Win Bids By Upgrading Your Fleet

Tips for securing contracts and staying profitable, Plus, best snow removal software for quick storm operations.

Snow Removal Fleet
SnowEx POWER PLOW™ Adjustable-Wing Snow Plow (Photo: Douglas Dynamics)
By Seth Bergerud
From the December 2024 Issue

When the general public starts talking about snow and ice control, their focus is usually on the first big snowstorm of the season. But for contractors in the industry, the real action starts way earlier—back in spring and summer, wrapping up last season’s contracts and bidding on new ones.


Bidding for winter services is important for several reasons. Sure, you need to bid competitively so you win new clients, but you also need to make sure the properties you win will be profitable for your business.

That’s why it’s important to understand each property and its challenges. By doing so, you can allocate the right amount of labor and equipment needed to provide the level of service promised in the contract. After all, in this business, your reputation matters. Let’s cover a few tips you can use to bid wisely, manage your resources effectively, and most of all, keep your promises to your clients.

snow and ice control
SnowEx POWER PUSHER™ PRO Pusher Plow (Photo: Douglas Dynamics)

New Properties, New Snow And Ice Control Challenges

By better understanding the properties you’d like to service, you’ll know what each job requires, and you can bid competitively. This will help in determining which vehicles and associated snow and ice control equipment are best suited to each property, making your bids more precise.

The types of properties you service will also drive your future equipment and snow and ice attachment purchases. As the properties you maintain become more varied and diverse, you can increase your efficiency by investing in larger or more versatile equipment that can handle more snow and ice control material.

Here are some examples of how acquiring new properties might influence your future purchases:

  • Residential properties like planned subdivisions and condominium/ apartment complexes have a lot of sidewalks and driveways that require plows and spreaders for UTVs and sidewalk equipment.
  • Large commercial sites like mass retail and distribution centers require much larger equipment to get the job done. These properties allow wheel loaders and pushers to work in tandem with skid steers or work trucks with V-plows or winged plows.

By bidding correctly and matching your equipment to the unique challenges of the sites, you can be more competitive in your bids. This will earn you not only more work, but more profits.

Equipment Suggestions for Various Property Types

For snow and ice contractors, the key to successful bidding and efficient operations lies in assessing the unique attributes and challenges of each property type. This comparison chart serves as a guide, presenting various property characteristics, common issues, and recommended equipment to aid in smart planning and decision-making in the months ahead.

Snow Removal Fleet
SnowEx RENEGADE™ Poly Hopper Spreader (Photo: Douglas Dynamics)

Tips For Successful Bidding

The best way to bid competitively and profitably is by reflecting on past seasons—what worked and what didn’t. In the end, profitability comes down to evaluating your contracts and putting together bids that make sense for your business. Here are a few additional points of advice to consider before heading into the bidding process next season:

  • Plan Before You Bid: Know your limits—be realistic, especially with your available labor and equipment. Make sure you either have what you need or can quickly get it if you win the bid before the season starts.
  • Lean on Partner Relationships: There may be instances where you need additional support in bidding custom solutions. Bringing another person from your team or potentially a dealer or manufacturing partner to help explain or brainstorm ways to efficiently service a property can be a great way to win the bid.
  • Understand New Technology and Market Trends: Participate in peer groups or trade associations like SIMA and ASCA to stay on top of trends. This will help you decide where you should invest in your business when you have the capital available to become more efficient and profitable.
  • Use Your Data: Look at your historical job numbers and know what the average operator in your business can do with his/her equipment. You may be able to increase efficiency by upgrading equipment and still maintaining the same number of employees.
  • Listen to the Experts: Equipment manufacturers offer various tools to help you choose the right equipment for your vehicles, making sure you get it right the first time.
snow and ice control
SnowEx HDV™ Heavy-Duty V-Plow (Photo: Douglas Dynamics)

Additional Snow And Ice Control Resources

As you gear up for the upcoming snow and ice control season, planning a smart business strategy is key. Remember to take the time to understand each of your client’s needs and seek to diversify your fleet to handle each property type. By adapting your equipment and services to meet these contract specifics, you’ll set yourself up to bid more effectively and grow your business from season to season. If you have any questions, or would like more helpful tips, check out resource articles on snowexproducts.com.

Seth Bergerud, Product Manager, Parts and Accessories, Douglas Dynamics

Seth Bergerud is the Product Manager, Parts and Accessories, for Douglas Dynamics. A Certified Snow Professional (CSP), Seth is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of new product initiatives and enhancement projects across the WESTERN, FISHER, and SnowEx brands.

Do you have a comment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, or send an e-mail to the Editor at jessica@groupc.com.

Best Snow Removal Software for Quick Storm Operations

By Alyssa Sanders

Finding the best all-in-one snow removal management software has the power to not only streamline your office operations and save you several hours a week by automating daily tasks… but the right software can also generate massive profits for your business!

Here’s what you should look for with the right snow removal software:

  • Pre-Built Master Routes: Having pre-built master routes allows for quicker response times during pending storms.
  • Flexible Billing System: A wide variety of flexible billing options such as flat rate, per push, per event, per inch, hourly, etc. will help you tailor your billing to your business needs.
  • Job Management from Anywhere: Look for a mobile app solution that allows your techs in the field the ability to submit before and after photos for every visit, add/cancel jobs during a snow event, and show timestamps of return visits.
  • Client Account History: Your software should work like a CRM and allow you to access client account history from anywhere — jobs, quotes, invoices, to do’s, and important notes.
  • Professional Estimates with Automatic Follow-Up: The ability to generate estimates in less than 5 minutes by automatically pricing jobs based on your best numbers will save you massive amounts of time. But if you want to win more jobs, look for a platform that will follow up on your estimates for you through automated workflows.
  • Same-Day Automated Payments: Having a credit card payment solution that grants you same-day, automated payments will ensure you get paid on time, every time.
  • Two-Way QuickBooks Sync: A full two-way sync integration with your QuickBooks account is ideal. It will eliminate double-data entries and minimize clerical errors.

Plus, the best snow removal software can also simultaneously tackle your other services—including lawn care and landscaping. When selecting the right snow and lawn care software for your dual-service business, look for features such as:

  • Asset Tracking: Track and manage assets to stay on top of maintenance issues.
  • Chemical Tracking: Track chemicals and manage your inventory so that you know when (and how much) to order new products.
  • Employee Tracking: Track crew locations and time-clocking to get an accurate view of real-time job progress.
  • Prospect and Lead Tracking: Track leads and prospects to increase conversions. Easily tag leads and prospects to segment them into the right email campaign funnel and convert them into a client in no time!
  • Automations Workflows: Follow up on estimates, send past due reminders, get more 5-star reviews, and even upsell your services to current customers with automated email marketing and two-way texting capabilities. Your platform should have robust automations pre-built and available to you, cutting down on your set up time.
  • Do your due diligence. Be sure to evaluate several software platforms before making your final decision. Many companies such as Service Autopilot, Yeti, Jobber, Arborgold, and Nektyd offer free demos of their software that allow you to ask questions of their product representatives while on a live call.

And remember… once you’re live in the software, take advantage of the software training options for you and your team!

Snow And Ice Control, Alyssa Sanders, Xplor Field Services

Alyssa Sanders Alyssa Sanders is the Team Lead of Creative Marketing at Xplor Field Services, the home of Service Autopilot software. Alyssa is an expert in Snow Removal and Green Industry trends, roadblocks, and solutions. When she’s not writing or creating engaging content, you can find her watching a new sci-fi series or shoving her nose into a good book.

Read more about snow and ice management on Turf.

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