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Arctic Army Roll Call : Arctic Family Stories
563 Plays12 days ago
The guys sit down with Lucas, Blake, and Spencer Strait, as well as John "Big Daddy" Starek to hear some stories from the Arctic family over the years.
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:00:07
Big Daddy
Yeah
00:00:12
Big Daddy
give me a
00:00:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Let's go, Snow Jobs Nation. We are off and running with another episode of the Arctic Army Roll Call.
Weather Updates in North Dakota
00:00:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
As always, I'm Steve. You know who's with me.
00:00:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
The James Bond of snow management, Mr. Jeremy Lindstrom, Glacier Snow. What's up, Jay?
00:00:53
RICK JAMES
Hey, Steve, all not a lot. It's a rainy week here the state of North Dakota.
00:00:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it.
00:00:58
RICK JAMES
You know how we love it here.
00:01:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
but Oh, yeah. That's it. That's it. You didn't get any that snow to weather guys are calling for yesterday.
00:01:04
RICK JAMES
No, I saw actually something today that Deadwood some snow or something in South Dakota.
00:01:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
I told you. Yeah, I told you. Yeah, they said Central North Dakota. but
00:01:14
RICK JAMES
Nah, that's South Dakota. Lesser Dakota.
00:01:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Lesser Dakota. Definitely.
00:01:17
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
Holiday-themed Storytelling Begins
00:01:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
So you excited for this?
00:01:20
RICK JAMES
Yeah, definitely. Always Arctic Army.
00:01:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Arctic Army roll call. Very special holiday. Arctic Army roll call for the holiday weekend. We're doing a campfire snow stories. This great.
00:01:29
RICK JAMES
Oh boy.
00:01:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
So with us tonight, guys, we have the brothers three straight.
00:01:30
RICK JAMES
Oh yeah.
00:01:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. We got Blake, Lucas, and Spencer. And as always, we you know we can't do Arctic without Big Daddy. So Big Daddy John Stark is in the house with us, too. What is up, fellas? How are we?
00:01:45
Lucas & Blake Strait
What's going on, boys?
00:01:45
Big Daddy
Hey,
00:01:46
Lucas & Blake Strait
How are you doing?
00:01:46
Spencer Strait
good very Good, good, good, good.
00:01:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
We're pumped for story time.
00:01:51
Spencer Strait
Yeah, I think John's the most pumped.
00:01:52
RICK JAMES
Big Daddy's on.
00:01:53
Spencer Strait
He's got the disco lights on right now.
00:01:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
That is insane, man.
00:01:54
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:01:54
Big Daddy
Hey, I'm ready to go, baby.
00:01:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
That is insane.
00:01:57
RICK JAMES
It's ready.
00:01:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
That looks good.
00:01:58
Big Daddy
I'm ready to go. This is awesome. We get to do this again now, you know, just at the off season here. Keep these keep these snow guys involved and tell them the stories.
00:02:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Always thinking snow, always thinking snow.
00:02:09
RICK JAMES
Always.
00:02:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
So big holiday weekend coming up this weekend, Memorial Day weekend. So it's a good time for sitting around the fire pit and telling stories
John Stark's Memorable Salt Truck Story
00:02:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
with friends and family. So i might as well have something to listen to, right? From the Arctic gang.
00:02:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right.
00:02:21
Big Daddy
There you go.
00:02:21
RICK JAMES
God, yeah.
00:02:22
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank you.
00:02:22
Spencer Strait
set.
00:02:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Who wants to go first?
00:02:25
Big Daddy
Hell, I'll take it first. Why not?
00:02:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, big daddy.
00:02:28
RICK JAMES
Thank you, Johnny.
00:02:29
Big Daddy
All right. This one time in band camp. Oh, no, wait a minute.
00:02:32
Lucas & Blake Strait
thank
00:02:33
Big Daddy
Sorry. Wrong show for that one.
00:02:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Ha ha ha ha
00:02:36
Big Daddy
That was my bad. Now, you know, we we we have the podcast. We go over, we tell stories about different things that happen and all that. But there's always some funny things when you look back on it to see. And the one that really sticks in my head was, God, it had to be close to 20 years ago. um Randy himself came out with us all the time and he would plow as well.
00:02:58
Big Daddy
And was running a salt truck this one night. And I remember he come rolling up into the mall. and was salting around at the mall.
00:03:09
Big Daddy
And all of a sudden, they get a phone call from one of the operators laughing crying and I'm like, what the hell is going on? He couldn't tell me what happened. I thought there was an emergency.
00:03:21
Big Daddy
He was actually laughing so hard. He was crying. Randy had come ripping through the parking lot with the salt truck. And as all these snow guys know, when that salt gets into them rear wheels and that it just creates a lot of havoc.
00:03:37
Big Daddy
As you know, these trucks have semi-metallic brake pads. So when that salt is sitting on the metal in the brake, it makes the brake pads swell, which then grabs a hole of the rotor and holds it as if you had your foot on the brake.
00:03:50
Big Daddy
Randy comes cruising through the parking lot. There are flames whipping off the back wheels of the inside of the truck. The brake pads, it actually caught on fire from the friction because he had so much weight in the truck and the momentum of the truck, it kept him moving.
00:04:07
Big Daddy
The loader operator jumps out of the loader with the fire extinguisher in his hand.
00:04:11
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank you.
00:04:13
Big Daddy
And it's like a movie from an action movie, goes sliding across the parking lot on the side, fire extinguisher angled up. Randy stops the truck. He slides underneath the truck, puts this fire out.
00:04:26
Big Daddy
Randy jumps out of the truck and he's like, What's going on? What's going on? What are you doing? What are you doing? He goes, dude, you're on fire. He goes, get out of there. Get out of there. He goes, no, no, no. I almost got it. He goes, no, get out of there. Let it burn. It's insured for more than what it's worth.
00:04:40
Lucas & Blake Strait
My dad?
00:04:40
Big Daddy
that
00:04:40
Lucas & Blake Strait
No, he would never do that.
00:04:40
Big Daddy
I mean, that's why this guy was laughing so hard.
00:04:41
Lucas & Blake Strait
I know you're talking about...
00:04:44
Big Daddy
And that's a true story. That is the story that sticks in my head with him because he wasn't get out of there for the safety of the guy. he was like, let it burn. It's insured for more than it's worth.
00:04:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
That is a smart businessman.
00:04:56
RICK JAMES
Yes.
00:04:56
Big Daddy
You know, it just...
00:04:57
RICK JAMES
Always let it burn. Always let it burn.
00:04:58
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah my dad no he would never do that
00:05:00
Big Daddy
hilarious.
00:05:02
RICK JAMES
ah
00:05:03
Lucas & Blake Strait
and i not all
00:05:03
Big Daddy
Oh my god.
