Constant challenges

Snow and ice management is all about the unexpected. But there are several challenges companies are facing this year that can make things even more difficult.

Jonah Daigle, president and CEO of Outside Unlimited, says one of the biggest hurdles right now is supply chain shortages and price increases.

“There’s always supply chain issues,” Daigle says. “The same equipment that were purchased one year ago, the price is up 15% minimum.”

And not only are the increases an issue, but Daigle adds parts availability has been top of mind lately.

With trucks running constantly during a snow event, Daigle says he worries about breakdowns or major mechanical problems.

“God forbid you have a breakdown in a truck — if a motor or transmission goes out, there’s no telling how long it’s going to take to fix,” he says. “You could be down a vehicle for two to four months depending on parts availability.”

Beyond the supply chain shortages, Daigle says the lackluster labor market also makes things difficult this time of year.

“Obviously you always have the workforce challenge and not being able to fill all of the open positions,” he says.

To combat this, Daigle says Outside Unlimited is making the most of machines to curb the amount of crews needed.

“We’ve heavily invested in sidewalk machines…because just one of those units eliminates three to four shovelers,” he says. “I’d rather hire the shovelers, but they just don’t exist anymore. We’re being forced to go in other directions with specialized field equipment.”

The other challenge of snow season, that Daigle says most don’t consider, is customers’ expectations.

“Snow plowing in a lot of ways is a very thankless job,” he says. “People outside of our industry don’t understand what it takes to have a safe parking lot…a lot of what we do happens overnight when the people aren’t watching.”

Despite most customers not knowing just how much work it takes to respond to a snow event, Daigle says having a team of professionals helps the company reach those lofty expectations.

“We are industry professionals,” he says. “What separates us from our peers comes down to the team around me — and the team around me is great. They’ve all put in the work. They’ve all drove the plow trucks. They’ve all run the equipment…that’s important when we’re dealing with the customers because we’re giving them, what I call, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Because it’s not just something we’re being told how it’s done — we know how it’s done. Our customers respect our knowledge and the way we prepare for snow events.”