# What's your backup?



## Hubjeep (Jan 9, 2002)

Hey all,
Been a member here for years, plowing friends and neighbors for barter. For the most part I have declined taking on driveways out of my village due to a lack of backup plow vehicle. I would need a couple dozen accounts to justify a second rig. 

A neighbor of mine can cover my few driveways in the even of a breakdown, but I can't expect him to drive far. If something went wrong with the Jeep my customers would be SOL. 

Knock-on-wood, the Jeep has been excellent, but I do get anxious the morning of a snow anyway, even though I maintain the Jeep myself, make all repairs, and can weld, but may not be able to make some right away in emergency. 

What do you do for backup? I see quite a few sigs with one vehicle.

-John


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## SnowFakers (Dec 31, 2012)

Friends with plows that only do their own driveway and many snowblowers and people willing to run them. It's not possible for me to own a second truck at this point, so I have found many people who are ready at a moments notice to let me take their truck out their to go push


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

I sold my back up truck, I now know another contractor that I can hire to cover for me.

I get a good rate as he wants my best account when I retire .

:waving:


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## kimber750 (Sep 19, 2011)

94 F150 with ST7.5 w/ pro wings and 241k miles.  Please don't let my F350 breakdown.


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## maxwellp (Feb 16, 2013)

I keep one complete back up truck with plow. It's not really a backup, but just another plow truck as I use is about 1/2 the time for the bigger snows.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Hoping my Glock will become my backup soon.

The Kimber is getting closer.


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

Some days I can't tell ....


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## kimber750 (Sep 19, 2011)

Mr.Markus;1882713 said:


> Some days I can't tell ....


Now that may be a little over kill. Carrying the back up truck around with you.


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## kimber750 (Sep 19, 2011)

Mark Oomkes;1882698 said:


> Hoping my Glock will become my backup soon.
> 
> The Kimber is getting closer.


 You just keep your distance there Mark. :laughing:


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

God is my back up because before every storm I pray to him no one breaks anything! Next year adding a 3rd truck, either a nice gently used one or new and put one of these into a semi retired state, maybe by then all these dead beat customers and maint. companies will be paid up...yeah right!


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## Mick76 (Aug 2, 2009)

Brian Young;1883029 said:


> maybe by then all these dead beat customers and maint. companies will be paid up...yeah right!


I tried to warn you......


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Mick76;1883116 said:


> I tried to warn you......


LOL I know, I know. I keep getting sucked back into it with all their pleas for help. Lets just say I have a score to settle with certain people around here trying to steal accounts from me. Next year is gonna be fun with no equipment payments,


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## TMLGC (Sep 22, 2013)

My father in law lives in town and has a 2006 chevy 1500 with a 7.5 Fisher. He just uses it for his own driveway and a couple of green houses on his property. He leaves it with the keys in it when it snows. 

Thought I was going to have to use it last night but limped through. 

Good thread Ive always wondered this question as well.


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## JTVLandscaping (Jan 1, 2010)

I always had a guy that would cover for me but he got a "real" job so he can't anymore. Planning on buying a truck soon.


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## Plowtoy (Dec 15, 2001)

I wouldn't send out contracts with out having a "back up" vehicle first...
Currently, my main plow truck is the Tahoe you see in my sig. The Super Duty is a joint venture with my folks. I own half and they own the other half. It stays at their house 100% of the time and if I have a break down, I just go over and grab the Super Duty and use it until I can get the Tahoe back up and running. Primarally, my folks use the Super Duty to pull their 5th wheel in the summer months and Dad just plows his driveway and my sister and brother inlaws driveway come winter time. 
If something were to happen with the two vehicles I have regular access to, I have a couple real good friends who would either take care of my accounts, or let me use thier trucks to finish them.

All that being said, the bigger picture is keeping an emergency fund so when a break down happens, I don't have to wait to get my stuff fixed. 

On average, I use the back up truck for about a week a season. Last season it was because I burned up the brain and control module on my snoway and I didn't have time to get to the dealer (50 miles away) to buy the replacement parts because it kept snowing. All the same, my clients never knew of the break down, because I was prepared...


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## ihscoutlover (Mar 15, 2008)

I am working to set up my 72 3/4 IH pickup as my backup. My main truck will be a 97 K2500 ext LB. Gotta run to my moms cousins to check out some parts he has left over when he used to plow, about 10 years ago.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

ihscoutlover;1884730 said:


> I am working to set up my 72 3/4 IH pickup as my backup. My main truck will be a 97 K2500 ext LB. Gotta run to my moms cousins to check out some parts he has left over when he used to plow, about 10 years ago.


Want to sell the IH?


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## Snow tracker (Jan 31, 2014)

We have a 2015 F450 with a 10 boss DXT and a 2008 F250 with a 9'2" VXT daily driver and most comfy. We also have a 2015 bobcat S650 with a 9' V. If I run all by myself on a full 4 inch snow I would take about 14 hours with commercial, residential and second homes we have up here. By running all three together and having a sidewalk guy it takes about 5.5. So the back up is the route taking longer with a truck down. If both trucks are down I could tow the skid with the e350 van (that would suck, but could be done). And if there all down I go to the ranch and get one of the 75 hp tractors with cab. Road speed is 24 never had to do that yet either. Then there's the broken shovel in the shop it might work???


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

We have one spare truck that's wired for a spreader and has an older backup plow on it, as well as 2 backup drivers. In larger storms that truck goes out and pushes to help keep up, and it's also the backup if any others go down.