00:05:03
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:05:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah All angles covered. i love it.
00:05:06
Big Daddy
good times Good times like that. I mean, and and there's multiples of little things like that that happen, but that's the one that really sticks with me.
00:05:09
Lucas & Blake Strait
oh
00:05:13
Big Daddy
And I just, I keep remembering how funny it was because I'm thinking this guy has got a serious emergency because of the way he's yelling in the phone, but he was yelling because he couldn't get himself to stop laughing hard enough to tell me this fricking story.
00:05:28
Big Daddy
And I ended up going to the mall and him and Randy both told me, it was just, oh, it's one that'll stick with me for a while.
00:05:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, that's not something not something you see every day.
00:05:34
Big Daddy
I'll tell you that.
00:05:34
Spencer Strait
This was at the...
00:05:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Salt truck with flame shooting out of it going across the parking lot.
00:05:37
Big Daddy
Actually, I have seen that quite a few times.
00:05:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
but Okay.
00:05:40
Spencer Strait
Was this at the...
00:05:41
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:05:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:05:41
Big Daddy
Oh, yeah. It has happened
Randy's Boat Trip and Insurance Luck
00:05:43
Big Daddy
quite a few times. Hell, there was another time, and it's it's on the same line of this.
00:05:44
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:05:48
Big Daddy
Randy had the ranney had this big sea ray, this 55-foot sea ray down in Fort Lauderdale. And he had a parked at the marina. So whenever we'd go down there, you can go stay on the boat and you know just chill on the boat. It was parked at a hotel.
00:06:03
Big Daddy
backed up right to the Tiki Hut. So you could sit on the back the boat, got your feet kicked up, walk up, get a drink, go back, sit and watch all the people in the pool, watch the people at the bar. And we would go down and do this motorcycle run.
00:06:18
Big Daddy
every year for juvenile diabetes. We'd load up a bunch of motorcycles in a semi or in a trailer, drive them down to Lauderdale. We'd set up camp at that area, unload the truck, all the guys that hop on the bikes and we'd ride down to Key West.
00:06:32
Big Daddy
And then you'd stop at various bars on the way down, pull out playing cards. It's called a poker run. So you pull enough cards for a hand of poker and you see what you got.
00:06:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. yep
00:06:41
Big Daddy
Well, We were down there a couple of days ahead of time and Randy set up Captain Steve to take us out on the boat that day.
00:06:46
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank
00:06:50
Big Daddy
So we got a dozen of us on the boat and we're out tooling around. And he says, you guys want to go out on the big water for a little bit? Maybe jump in, take a swim. but Sure, let's go. headed on out onto the big water.
00:07:03
Big Daddy
We're out there, we stopped probably two, three miles out. And as soon as he stops, he goes, all right, I'm stopping here. We all start jumping off the boat. Water is gorgeous.
00:07:14
Big Daddy
maybe in the water two, three minutes. He goes, all right, come on back in, come on back in. It's like, what, we're done already? So yeah, there's sharks around here. I know there are, but I figured I'd let you guys jump in and get wet. so So we, just yeah, great, isn't it?
00:07:28
Big Daddy
So we jump back in the boat, everybody gets in the boat and he says, hey, he says, before we take off, I want to dump the head because you know you can dump it out when you're out in the ocean like that.
00:07:38
Big Daddy
and Free fish food, before we head back in. Well, he goes down and goes to open the valve and the valve snaps off at the bottom of the boat.
00:07:50
Big Daddy
And there's a fountain coming up in the bottom of the boat.
00:07:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh.
00:07:53
Big Daddy
And he's like, oh man, what are we gonna do? Gets his big cork, tries knocking it in there, didn't work. So what happens? Big Daddy goes down there with a rag, stuffs it in the hole, kneels on top of it,
00:08:07
Big Daddy
puts his hands over his ears because I'm in between two giant Cummins diesel motors and plugs the hole in the cap and turns around, brings the boat back. Same situation. We get all the way back, get the boat docked. I call Randy to tell him what happened.
00:08:22
Big Daddy
What do you think he says? You're an idiot. It was insured for more than what it's worth. Why did you not let it sink?
00:08:27
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:08:28
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:08:29
Big Daddy
I swear as God is my witness.
00:08:30
Lucas & Blake Strait
wow i'm really glad we have a different insurance agent
00:08:32
Big Daddy
I swear to you. ah Yeah, right.
00:08:34
RICK JAMES
ha
00:08:35
Big Daddy
I'm just, you know, it it was Randy's joke in that, you know he was grateful, obviously, that we saved the boat in that, but it just, typical Randy goes right back to that again.
00:08:36
RICK JAMES
but
00:08:41
RICK JAMES
don't
00:08:44
Big Daddy
It was insured for more. What what is it worth?
00:08:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
was a shitty situation.
00:08:46
Big Daddy
Just, the guy's a trip, man.
00:08:47
RICK JAMES
know.
00:08:48
Lucas & Blake Strait
Oh, it's salt water though, right, John?
00:08:51
Big Daddy
Yeah, but also, it was only, it was only ah like two miles deep, and at that point, if it would have sunk, a salvage guy could have come out, recovered the boat, and kept the boat, and Randy would have got nothing.
00:08:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Saltwater.
00:08:59
Spencer Strait
Thank you.
00:09:05
Big Daddy
Because if they're able to recover it, they have the ability to do it for some maritime thing or some shit like that. i don't remember what the hell it was. But it was funny at the time cause he made because he may because he made the joke about it.
00:09:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
called piracy.
00:09:14
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:09:15
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:09:16
Big Daddy
It was funny at the time.
00:09:16
Lucas & Blake Strait
Running too mild.
00:09:17
Big Daddy
and And as soon as he said it, I remembered back to that salt truck story because, like I said, that damn thing is stuck in my head.
00:09:24
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank you.
00:09:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh my gosh.
00:09:25
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:09:26
Big Daddy
You know?
00:09:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:09:27
Big Daddy
So...
00:09:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
who Who's next?
00:09:28
Big Daddy
let me Let me throw this over to somebody else. I got to think of some other stuff. It's just there's so much funny stuff and fun stuff that have happened that have really made this job worth it. And I mean, that's why I got 34 years in at this place, because of the things like this that we do.
00:09:42
Big Daddy
and And it's great to just sit around and be able to talk about this. And, you know, now the boys are heavily involved in the company and they're getting their own stories and they're hearing some of our stories going, yeah, right. You guys are full of shit. that could' have never happened And now they're seeing how it's very possible that that could have
00:10:00
Lucas & Blake Strait
i I think we could just go on talking about stories about my dad.
00:10:00
RICK JAMES
Randy Strait
00:10:04
Lucas & Blake Strait
um i
00:10:05
RICK JAMES
story day.
