Winter is n’t only coming– it’s ok.
If you put much stock in the estimates of the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the upcoming year is expected to experience above-normal amounts of rain in most areas across the U. S. Which, of training, you think a proportionate increase in demand for snow-clearing services.
That means that many construction personnel, lawn care companies, and other contractors are focusing on preventing the approaching winter, despite the difficulties of the current marketplace. When deciding which services to prioritize and how to manage them best, using routing technology is crucial. Some components have arrangements that demand various tasks. Some companies may require clearance before a specific date. Towns may have regulations governing the location and method of accumulating winter. Some require more regular maintenance to maintain snow levels, which may involve personnel to return to the same location more frequently. It can be challenging to keep track of these needs based on the various rain levels, but having a routine that is based on routing software that helps promote needs and increase dispatch visibility is necessary. Yet in non-emergent snow removal, routing technology eliminates unnecessary go, reducing expenses like gas usage, excessive mileage on products, maintenance costs, asset allocation and other costs across a company’s bottom line.
Plowing Through the Driver Lack
Over the past few years, almost every industry has experienced problems attracting, hiring and retaining a reliable labor. Snow treatment has a record of employee churn, even though the labor issues directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic may suddenly be under control. Many people are hesitant to pursue or stay in this line of work because of the physical demands of the work combined with continuous exposure to extreme wind conditions.
The evidence is in new monitoring nationwide. The Illinois Department of Transportation, town representatives in Massachusetts, and open runs leadership in New York are all reporting snowplow vehicle shortages heading into this spring.
It’s crucial to implement hiring and retention strategies, but it’s extremely crucial to improve the use of your staff members. Technology, especially technologies that hones in on automating and optimizing existing workflows, may help snow removal crews perform more work, even when operating with fewer employees.
For instance, a software platform’s scheduling features can aid in precise resource and task allocation. It optimizes crew assignments, ensuring that available manpower is used effectively, mitigating the need for excessive staffing.
Here’s a tip. Take some precautions to ensure the success of your business if you’re looking to integrate scheduling software with your operations. Review schedules from previous seasons, particularly those you drafted together with a skeleton crew. Look for patterns in high-demand periods and try to identify roadblocks. Then, add any new customers into the optimization and readjust. With this, you can anticipate making up for workforce gaps by proactively altering schedules, shifting crew members based on performance, creating route plans based on equipment’s starting locations, and figuring out where to tighten schedules.
avoiding rising operating costs
Snow plowing services in the US have higher profit margins than other industries, according to IBISWorld. Still, rising operational costs can cut into profit margins. Although wages account for the most significant expense ( 32.1 % in 2023 ), other costs like materials ( rock salt prices, gas ) and equipment ( purchase, rent and depreciation ) can put margins at risk. In order to improve both labor and operational efficiency, it is crucial to look for both. And, one of the biggest opportunities for high-impact operations is through route optimization.
Drivers who travel from point A to point B are well-versed in using GPS or other navigation software. Beyond simple geographic mapping, route optimization makes a big difference. Instead, it accounts for dynamic factors– things like driver licensing, availability, traffic patterns and more– to craft the most efficient route.
Take a scenario of unexpected, heavy snowfall. In this situation, it’s likely that major commercial parking lots may be prioritized first. A driver’s proficiency can be assessed using dynamic routing technology to ensure that a highly competent driver can operate the larger equipment that is appropriate for large lots or high-traffic residential roads, or even help prevent smaller, tighter roads that are problematic in wet weather. Simultaneously, less experienced drivers and smaller vehicles can be routed to secondary roads, where urgency is slightly lower.
Regions that get regular snowfall may seem straightforward, but it’s still necessary. But consider the impact it might have in regions with sporadic, icy winter weather. Last February, Los Angeles experienced a rare snowfall, while Texas suffered from a damaging ice storm in March. The storms ‘ ripple effects caused paralysis on the main roads, which could be lessened by the advantages of technology-driven responses.
Using Technology to Reduce Risk
Improved routing can improve crew safety, which can improve safety for the entire community. Given that over 1,300 people are killed and over 116, 000 are hurt in car crashes on snowy roads each year, this should be of particular importance for your business. The use of technology allows for accurate route planning, and windshield time is reduced as a result.
Think about how your teams can communicate in both emerging and emerging situations. And, if you’re not sure where to start, here are a few questions to ask yourself.
● Do you have real-time visibility into crew locations, vehicles and drivers?
● Do they have access to communication channels that can answer job-related questions while on the road, launch a quick incident response, or involve first responders if necessary?
● Do you have access to real-time data, and feel confident in making decisions based on the data you’re monitoring?
If the answer is “no,” it’s probably wise to reevaluate the software you’re using to run your business before the winter months get even busier.
Using technology to get ready for what you can control
It’s simpler to say than to prepare for snow removal. Weather is unpredictable, and even with the best forecasting models, predictions are n’t always accurate. Even when the unexpected happens, service is expected as soon as possible. To minimize stress, cost, and risk around things you CAN’T control, technology can be relied on to quickly create reliable routes while organizing other aspects of your business.
By adapting technology to your needs and those of your neighbors, you can improve your business objectives over the coming year while also ensuring that streets are clear and neighborhoods are safe.
