up quick.
i can see a guy really loosing his shirt thinking 20 bucks here,30 bucks there for them little easy drives,that they think just takes a few minutes.
i bet there's some trial and error figuring it all out at first and some guys throwing in the towel when their front ends are all worn out lol.
it's just no dang fun changing ball joints/u-joints in the freezing cold.that and any plow repairs.
a guy really should have the f350 or f250 w/ D60 front axle conversion and heated garage to really be in business to make good $ at it i would think.but danged if i know lol.
for parking lots,you better get done them residential drives and get back to keeping them lots open at all times,so it seems like a lot of driving around,and lot of fuel to go through.
3+ per gallon adds up quick.
i can see a guy really loosing his shirt thinking 20 bucks here,30 bucks there for them little easy drives,that they think just takes a few minutes.
i bet there's some trial and error figuring it all out at first and some guys throwing in the towel when their front ends are all worn out lol.
it's just no dang fun changing ball joints/u-joints in the freezing cold.that and any plow repairs.
a guy really should have the f350 or f250 w/ D60 front axle conversion and heated garage to really be in business to make good $ at it i would think.but danged if i know lol.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,422
Likes: 5,507
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
the gas trucks use around 2.5 gallons per hour.
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i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,422
Likes: 5,507
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
when i first started, i did driveways and parking lots for the first 2 years, and just about broke even after fuel and repairs. we were only getting $25 per hour back then, but gas and diesel was also under 30 cents a gallon.
since i switched over to roads only, i get 5-6 years out of a set of skids, and 10-12 years out of a cutting edge.
and since there is no rush to get to the next lot or driveway, there is also no rush to get things done, so there is no damage to the plows or trucks unless there is a manhole repair that raises the manhole above road level during the summer.
this is a very rare occurrence here, cause the town plows with us and don't like doing repairs to their trucks either.
plus we keep the same routes year to year unless i decide to switch routes. i had the same 15 miles of road on the other side of town for 26 years before downsizing last year to a 7 mile route within 1 mile from the house
since i switched over to roads only, i get 5-6 years out of a set of skids, and 10-12 years out of a cutting edge.
and since there is no rush to get to the next lot or driveway, there is also no rush to get things done, so there is no damage to the plows or trucks unless there is a manhole repair that raises the manhole above road level during the summer.
this is a very rare occurrence here, cause the town plows with us and don't like doing repairs to their trucks either.
plus we keep the same routes year to year unless i decide to switch routes. i had the same 15 miles of road on the other side of town for 26 years before downsizing last year to a 7 mile route within 1 mile from the house
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 3,330
Likes: 13
From: Eaton, CO
Get on it. You want to do that before it gets any colder. Not just for your truck, but for you putting them in. I did them on one of the last sunny/warm weekends before the cold hit. Glad I did. A lot of tight spaces to get into. Do it now before your hands are cold and slow moving.
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,500
Likes: 2
From: Michigan
Must be talking bout your stroke?
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
Original topic:
Need a new air filter before winter, need to plug in my spare block heater plug to the heater and I am stopping all leaks. (oil fixed this morning, PS got a new (used) box, transmission is on order.)
I also get to do body work during the late fall if its not too cold so I have already impoved the look of my truck quite a bit.
Need a new air filter before winter, need to plug in my spare block heater plug to the heater and I am stopping all leaks. (oil fixed this morning, PS got a new (used) box, transmission is on order.)
I also get to do body work during the late fall if its not too cold so I have already impoved the look of my truck quite a bit.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,054
Likes: 10
From: Washington
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 178
Likes: 0
From: lafayette tn
Ok guys, help me out here! First year with a diesel and I travel the country. When am I gonna have to plug this thing in (30,25,20 and lower)and am I gonna have to carry a couple hundred feet of extention cord to get from the hotel room to the van? Oh, might have to fix the plug too....rat ate through it (just remembered that one). What types of additives do I need to keep from gelling and what not, the blends that are going to be mixed in that tank are gonna be really different. Should I avoid certain areas (big cities, certain states) when I fill up. What needs to be kept in the "stays in van" box in back?
I did just change the coolant, oil, filter, fuel filter, return lines (need to fix the fuel heater o-rings), fresh tires, spare is up on air and good, jumper cables are there, I'll always have the tools, huge plug in light and flash light, blankets, (maybe some sand/kitty litter), tow strap, 12 ga, someone to push if I get stuck somewhere?
First run this month is texas for two weeks, then home for a few days here in tennessee and up to detroit for a week, cleveland mid december and bidding on some jobs in the north east to finish the year.
I did just change the coolant, oil, filter, fuel filter, return lines (need to fix the fuel heater o-rings), fresh tires, spare is up on air and good, jumper cables are there, I'll always have the tools, huge plug in light and flash light, blankets, (maybe some sand/kitty litter), tow strap, 12 ga, someone to push if I get stuck somewhere?
First run this month is texas for two weeks, then home for a few days here in tennessee and up to detroit for a week, cleveland mid december and bidding on some jobs in the north east to finish the year.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 273
Likes: 0
From: in the shadows
I'll have to check how old the batteries really are, and spend my next paycheck on new batteries. The cables do not look promising either, at least the driver-side terminal looks quite bad - think I'll just replace it tomorrow as a temporary measure. Pricing things out from AutoZone it's $100 per battery and $110 for the positive cable 
Anyone think 2/0 will be good enough?
Anyone think 2/0 will be good enough?