00:10:07
RICK JAMES
randy straight story
00:10:08
Lucas & Blake Strait
That's what mostly pops in my head is like, what, like 2018, he decided jump in a loader again, John, and was up in Orland Park Place Mall and allegedly took out a light pole backing up because he wasn't paying attention.
00:10:18
Big Daddy
Yep.
00:10:18
Spencer Strait
This has to do with my story.
00:10:24
Lucas & Blake Strait
And then it fell on the cab and the machine. It kept him from getting out of it, so he had to call for help.
00:10:29
Big Daddy
It fell on the side of the machine and wedged between the mirror and the door, and he could not get out the door.
00:10:29
Lucas & Blake Strait
Oh, yeah.
00:10:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Allegedly. but
00:10:34
Lucas & Blake Strait
you yeah pick
00:10:35
Big Daddy
But, Blake, Blake, you've got to finish the story, though.
00:10:35
Spencer Strait
you You know, the best part of it,
00:10:37
Lucas & Blake Strait
um best best part Best part is we took a picture of it, the event, the proof, and we framed it and we put it over.
00:10:38
Big Daddy
That's not the best part of the story.
00:10:43
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah. Yeah. yeah
00:10:48
Big Daddy
Blew it up.
00:10:48
Lucas & Blake Strait
We have all these pictures in the hallway of the office of like the factory when we were first getting it going. And we removed one of them and put up this picture. And we're like, we're going to give it a year. We're going to see like when my dad can notice it.
00:10:59
Lucas & Blake Strait
We're going to take that. And he never noticed it.
00:11:01
Spencer Strait
Because he always looks at these pictures.
00:11:01
Lucas & Blake Strait
more
00:11:02
Big Daddy
It was up a year and a half.
00:11:03
Lucas & Blake Strait
You never noticed it for a year and a half. We had to just break it to him.
00:11:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, it's great.
00:11:08
Big Daddy
and and And Randy's got the bladder the size of a pea, so he'll go to the bathroom 20 times a day up and down that hall, and he never caught it.
00:11:12
Lucas & Blake Strait
Oh, yeah.
00:11:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Never noticed it.
00:11:17
Big Daddy
Oh, God.
00:11:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great.
00:11:18
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, the best part was it was one of our oldest clients.
00:11:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, my God.
00:11:19
RICK JAMES
Bye.
00:11:21
Lucas & Blake Strait
So my dad, while he was waiting for us to come rescue him, he gets on the phone with the guy. He's like, well, i got some good and bad news. Good news is we pretty much got this storm licked. ah The bad news is I found one of your light poles with my wheel loader and I'll get it replaced for you ASAP.
00:11:36
Spencer Strait
Oh, best part too is the best part is he was trying to go out for like a couple of years.
00:11:37
RICK JAMES
but
00:11:40
Spencer Strait
He hasn't gone out. So finally he's like, you know, I'll just hop in a machine and he buys all these loaders at the time. He's probably never been in one for the past two years. And he hops in and within 30 minutes, maybe back into a light pole.
00:11:52
Spencer Strait
And he even recognized that first. I called that week in the Orland disaster because I had some buddies.
00:11:56
Big Daddy
i
00:11:57
Spencer Strait
and i I guess I'll get into a little bit of my story is that was the same weekend. I was at that time. What was that? Like 2017?
00:12:06
Lucas & Blake Strait
No, that would have been but twenty eighteen twenty nineteen time here yeah got i will the I was the full-in back then.
00:12:06
Spencer Strait
2018 probably, right?
00:12:09
Big Daddy
1819, yeah.
00:12:09
Spencer Strait
Yeah, 2018. Yeah. And this was... Yeah, so when I was in high school, I had always had close buddies, and they would come out and follow with us if we needed an extra hand or had a machine that wasn't occupied at the moment. And most
Spencer's Orland Park Mall Mishaps
00:12:25
Spencer Strait
notably, it was usually my friends, Nick and Brandon.
00:12:28
Spencer Strait
ah Nick has been known in my family, yeah not last name, as Kodiak.
00:12:29
Lucas & Blake Strait
No last names?
00:12:33
Spencer Strait
And Nick, he's just a character, and so is Brandon, but we've been friends forever. And I said, hey... We have a couple of machines open tonight. If you guys want to come to Orland, we could plow up the mall. And evidently this was the same week and all that happened.
00:12:46
Spencer Strait
And my friend Nick always wanted to plow in a wheel loader. Brandon didn't plow that much. So finally, Nick got into maybe his Volvo a K621 or whatever it was.
00:12:54
Lucas & Blake Strait
God.
00:12:57
Spencer Strait
And he's ah he's a pretty interesting guy. He does some pretty interesting things. And throughout the night, I'm trying to figure out where all these carts are for the cart trails because we know we noticed they didn't put them back.
00:13:08
Spencer Strait
And I'm like, you know, maybe they just put them back.
00:13:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
No. see
00:13:12
Spencer Strait
Store usually never puts them back. We usually do. So i'm like, oh, it's kind of interesting.
00:13:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
no
00:13:16
Spencer Strait
So I'm going throughout the night and i get a call. The first day it went bad, the Orland disaster is Nick screwed up one of our plows. It wasn't his fault.
00:13:26
Spencer Strait
The poly block just snapped. So he had to replace It was an older plow that we were demoing at the time. And then Brandon
00:13:33
Lucas & Blake Strait
right.
00:13:33
Spencer Strait
gives me a call. and He's like, Hey, you have to come here right now. i just had a light pole. I'm like, what are these kids doing? Like they plowed for us before. oh apparently Brandon was plowing and we stuck him in one of the skid steers and the joystick was jammed and he's yelling, honking his horn in the machine. And Nick's not doing anything. Cause he has like, what the hell is Brandon fucking doing?
00:13:54
Spencer Strait
And he ran it right into the same light pole that the next day my dad took down
00:13:59
Big Daddy
yeah
00:13:59
RICK JAMES
oh
00:14:00
Spencer Strait
Same light pole. It was not his fault.
00:14:01
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:14:02
Spencer Strait
So the morning wraps up that happens with my dad. And then we get to the the snow piles and Lucas calls me and I'm in high school at the time. ah Lucas was the foreman and he sounds pissed.
00:14:14
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank you.
00:14:14
Spencer Strait
He's like, what are your friends doing? I'm like, what do you mean? He's like, you mean to tell me you put all these carts in these snow piles and now you have to go get them all out by hand? I'm like, I did not put any carts in snow piles.
00:14:25
Spencer Strait
I'm like, none of us did. I'm like, this ship shape.
00:14:26
Big Daddy
you
00:14:27
Spencer Strait
Like we run a tight schedule, the tight shift around here. So I called Nick. I'm like, Nick, did you do anything? he's like, no, I didn't do anything wrong. He's like, you talked about Brandon hitting the light bulb. I'm like, no, that's Brandon. I'm like, what?