There's also the salt skid at the shop if needed. It's got a cab and 2 speed for that exact reason. If one of the loaders went down, we could get by, we've done it for several years without. Take the salt skid and throw the old trusty Protech on it and go like hell.

For the most part, our backup for trucks is their routes are a maximum of 6 hours plow and salt from start to finish. So take one of those 6 hours and put each of them onto another truck's route, and we're good. Next year, hopefully Ebling will knock about 2 hours off that total route time. But then we'll just find more work! It never ends...


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## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

If all 6 or a few rigs goes down I can bring in 3 Ag NH loaders from the farm They get used time to time for loading / pushing piles back


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## BC Handyman (Dec 15, 2010)

kimber750;1882907 said:


> Now that may be a little over kill. Carrying the back up truck around with you.


lol my thoughts too



Brian Young;1883029 said:


> God is my back up because before every storm I pray to him no one breaks anything!!


:laughing: Help me Jebus!(homer simpson quote)


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## ihscoutlover (Mar 15, 2008)

Mark Oomkes;1884740 said:


> Want to sell the IH?


Surprisingly no Mark. That truck I was told I could do whatever I wanted with it. Now the wife says I'm not plowing snow with it....see the way I see it so far, the IH is the only truck that hasn't left me walking. Mighty dependable and in it's day, it's probably more like a 1 ton due to springs and axles. I'm still finishing up it's 4x4 conversion, since IH made the 2x4 and 4x4 frames identical, leaving out the 4x parts where needed. Interesting......


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

ihscoutlover;1884847 said:


> Surprisingly no Mark. That truck I was told I could do whatever I wanted with it. Now the wife says I'm not plowing snow with it....see the way I see it so far, the IH is the only truck that hasn't left me walking. Mighty dependable and in it's day, it's probably more like a 1 ton due to springs and axles. I'm still finishing up it's 4x4 conversion, since IH made the 2x4 and 4x4 frames identical, leaving out the 4x parts where needed. Interesting......


Too bad, my dad bought one around that year, everyone thought he was crazy because jeeps were the only thing being used back then.

I'd love to buy one for him.


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## Flawless440 (Dec 6, 2010)

I thought that was rule 1 in this business??

Always start the business with 2 trucks.... Usually a Ford & a Chevy..One of them have to make it though the storm


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## beanz27 (Dec 22, 2012)

Flawless440;1884940 said:


> I thought that was rule 1 in this business??
> 
> Always start the business with 2 trucks.... Usually a Ford & a Chevy..One of them have to make it though the storm


As long as its not a dodge


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

beanz27;1885361 said:


> As long as its not a dodge


You got it all wrong, if you start with a Dodge, you don't need any backups, cause it's the only brand sure to make it through an entire storm!

Knock on wood, we've never had any issues with the trucks that stopped us in a storm. Yes, transmissions/wheel bearings/transfer cases have gone, but they've never gone in a storm, at least bad enough to shut it down. It's always operator/plow/salt box related issues that keep one out.


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## maxwellp (Feb 16, 2013)

X2 for a Dodge never leaving me stranded.


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## Hubjeep (Jan 9, 2002)

Oh NO!!!!!1 NOT the pickup truck "best brand" arguement!!! They are ALL good. For some reason if you like one pickup, you have to hate all the others, kind of like sports teams.



TMLGC;1883894 said:


> My father in law lives in town and has a 2006 chevy 1500 with a 7.5 Fisher. He just uses it for his own driveway and a couple of green houses on his property. He leaves it with the keys in it when it snows.
> 
> Good thread Ive always wondered this question as well.


That's a great setup!



Flawless440;1884940 said:


> I thought that was rule 1 in this business??
> 
> Always start the business with 2 trucks....


Ideally, yes... but I know a couple people that plow "casually"... they got a plow for their own driveway, and word spread... now they have 15-20 or so accounts, but still one truck.


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## Gman1200hd (Oct 21, 2014)

I team up with a buddy that we each know the others routes plus we always keep at least one backup truck between us.Plus having a heated shop with a hoist ,torch,and welder helps.


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## thesnowman269 (Nov 7, 2009)

Last year I didn't have a back up truck... Just my 94 f350 Idi 5speed.. She went down once for a week and I got lucky as it barley snowed and the snow melted the next day. This year.. i have two back up trucks both 2002 f250s one a cclb (daily driver) and the other an ext cab short bed that is now a flat bed. Plan to have all three working full time next winter and just have the other trucks fill in if one truck goes down.


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## NThill93 (Dec 14, 2013)

Well if my truck goes down ill jump in the GMC same if my dads truck goes down. if they both go down, well tow the skid steer and use the GMC, if everything breaks I'm going to sit home watch hockey and drink


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## lawnboy2121 (Jan 25, 2007)

This is our two backups


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## lawnboy2121 (Jan 25, 2007)

Sorry they r upside down


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## FourDiamond (Nov 23, 2011)

I keep three trucks going on a what is really a two truck route. If something goes really bad, we can pull one a "lot dedicated" truck from one of our larger accounts. I still don't sleep well before a storm, and while plowing I hear every little noise or bump coming from the truck.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Our back up plan is constant maintenance on the trucks and hope nothing goes wrong during a storm, and if a truck broke down one of the others just have to work a little more. But then again the company we sub for will most likely be willing to help if we break down. We do have a spare plow if one were to break down. Lol


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