# Top speed for plowing snow



## Big Nate's Plowing (Nov 26, 2000)

Hey guys,

I was wondering how fast you guys go while plowing.
I do the roads for a small trailer park(100 trailers)
and i cruse down them at about 15-20 mph and i was wondering if that was too fast? I have seen people plow axcess roads at 35+ mph , what do you guys feel is a safe speed?


----------



## nsmilligan (Dec 21, 1999)

Here our DOT guys are supposed to plow at 70 Km/hr (42MPH)
on the highways MAX. You really have to judge your speed on private lots, or drives. More important how fast can you back up doing most lots.


----------



## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

We top out around 25 MPH. 25 MPH is our max.

Geoff


----------



## nsmilligan (Dec 21, 1999)

Geoff is that backing up, the new spedo's read in reverse, 
I'm usually around 24 mph on my big lot backing up. Forward around 20.

Bill


----------



## John DiMartino (Jan 22, 2000)

about 15-20 forward 15 revrse-any faster the snow blows all over the windsheild even with the snow foil


----------



## SlimJim Z71 (Nov 8, 2000)

Lots of variables in this one. I personally don't really look at the speedometer while plowing. My eyes are usually a little busy looking for the things I'm about to hit. I think depending on how well you know the pavement, you can plow at pretty much any speed you feel comfortable with. If the pavement is smooth, and you're in the middle of the lot with no curbs, you could move as fast as your equipment allows.

-Tim


----------



## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

We tell my guys never go over 15 in reverse. Two reasons,

1 The trans doesn't like backing up fast.

2. It is a lot easier to go out of controll backing up fast.

Geoff


----------



## thelawnguy (May 20, 2001)

> _Originally posted by plow kid _
> *Hey guys,
> 
> I was wondering how fast you guys go while plowing.
> ...


The lot I do where I can get a good run going, also has a limo service at the complex so I need to watch out for the cars coming and going. Maybe 10mph tops.

Look at it this way; if a dog or kid on a sled gets in the road can you stop going 25 mph?


----------



## Big Nate's Plowing (Nov 26, 2000)

*most likely, i dont have anti-stop brakes*

Hey,

could i stop stop the truck from 15, yea... 
most likely,

but i am thinking about joe-blow in his f-450 going like a bat out of hell like the guys in the dunkin doughnuts commercial thru the trailer park, he got fired.

nobodys *****ed at me yet about my speed but if they did i would slow down


----------



## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

Time of day and surface conditions also play a part in our speed. At night we plow faster, however if surface conditions are ice covered we slow down.

Geoff


----------



## Plowboy (Jan 19, 2001)

I do one industrial wharehouse that I have plowed several times, I know where every thing is at, and once I get snow away from the loading docks it must be pushed to the far side of the lot, 250 ft. If I plow much slower that about 25 mph the snow gets deep really quick because it pushes it off to the side instead of that beautifl 25ft rooster tail. I have seen the far side of thirty in this lot, but no where else would I ever plow this fast. WHen plowing subdivisions, 15-20 absolute max, much slower when plowing next to curbs, or any place I don't know the pavement. all it takes is one little bump a high speed to rack, you, the plow, and the truck. you have to make up a lot of time to make an extra 30k to replace a truck and plow. Slow, and steady will always win this race.


----------



## plowjockey (Dec 3, 2000)

I plow a private plat and anything over 15mph is out there. But then there are those darn speed bumps every couple of hundred feet. Trust me you forget about one of them and it is a REAL eye opener.
Riding with a friend one night in a 1 ton ford dump with 7.5' plow, he was working for the guy that used to do this place...well to make a long story short he remembered one just a tad too late; I hate the feel and tase of a ford dash and windshield.

Bruce
Happy Plowing

[Edited by plowjockey on 02-03-2001 at 11:27 PM]


----------



## MusGuy (Jan 14, 2001)

*I am a bad boy (speed demon)*

When I am using my 5 ton truck with the 12 ft. mod speed blade.... I am usually doing 45-55 MPH in good conditions...I tell my guys, do not get in front of me and let me do the most of it , with them doing clean up... These are Huge Lots though... In my f250 with the 8 footer.... I do no more then 20, I have gotten up to 40 but on a long run and soft snow banks....


----------



## Mike Nelson (May 18, 2001)

Our DOT here in N.Y. are suppose to go 40-45mph,Yeah right,I seen the Thruway guys coming down the interstate at least 60mph or maybe faster.Sparks are just flying off the blades!Cool visual at night
I also agree with the other guys.So many variables,demand different speeds.