00:14:41
Spencer Strait
what's going on with all these carts? He's like, well, I had to move them. I'm like, what do you mean you had to move them? He's like, well, I just put them into the piles. I was like, no, dude, you actually have to get out.
00:14:51
Lucas & Blake Strait
you
00:14:52
Spencer Strait
You have to get out.
00:14:52
RICK JAMES
what
00:14:54
Spencer Strait
yeah You have to get out of the machine and move the carts or you go around them.
00:14:55
RICK JAMES
ah
00:14:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:14:58
Spencer Strait
And then if we come out for cleanups, like they'll be gone by then, but you have to do your due diligence and it's tedious. And he's like, so you mean when I'm plowing every time i have to take these carts and put them back in the cart rails?
00:15:10
Spencer Strait
I'm like, Yeah. like, like every time we've been plowing for the past two years, he's like, I never did that. I'm like, so you've just been doing this.
00:15:17
RICK JAMES
What?
00:15:19
Lucas & Blake Strait
pivot
00:15:19
Spencer Strait
He's like, well, there's more, there there was more carts tonight, but yeah, i never really thought anything of them. Like, so you just think at the end of the snow season, all these carts just melt.
00:15:27
RICK JAMES
Just pick all the cards.
00:15:27
Spencer Strait
They'll be fine. And he's like, yeah.
00:15:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:15:29
Big Daddy
They'll melt.
00:15:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sends a message.
00:15:29
Big Daddy
They'll all be stacked up in a line in a pile.
00:15:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
it It sends a message. I like it.
00:15:34
Spencer Strait
Yeah.
00:15:35
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:15:35
Big Daddy
Oh, shit.
00:15:35
Spencer Strait
And then and behold,
00:15:35
Lucas & Blake Strait
some Somehow this is going to fall on my shoulders.
00:15:36
RICK JAMES
That's that meme you see on Facebook.
00:15:39
Spencer Strait
Lo and behold, that morning, my dad hits the light pole. So that whole weekend was just a fiasco. It sounds like we're terrible at snow removal service. We're actually pretty pretty damn good at it. But that weekend, something got the best of us at Orland.
00:15:51
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah. so
00:15:51
Spencer Strait
And we've been flying there for, what, 20-something years?
00:15:54
Spencer Strait
Was that the same property, John, where the where the salt truck was burning down?
00:15:55
Big Daddy
Hell, more than that, 30...
00:15:59
Big Daddy
Yes, same mall. And
Challenges in Snow Removal Work
00:16:01
Big Daddy
that's been 30 plus years we've had that mall.
00:16:01
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:16:01
Spencer Strait
Well, there you go.
00:16:02
Lucas & Blake Strait
I was going to say all my stories are based in the old industry.
00:16:03
Spencer Strait
You do a good enough job that they reset us.
00:16:04
Big Daddy
Same place.
00:16:05
Spencer Strait
Yeah.
00:16:07
Lucas & Blake Strait
Is that the same night?
00:16:07
Big Daddy
Same place.
00:16:08
Lucas & Blake Strait
Spencer, is that the same night that Kodiak hit the giant ball ice with his car?
00:16:13
Spencer Strait
Oh, yeah. Yeah, i won't I won't talk about that.
00:16:17
Lucas & Blake Strait
Oh, I will.
00:16:17
Spencer Strait
God forbid, next year is this.
00:16:17
RICK JAMES
Well, we should talk about it.
00:16:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, I will.
00:16:18
RICK JAMES
I think we should talk about it.
00:16:18
Spencer Strait
yeah
00:16:19
Lucas & Blake Strait
All right.
00:16:19
RICK JAMES
think we should talk about it.
00:16:20
Lucas & Blake Strait
So these are my little high school crew. I just said, once well once the car corral thing happened with all the carts and the snowpiles, I banished them to the corporate buildings across the street.
00:16:23
RICK JAMES
okay
00:16:31
Lucas & Blake Strait
And they would just follow me.
00:16:31
Spencer Strait
What was he driving? A Dodge Avenger?
00:16:33
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, he was driving that his the Dodge Avenger he bought from his sister.
00:16:34
Spencer Strait
Yeah.
00:16:37
Lucas & Blake Strait
So we're coming out for cleanups at 2 in the morning, whatever. and Kodiak's drifting his car down Route 45, and he thinks it's funny, and then there's this big ball of what he thinks is snow in middle of this intersection, so he just he just hits it.
00:16:52
Lucas & Blake Strait
No, it's frozen ice, and it just destroys the front corner of his car, and he shows up at the mall, like, where were you?
00:16:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh
00:16:56
RICK JAMES
Thank you.
00:16:59
Lucas & Blake Strait
You're so late. You were literally driving with us, and he's like, oh, I hit something, and I looked at his car, and I'm sitting in a wheel order, I'm like, oh, my God, what did you do?
00:17:07
Spencer Strait
but Lucas isn't explaining how he saw it too was Nick tried drifting. He didn't try drifting. He lost traction in the Orland parking lot showing up to plow and drove his car into a ditch. So we had to use one of the three 21s to pull it out. And that's when Lucas noticed like, Oh yeah, your bumper screwed. He's like, Oh no, I actually did it by doing this.
00:17:27
Spencer Strait
So I guess that just whole weekend was screwed.
00:17:27
Lucas & Blake Strait
but
00:17:30
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, it really goes to show how hard up we are for operators in the snow removal industry.
00:17:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
that's ah That's all in the same weekend?
00:17:30
RICK JAMES
Is that
00:17:31
Big Daddy
the
00:17:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:17:32
Spencer Strait
Yeah. Yeah.
00:17:34
RICK JAMES
where we were at?
00:17:34
Big Daddy
so
00:17:38
Big Daddy
So who's got a story from another property?
00:17:41
Lucas & Blake Strait
i series is from more than play yeah Well, you know it really goes show how hard up we are for operators in the snow removable industry well i would say that i would say a lot of in that happens in
00:17:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:17:44
Big Daddy
Oh, but's let's get out of there.
00:17:44
RICK JAMES
but that where we ah rock paul
00:17:54
Lucas & Blake Strait
So we spent a lot of time.
00:17:54
Big Daddy
Yeah.
00:17:54
RICK JAMES
we were
00:17:55
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, much. Most of the footage that we have on YouTube is from Orland Mall. Yeah. The curb to curb video that everyone crucified me over, not plowing the snow to the piles.
00:18:05
Lucas & Blake Strait
And I had to explain to people, I'm like, yes, I'm in the compact wheel loader back dragging all the corners out. So the big wheel loader you see on the video can get the snow and then he does it much more efficiently.
00:18:14
RICK JAMES
weird
00:18:17
Spencer Strait
Now, let's be honest, Lucas, you know what you're doing.
