# Disappointing



## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

Been working to get in with a local property manager with several properties in our wheelhouse here for 4-5 years now, finally this year she gave me some properties to bid on. HOURLY. 

I'm used to per push, or per season. Where we capitalize on efficiency, that's how I obtain new work. They want hourly with our worst guy behind the wheel? or with me behind the wheel? I hate the hourly game.

Going to submit, but also submit per push and per season along with it I guess.


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## born2farm (Dec 24, 2007)

I feel your pain. We had a big account that wanted to go T&M this year. Like you we try and be efficient as possible which means making more money. However on an account like this, we would normally place a loader on site. Why would I want to do that when I can send two trucks over and pad the clock all day?

I do like having a variation in our portfolio though. At least with hourly, no matter the snow fall your going to get paid for the time spent there.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Make the hourly bid equal to a per push. Say minimum to two hours or something.


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## Wayne Volz (Mar 1, 2002)

We ran into the same issue when we switched to per push pricing several years ago.

Sounds like that would make sense Grandview but when we tried making our hourly rate equal to our per push price most people thought we were out of our mind at that hourly rate. Example: People didn't have a problem paying $200 per push for plowing a lot that took an hour but when you told them you wanted two hundred an hour they thought we were crazy. 

Just saying.


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## GSS LLC (Jul 7, 2012)

well, the way i see it is, every lot has a price. if it costs 200 to do the lot, then you charge 200 per push, or if you charge 80/hr it should take you 2.5 hours to do. If you can do it in 1 hour, then you are technically overcharging them. because you are charging 200 an hour. Now, take it for what its worth, your mileage may vary. 

not saying the 200 a push is a bad thing, its a great thing business wise for you, but they realize what you are making an hour, you need to make them happy.

and remember a wet 2 inch snow takes a lot longer than a dry 4 inch snow. explain that to them.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

GSS LLC;1646437 said:


> well, the way i see it is, every lot has a price. if it costs 200 to do the lot, then you charge 200 per push, or if you charge 80/hr it should take you 2.5 hours to do. If you can do it in 1 hour, then you are technically overcharging them. because you are charging 200 an hour. Now, take it for what its worth, your mileage may vary.
> 
> not saying the 200 a push is a bad thing, its a great thing business wise for you, but they realize what you are making an hour, you need to make them happy.
> 
> and remember a wet 2 inch snow takes a lot longer than a dry 4 inch snow. explain that to them.


And this is why I push seasonal only. It snows I plow.Thumbs Up


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

I ended up putting a trip charge on everything with lower than the standard hourly rates I use when figuring per push or seasonal. When I figured it out based on how long the lots should take to do we should be where we need to be.


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

GSS LLC;1646437 said:


> ...charging $200 an hour. .


That's what I base my rate at, so I don't understand why that seems high to some of us in the industry.

Why not $200 per hour ? you have a truck, fuel, repairs, insurance, advertising, state fees, coffee refill fees and no doze fees. I really don't understand how anyone can make any money unless their making that much money per hour, doing what we do.... or at least close to it.

A long time ago I learned from a mentor I had that in order for one to do work for anyone, the "Risk must = Reward". There is a lot of inherent risk in snow plowing with today's litigious society, and as far as I'm concerned, if I cannot make $200 per hour, truck and man hour included, I don't want to do this anymore.. or I'll just do it for fun for my friends, self, and neighbors.

Maybe I'm just paying way too much for insurance, living here in the overpriced / overtaxed / over tanning boothed state that I live in


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Dogplow Dodge;1646466 said:


> That's what I base my rate at, so I don't understand why that seems high to some of us in the industry.
> 
> Why not $200 per hour ? you have a truck, fuel, repairs, insurance, advertising, state fees, coffee refill fees and no doze fees. I really don't understand how anyone can make any money unless their making that much money per hour, doing what we do.... or at least close to it.
> 
> ...


And no snow.


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

grandview;1646467 said:


> And no snow.


Amen, Brother !


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## born2farm (Dec 24, 2007)

You are getting $200 an hour for a pickup? What do loaders go for in your market? I can't even get $200 an hour out of a loader and 16ft pusher. On the jobs that are bid hourly here, you might as well not even bid if you are over $80 an hour in a truck.

Sounds like I need to move!


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## leigh (Jan 2, 2009)

born2farm;1646495 said:


> You are getting $200 an hour for a pickup? What do loaders go for in your market? I can't even get $200 an hour out of a loader and 16ft pusher. On the jobs that are bid hourly here, you might as well not even bid if you are over $80 an hour in a truck.
> 
> Sounds like I need to move!


Stay where you are! Checked the cost of living where you are compared to here in Ct. Maybe I'll move your way. I also base my plowing on 200$ min for plowing and you may be keeping more than me at your 80$ an hour


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

leigh;1646520 said:


> Stay where you are! Checked the cost of living where you are compared to here in Ct. Maybe I'll move your way. I also base my plowing on 200$ min for plowing and you may be keeping more than me at your 80$ an hour


Yup..... that's right...


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## born2farm (Dec 24, 2007)

leigh;1646520 said:


> Stay where you are! Checked the cost of living where you are compared to here in Ct. Maybe I'll move your way. I also base my plowing on 200$ min for plowing and you may be keeping more than me at your 80$ an hour


True, forgot to figure that in. You can move on over....just have to sign a non compete:waving:


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## leigh (Jan 2, 2009)

born2farm;1646530 said:


> True, forgot to figure that in. You can move on over....just have to sign a non compete:waving:


Checked out your town on google earth and it looks like a beautiful area! And a population of about 3000. Green acres here I come!


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## born2farm (Dec 24, 2007)

leigh;1646573 said:


> Checked out your town on google earth and it looks like a beautiful area! And a population of about 3000. Green acres here I come!


Yes it is a nice little farming community. We gotta go 15 miles in either direction though before we start getting into our plow routes though.


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