----------



## guido (May 13, 2001)

*A plus to plowing airfields!*

I go between 45 and 60 MPH with an oshkosh w/ 16 foot blade. We use rubber blades on the runway so it takes a lot of the bumping and rough ride out of it. The only bad thing is when we're finished with the airfield and start picking up the slack after the street crews, you forget your not on a wide open airfield anymore and forget how fast your going until you hit that first set of train tracks (all over this base) and thats your que to slow down some!


----------



## cat320 (Aug 25, 2000)

It's nice to be able to go fast but remember you never know what will be in the road and if you hit it you will feel it and mayby damage your truck.But i try to stay around 15-20mph tranporting around 40-50mph. You never know what's under the snow unless it's a airport that is maintained very well.


----------



## 2401 (Feb 3, 2001)

*Plowing speeds*

Good information in all the posts - I agree that there are a lot of variables to this question, in my case the few lots I do are small and somewhat cluttered so I never get my speed up too high. A lot depends on how well you know your lot too - even then the snow can conceal surprises! (Yes, I've found a few "surprises"!)


----------



## steveair (Feb 24, 2000)

Hello,

I'm on the same grounds as guido, and say that speeds can go from 30 to 60 on open airfield (can clear the 150ft by 6400ft runway in under 15mins now with 6 trucks) but dam if it isn't hard to adjust from a osh kosh with a 14 ft. to a pickup with a 8 ft and not want to plow a parking lot doing 50.

One concern I have about high speeds is overspray though. Way too many times, when you start hitting that 30 plus range, you can start getting some serious white out conditions on the windshield. I still don't know how some of these DOT guys don't end up off the side of road. It's real common, especially with less experienced drivers, to end up 20 ft of your line when your windshield gets all smeared up from a sudden 'blast' of overspray.

On the same lines, you never know what may be in front of you. Hitting only a 2 ft tall wind row at a taxiway intersection, even in a osh kosh, can send the truck's rear end off into never never land when you start pushing high speeds.

steveair

[Edited by steveair on 02-04-2001 at 05:45 PM]


----------



## 2401 (Feb 3, 2001)

*Plowing speeds*

Steveair: Read your post with interest - with regard to DOT trucks ending up off the side of the road, sometimes that's exactly what happens! I am employed by a welding company and we get lots of work in the winter doing minor running repairs to the highway plows. (They belong to a large construction company, plows and sander bodies go on in the fall and the dump boxes go back on in spring. Any major plow repairs go to their own shop) Last season a couple of us put in some overtime one evening after three of their trucks got tangled up and "bent" a few things! (They needed them back on the road that night)


----------



## UNCLE BOB (Jan 20, 2001)

*Plowing speed*

I went to plow with a friend of a friend's company once doing shopping center lots"Big one's",I got to the site and these guy's were going 45-50mph.Sparks flying off their plows and snow shooting 20ft. off them. I told the "boss",I WAS'NT GOING THAT FAST IN MY TRUCK. He said nice meeting you,so i went home.The next morning my friend told me one of the guys in a big blazer HIT a parking curb. He totaled his truck+plow and went for ambo. ride. Lost all of his teeth leg broke head busted and more very very serious.In hospital for week's. I have 456 gears so i get 20mph max in 2nd gear on private roads only.1st gear on lot's to much backing up to get out of 1st. But thats just me!


----------



## 2401 (Feb 3, 2001)

*Plowing speed too fast!*

Uncle Bob: OUCH! Sounds to me like you made the right decision passing on plowing that fast. I hope the fellow who was injured made a full recovery - I'll keep that story in mind next time I'm tempted to bump the speed up a little.


----------



## UNCLE BOB (Jan 20, 2001)

*Speed limit?*

The problem is,The guy is OK, But he bought a car and wants nothing to do with plowing snow. All because of some a-- whom was more concerened about money than guy's who dont know any better about plowing saftey.


----------



## Dusty (Dec 24, 2000)

I have a 79 Ford F250 V-8 4 speed with a 8.5' Fisher. I try to keep it going at a pace fast enough to move to snow off the blade, but if it gets too much in front of it, it will just stop and the rear goes sideways. It has a dump body on it and I have about an additional 1500 pounds it the rear box. Great truck, but don't expect it to move heavy accumilations without getting a work out. With it, speed is not a factor. The faster you go, the faster you will be off the road. It has been religated to plowing only small private roads now. Someday I am going to buy a real truck & plow!!!


----------