00:18:19
Lucas & Blake Strait
Nope, not at all. Nope. Nope. I'm fake it till I make it.
00:18:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:18:24
RICK JAMES
yep
00:18:24
Spencer Strait
Yeah, it is called Weaver.
00:18:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do we have any we have any stories from outside the Orland Mall?
00:18:30
Lucas & Blake Strait
ah John?
00:18:32
Big Daddy
Now that I think about it, since Spencer brought up the cart story, see, you knew you weren't going to get away three minutes with me and that was it. In Bedford Park.
00:18:40
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, we know.
00:18:41
Big Daddy
There you go, in Bedford Park. So we've had a foreman that's been with us a long time. His nickname is One Eye because he literally has one eye. um
00:18:50
Lucas & Blake Strait
That's creative. It's thought
00:18:51
Big Daddy
He had had this old car that had been sitting in the parking lot most of the season.
00:18:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, that's very creative.
00:18:53
RICK JAMES
Wow.
00:18:54
Lucas & Blake Strait
on.
00:18:57
Big Daddy
And he got tired of plowing around it.
00:18:58
Lucas & Blake Strait
What was? No, John, that car was
Jeremy's Snow Pimp Adventures
00:19:00
Lucas & Blake Strait
parked there. That guy dumped that car there for like three years.
00:19:03
Big Daddy
It was there a long time and he just got sick and tired of going around it. So one night the car made its way to the corner of the parking lot and snow got put around it. and lo and behold, it started melting away in the spring and we get a phone call from the guy.
00:19:19
Big Daddy
He wants his astronomical amount of money for this car because it was damaged when we pushed it into a snow pile. And like Lucas said, that thing has been there for years, not moved.
00:19:30
Big Daddy
Now all of a sudden he wants to get all this money for this car. We ended up getting nothing out of it, but it was just that the... Foreman got so frustrated with this thing being like smack dab in the middle of the lot and screwing them up when he's trying to plow this lot that he eventually moved it off the lot, which is something that, you know, we don't do.
00:19:44
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank you.
00:19:48
Big Daddy
We don't do that kind of thing. You know, carts or something or that, but you just don't, you don't move cars.
00:19:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
ye
00:19:53
Big Daddy
And I know a few of these contractors that have actually done that. They've moved cars out of their way. They pushed them across. They've tried to call tow trucks to get them pulled off. And, you know, you just got to go around it. You got to do what you got to do.
00:20:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
What did he say allegedly damaged his car? Was it all the shopping carts in the pile? No.
00:20:11
Big Daddy
Different place, different different property.
00:20:11
RICK JAMES
ah
00:20:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
a Different place.
00:20:13
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, you said you wanted to talk about a different place, Steve.
00:20:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
the Yeah, that's it.
00:20:14
Big Daddy
Yeah.
00:20:15
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it's different.
00:20:15
Big Daddy
Oh, shoot.
00:20:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
You guys need a set.
00:20:17
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:20:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
You ever seen Go Jack's?
00:20:20
Big Daddy
Yeah.
00:20:20
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:20:20
Spencer Strait
No.
00:20:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
You guys need set of those. You can just jack the car up slide it across where you want it.
00:20:22
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:20:23
Big Daddy
Yeah. Oh man.
00:20:25
Lucas & Blake Strait
Oh, boy. Yeah, we're getting
00:20:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it.
00:20:27
Spencer Strait
Do you guys got any stories? Any good snow stories from you, Jeremy or Steve?
00:20:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
No comment.
00:20:32
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:20:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
like plead the fifth.
00:20:33
Lucas & Blake Strait
trouble.
00:20:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
fifth.
00:20:34
RICK JAMES
I got...
00:20:34
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, the firefighter all of sudden doesn't want to talk about it.
00:20:36
Big Daddy
I better put two more logs on this fire.
00:20:37
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:20:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah played the fifth
00:20:39
RICK JAMES
ah Yeah, I got i yeah a lot of good stories. I'm always known for... i don't... It seemed like everybody calls me and there's people wandering around or in a way i end up picking people up bringing them someplace. like One night we were downtown Fireland. We were hauling snow and this one guy comes up to a trucker and he just had to shit beat on him. The trucker guy was like, you to get over here. He's like, get over there. and The guy's just hammered and he's just bleeding and shit.
00:21:06
RICK JAMES
He's like, I met a dude. I met a dude. I'm like, okay. I said, what what can I do for you? so I call the cops? No, he didn't want any dude fucking cops. He was like, no. And then I'm like, where do you, you said, bring me to a shelter.
00:21:19
RICK JAMES
I'm like, oh, okay. What shelter? I couldn't understand a word he's saying. So i take out my phone. I'm like, where, And he pushes, you know, for Siri or whatever. And he just mumbles shit. And boom, Siri pops up. What the fuck he said? I'm like, Siri can't fucking understand anything you say. But this guy had understood.
00:21:38
RICK JAMES
so I end up bringing him to the detox or whatever to the shelter.
00:21:38
Big Daddy
Good.
00:21:41
RICK JAMES
And they're he's like, no, I got to go in the back to detox. And then I drop him off. These guys are like, what did you do to him? I'm like, I just followed him. I didn't do anything this guy. but So I dropped him off.
00:21:50
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, that doesn't look good.
00:21:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:21:52
RICK JAMES
No, it doesn't look good.
00:21:52
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, here's this guy that's bleeding and very intoxicated.
00:21:55
Spencer Strait
Like Rocco from the mafia.
00:21:56
RICK JAMES
so some guy in a pickup with strobes going just dropping them off and that same area don't know that same area this one gets this one's pretty good this is the guy that was it was a pretty bad blizzard and there's i'm going down it was snowing pretty hard wind blowing and shit and there's like two girls jump out front my pickup i'm like what the hell like they're locked out of their place and i'm like well jump in and start they're trying to call we're trying to get into their building or whatever they
00:22:00
Lucas & Blake Strait
but
00:22:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jeremy is known for giving rides to people during storms
00:22:26
RICK JAMES
um like, to take my phone, call, call, call. i mean, they tried for him. I'm like, hey, I got shit to do. I got to go. I said and said, you can. It was a big storm, so I had a whole bunch hotel rooms booked.
00:22:36
Spencer Strait
Thank you.
00:22:38
RICK JAMES
So like, you can't get in. I said, you can have one of these rooms. Our guys are working. Have one of the rooms, whatever, and I'll bring you there. At this time, one of the girls passed out in the back seat. So I'm like, on the way to the old hotel, I stopped by some lots and check out how the guys are doing. Of course, they see these girls in the pickup and they're, you know, just giving me a hard time, blah, blah, blah.
00:22:58
RICK JAMES
And anyway, got them to the hotel room that night. But the next morning, i they called me and I had to give them a ride home.
Humorous Snow Removal Stories
00:23:05
RICK JAMES
So I looked like a fucking pimp going up the door and knocking on it. i Two girls in a hotel room.
00:23:13
RICK JAMES
I'm bringing these two girls back downtown Fargo.
00:23:13
Big Daddy
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
00:23:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Told you.
00:23:16
Big Daddy
You prearranged the ride home because they had your phone number.
00:23:16
Lucas & Blake Strait
ah
00:23:17
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah. ah yeah i've i picked they I'm known for picking up people in storms.
00:23:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Told you.
00:23:23
RICK JAMES
and Yeah.
00:23:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Snow Pimp.
00:23:23
Lucas & Blake Strait
Very Rick James review.
00:23:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's one of his names.
00:23:25
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:23:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it.
00:23:26
Big Daddy
No, Phil.
00:23:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Rick James. Snow Pimp.
00:23:27
RICK JAMES
It's like, I got nothing out of it.
00:23:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:23:31
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, that'll be a good sticker on the machine.
00:23:32
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:23:33
Lucas & Blake Strait
It's no...
00:23:34
RICK JAMES
Hell yeah.
00:23:34
Spencer Strait
Snow pimp.
00:23:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
I got...
00:23:35
Spencer Strait
There you go
00:23:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
I have one funny one because it didn't happen to us, but we witnessed it. So we have a couple sites around this shopping center. ah We don't do the shopping center, but we do a couple sites around it. So I had guys in two different lots that...
00:23:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
they're across the street from they're doing their thing and they're looking into the shopping center and they're watching the shopping center gets plowed entirely with trucks. And they had something, I don't know what it was.
00:24:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
If it was some kind of ah bar that they welded it on the back of this spreader on a pickup truck, it was like an old steel gas powered gasoline powered spreader.
00:24:06
Spencer Strait
Thank you.
00:24:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
And they, they must've like welded at a bar on the sides that stuck out with a skirt to keep the salt from bouncing up under the, uh, under the undercarriage there when they were doing it. So this guy's flying around. My guys are yeah are watching them, and they're just kind of doing their thing, watching them out the corner of their eye, and this guy's just flying around spreading salt, and he kept cutting around this light pole, like really tight on each spin around the parking lot, and the next thing they know...
00:24:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
The spreader, they went he went around the the light pole again, and the spreader stopped dead, and the truck kept going. Spreader literally on the ground with the light pole, sat there for two full days before they got a machine out there to lift it back in the truck because it was still full.
00:24:48
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank you.
00:24:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Just spreader on the ground, truck still going. My guys are like, the funniest part was the guy just got out of the truck, and he kind of just sat there scratching his head for a couple minutes and then got in the truck and left.
00:25:08
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:25:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
lay up Nothing I'm going to do now.
00:25:09
Big Daddy
Oh
00:25:10
Lucas & Blake Strait
Call Jeremy for ride.
00:25:10
RICK JAMES
ah
00:25:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
but oh
00:25:12
RICK JAMES
Yeah, call me a ride.
00:25:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Call Jeremy for a ride.
00:25:13
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:25:14
RICK JAMES
Yep. Oh, yeah.
00:25:15
Big Daddy
my God.
00:25:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:25:17
RICK JAMES
know
00:25:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:25:18
Big Daddy
Dude, the you yeah I was just gonna say, you didn't say we were able to tell stories about things that happened to other people.
00:25:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
They're funnier when they don't happen to you.
00:25:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
no that was about it.
00:25:25
Big Daddy
I mean, some of these, you should see some of the hokey shit out here that people put together to try and do some accounts.
00:25:25
RICK JAMES
i
00:25:32
Spencer Strait
Thank you.
00:25:32
Big Daddy
There was, Lucas, do you remember when we did the Menards in Tinley Park?
00:25:38
Big Daddy
So right next door was a smaller strip mall that was i like a newspaper place in a Hobby Lobby. So some other guy was doing that, had this Chevy square body.
00:25:51
Big Daddy
And the same thing to what you're saying, Steve, he had the gas powered Western, I think it was, had made him at the time deal in the back.
00:25:58
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank you.
00:25:58
Big Daddy
So he's going back and forth. He's salt and he's salt and he went and reloaded his truck. He comes in and the truck is squatted down and we're just finishing plowing the front portion of Menards.
00:26:05
Spencer Strait
So.
00:26:10
Big Daddy
Comes in, makes a turn, the whole box and everything, bloop, right off the side of the truck.
00:26:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Right off.
00:26:16
Big Daddy
It was rotted, the bed was rotted, it was bolted into the anchors of the bed. The whole thing dumped off into the parking lot and he just had a cabin chassis sitting there. And he didn't even stop, he just continued on, probably went to go get somebody to come back, but it laid right there.
00:26:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:26:31
Big Daddy
Salt spilled out everywhere.
00:26:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
mean, that's probably a good deal though. You're right. You're ready for remount. You know, you're like, there's no, no work to be done.
00:26:35
Big Daddy
Oh my God.
00:26:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
the fresh body on
00:26:38
Lucas & Blake Strait
ah
00:26:39
Big Daddy
we have We have never had anything like that happen, thank God.
00:26:39
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:26:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:26:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, we haven't. We we really don't. ah we got We've been very lucky as far as nothing's burned up in a storm. nothing Nothing's really been super damaged besides a little vinyl siding here and there.
00:26:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
But other than that, we've been very lucky. I'm pretty boring with snow stories.
00:26:58
Big Daddy
Now, have you guys ever had...
00:27:00
Lucas & Blake Strait
Well, we have non-show related stories. Well, we have John. but
00:27:04
Big Daddy
yeah
00:27:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah we have john
00:27:04
RICK JAMES
ah
00:27:07
Lucas & Blake Strait
John, you're just chock full of stories.
00:27:08
Spencer Strait
Yeah.
00:27:09
Lucas & Blake Strait
I don't know why you're looking at me that way.
00:27:09
Spencer Strait
Yeah. look Lucas and Lucas and Blake were like, Hey, why is John going to be on this?
00:27:10
Big Daddy
I'm telling you.
00:27:12
Big Daddy
So
00:27:12
Lucas & Blake Strait
You got a lot of stories.
00:27:14
Spencer Strait
I'm like, you'll see.
00:27:16
Lucas & Blake Strait
You'll see. no
00:27:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:27:19
Big Daddy
and I'm the fall guy.
00:27:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh my God.
00:27:20
RICK JAMES
ah
00:27:21
Big Daddy
You know how your your your older style plows had the quadrant, in the A-frame, and you had that that hook that goes over the quadrant to hold it so it can rotate back and forth.
00:27:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure.
00:27:31
Big Daddy
We had one of the guys up in Melrose Park. that plowed this property called Melrose Crossing. And he had nailed a parking block and it snapped that ear off the top.
00:27:48
Big Daddy
So the plow was like flopping. And we've got to try to figure how to get this thing back to, um all the way back to Frankfurt to get it repaired. Because that was like, God, 25 years ago, easy.
00:28:01
Big Daddy
And they were these big,
00:28:02
Lucas & Blake Strait
There was sensor ago.
00:28:04
Big Daddy
Yeah, Spencer ago. Spencer wasn't even around yet.
00:28:06
Spencer Strait
This is a...
00:28:07
Lucas & Blake Strait
Mm-hmm.
00:28:07
Big Daddy
Well, and ah once again, true story here.
00:28:07
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:28:12
Big Daddy
We were trying to figure what to do to get this thing back. And he's he's on the phone and he's like, I don't have anything. I don't have a chain. I don't have a rope. I don't have anything. Now the parking lot that he plowed was an old builder's square.
00:28:23
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank you.
00:28:26
Big Daddy
So that tells you how old it was, okay? Right next to that was a strip club, okay? This guy, whenever he plowed the lot, would brush off the cars for the girls, because we were there at that hour of the night, and it was, hey, thank you, thank you, thank you.
00:28:41
RICK JAMES
Nice guy.
00:28:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
fine human being.
00:28:44
RICK JAMES
Yes.
00:28:44
Big Daddy
He got a pair of pantyhose from one of the girls and tied it around the quadrant and around the side of the A-frame to keep the plow from swinging out, because when you turned, it would swing out.
00:29:00
Big Daddy
Tied it up with a pair of pantyhose.
00:29:02
RICK JAMES
Strong panties.
00:29:03
Big Daddy
and drove it all the way back to Frankfurt so that it could properly be repaired.
00:29:04
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah. Yeah.
00:29:07
Big Daddy
I would have never thought of that.
00:29:07
Spencer Strait
And that's called determination.
00:29:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well,
00:29:09
RICK JAMES
that's
00:29:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
That is the most innovative story we've ever heard on this show in two years in a hundred and 120 something episodes.
00:29:10
Lucas & Blake Strait
and so
00:29:10
RICK JAMES
That's...
00:29:11
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:29:11
RICK JAMES
Wait, yes.
00:29:12
Lucas & Blake Strait
really yeah
00:29:13
Big Daddy
I'm telling you, man.
00:29:16
Lucas & Blake Strait
but
00:29:17
Spencer Strait
Our company might be gone by the time this episode's over with.
00:29:17
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:29:17
Big Daddy
Well,
00:29:21
Lucas & Blake Strait
la
00:29:22
Big Daddy
that was a long time ago, pre-Spencer.
00:29:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah That's innovation right there.
00:29:26
Big Daddy
Well, God.
00:29:26
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:29:29
RICK JAMES
ah yeah i I can tell one more.
00:29:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh my God.
00:29:30
RICK JAMES
I think I'm not sure this.
00:29:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Go ahead, Jake. What do you got?
00:29:32
RICK JAMES
but i Well, we're in it now. I'm going to keep going. But yeah, was a we're hauling snow one.
00:29:35
Spencer Strait
Who'd you pick up, buddy?
00:29:36
RICK JAMES
It was a huh?
00:29:37
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:29:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
oji Who else did you pick up?
00:29:38
RICK JAMES
Oh, no, I actually have quite a few more pickup stories, believe it or not.
00:29:38
Spencer Strait
Who'd you pick up?
00:29:41
Lucas & Blake Strait
ah
00:29:42
RICK JAMES
I really do. But this is, this is what we're.
00:29:43
Lucas & Blake Strait
So he was cleaning these windows at a strip club.
00:29:44
Big Daddy
Thank
00:29:46
Lucas & Blake Strait
ah He's cleaning the car windows for some lady dancing.
00:29:48
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah. I was, I was clean.
00:29:49
Big Daddy
so
00:29:50
RICK JAMES
And then it came out and then i was like, I'll give you right now.
00:29:51
Big Daddy
and
00:29:54
RICK JAMES
We were hauling snow one night. It was long night at Holland. It was, and it was getting beat about day rake. And one of the, we were dumping in a field just North of down here. And, uh, I'll hear in the radios, this guy's like, my box won't go.
00:30:10
RICK JAMES
He's like, where are you at? I'm like, oh, over here, but you know down the road. He's like, can somebody come down here? just There's a streetlight.
00:30:19
RICK JAMES
I'm trying to say, not a streetlight, but traffic lights down. I'm like, traffic lights?
00:30:22
Spencer Strait
Thank you.
00:30:23
RICK JAMES
I'm like, what the hell? Yeah, I hit a traffic light. I'm like, how the hell do you hit a traffic light?
00:30:27
Lucas & Blake Strait
Okay.
00:30:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, I remember this.
00:30:29
RICK JAMES
and Apparently, he dumped...
00:30:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
I remember this.
00:30:30
Big Daddy
oh
00:30:32
RICK JAMES
All I hear about is where our dump site is. the field It's out in the field. It's rougher than hell. But apparently, this guy dumped his load, drove through the field with his box in the air, ended up driving down the road probably a mile with the box in the air of this quad.
00:30:42
Big Daddy
Oh my God.
00:30:47
RICK JAMES
And apparently, trucks are coming by that remote and going up the field. They were like honking. Apparently, guys were talking the radio. They couldn't call a guy on the radio. So, couldn't get through.
00:30:54
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:30:55
Big Daddy
He's all in the truck. Hi, I'm doing snow too.
00:30:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:30:57
RICK JAMES
Yeah, he's just barely, he hits the, he hits the traffic light.
00:30:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Hey, have nice night, you too.
00:31:04
RICK JAMES
Lights come down, blah blah, blah. So I come down there with the loader and stuff. We try to move them off their deal.
00:31:10
Spencer Strait
so
00:31:10
RICK JAMES
And then the guys on the radio still call him. He's like, dude, don't know what's wrong. My, my box will come down. I'm like, you just hit a traffic light. You're, mean, you're, you're fucking boxes.
00:31:22
RICK JAMES
No, the hoist is all fucked up. I'm like, dude, It gets better. The DOT cop, like a year later, gives me the footage of it. All you see is this red truck coming, on coming down the road, coming, coming.
00:31:32
RICK JAMES
Next thing you know, it just goes black.
00:31:36
Lucas & Blake Strait
He still denied it. He still denied it.
00:31:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
but
00:31:37
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:31:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
I didn't do it. You have no proof.
00:31:40
RICK JAMES
It's like he couldn't figure out why his box wouldn't go down. I'm like, dude, you fucked your waist up. there's You're fucked.
00:31:46
Spencer Strait
Thank you.
00:31:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah, remember that.
00:31:48
RICK JAMES
But it was a subcontractor.
00:31:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
That was great.
00:31:50
RICK JAMES
was nothing with us, it was pretty funny.
00:31:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, my God.
00:31:52
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:31:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Who else has got one?
00:31:54
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah um don't have any funny stories. I got... a Blake, you got something? It's more or less about like just traveling through snow. do you remember the like probably four years ago when you always used to take County Line Road home and you got yeah stuck like twice.
00:32:12
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, but I got out. Yes. You called me to go rescue you. i was on the phone with Blake and I'm driving home and I'm I'm like, all right, I got to get home. I get three hours of sleep if I get home at a decent time. So I'm doing like 60 miles an hour in my F-150, the little diesel.
00:32:26
Lucas & Blake Strait
Sounded like a Kubota tractor back then because I straight piped it.
00:32:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Thank you.
00:32:29
Lucas & Blake Strait
I'm on the phone with Blake trying to stay awake. And I'm just driving at one point and the i can just feel the snow is just pushing me towards the ditch. Like I'm basically on a sled at this point. I'm i'm not in control.
00:32:44
Lucas & Blake Strait
And up until that point, I was pretty confident about what was happening. And then I'm just on the phone, Blake's talking. I just stopped him dead the tracks. I'm like, hey, I just gotta let you know I'm about to go into the ditch. you're gonna have to come pull me out.
00:32:55
Spencer Strait
Thank you.
00:32:55
Lucas & Blake Strait
And then like 10 seconds later, just silent.
00:32:56
Big Daddy
I'm giving you a heads up.
00:32:58
Lucas & Blake Strait
I'm like, oh no, I'm good. I'm good. And then made it about um two miles down the road.
00:33:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
like
00:33:06
Lucas & Blake Strait
And these are all like back back roads, county roads, they don't get plowed. Completely unserviced, like 10 to 12 inches of snow at this point. And the drifting is hellacious. So I get two miles on the road and there's a van stuck. Amazon van.
00:33:20
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, it really wasn't that stuck. And I told her, yeah, I can, you know, I'll pull you out, but I don't think you're gonna be able to go very far. So in in the mix of pulling her out, she steered her wheel the wrong way.
00:33:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Ugh.
00:33:34
Lucas & Blake Strait
And she dragged both of us into this ditch. And I'm rolling, I rolled the window down and I'm looking and the snow's up to the mirror of the truck. I'm like, okay, well, I saw, I called Blake back. I'm i'm like, yeah, okay. So a funny story. I think I'm actually stuck this time.
00:33:50
Lucas & Blake Strait
I'll let you know how it goes. But if you want to start making your way toward me. This is like the escapade of like saving people. We saved three people this night before I haven't made it to Lucas to this Amazon van.
00:34:00
Lucas & Blake Strait
So I'm like, okay, I'm already out.
00:34:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah she
00:34:01
Spencer Strait
Kind like you guys on that bachelor party. It's like you guys on the bachelor party.
00:34:03
Lucas & Blake Strait
What?
00:34:06
Spencer Strait
You should tell that story.
00:34:07
Lucas & Blake Strait
ah Allegedly.
00:34:08
RICK JAMES
Hmm.
00:34:09
Lucas & Blake Strait
Allegedly.
00:34:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Allegedly.
00:34:10
Lucas & Blake Strait
oh
00:34:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Allegedly.
00:34:11
Lucas & Blake Strait
So I'm already heading to Lucas because I'm like, there's no fucking way you're going to just get out of this situation and then make it home. You're just going drift off the road. Like something going to happen. So I'm already on the way.
00:34:22
Lucas & Blake Strait
And up by me and in Indiana, go, I don't know where I am, but I head down 109th. And there's just a car in the middle of the road. And everyone's just like driving around him.
00:34:33
Lucas & Blake Strait
And this is the point, like he can't even go up a hill. So then I'm like, okay, well, I'm going to help this guy out. I'm going to get him out of the freaking road at least because he's in just like a little front wheel drive car. And he's like, he's a hazard.
00:34:45
Lucas & Blake Strait
So I asked him where he he needs to go. And he's like, well, i live like right down the street in that neighborhood. I'm like, okay, I don't have really anything but a recovery strap, like an energy strap, but I'll tie it to your wheel and I'll just drag you.
00:34:51
Spencer Strait
Thank
00:34:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh,
00:34:58
Lucas & Blake Strait
Cause he's like, I, and I'm like, just put it in neutral and like, don't hit the fucking brakes or anything, which he listens to me, but I just drag his fucking car all the way to his house.
00:35:09
Lucas & Blake Strait
And then the whole time that's happening, the wheel is spinning and it's twisting my fucking rope.
00:35:14
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah, yeah.
00:35:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh geez
00:35:16
Lucas & Blake Strait
So the whole thing is like a fucking knotted mess. When I get to his house, I'm like, Oh my God. So not to undo this. Then he thanks me. i'm like, okay, well, so don't drive right now because you're your car is not worth anything in the snow.
00:35:28
Lucas & Blake Strait
Then I make my way to probably state line and start heading down south to go to county line.
00:35:33
Spencer Strait
right.
00:35:34
Lucas & Blake Strait
And I run into, it was like a little Ford fucking Focus hatchback for college students that were driving across the country to save money.
00:35:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah. Smart.
00:35:46
Lucas & Blake Strait
They were avoiding the toll road Avoiding the toll road. So they're driving across half the country in country roads in the middle of this fucking blizzard.
00:35:49
RICK JAMES
ah
00:35:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
mar
00:35:51
RICK JAMES
ah
00:35:53
Lucas & Blake Strait
and
00:35:54
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:35:54
Lucas & Blake Strait
Which they're hitting west. So they're just going to keep driving through this big storm. And I'm like, okay, well, I will come back and we will help you. Like, trust me, you're not going anywhere. I'm going to see you again, right?
00:36:05
Lucas & Blake Strait
And then I get even farther and there's a ah pickup truck in the side of the road. Just like Lucas explained – In the ditch, snow was up to the windows. it just It was probably like a sidewalk crew of guys just sitting in it just sitting, chilling. They're just waiting for a tow truck.
00:36:19
Lucas & Blake Strait
And then I make it to Lucas. yeah And this whole time, though all I got on my truck is I got like tons of sand in the back or salt for counterweight. And then on the front, I have the second revision green Razorback.
00:36:33
Lucas & Blake Strait
But we took the wings off because they're all broken. So I have is the somewhat broken seven and a half foot wide plow to like clear my path. Right. Yeah.
00:36:44
Lucas & Blake Strait
I mean, you know, sorry, probably better as I get to you. and Well, I was able to get because you were working with the I was able to get myself out. I just threw the truck in reverse and floored it. And I finally got the tires to where they would melt the snow and then got it down to the grass. So I'm backing up and pulling forward in this ditch using the bumpers of the truck to plow because i didn't have a plow on it.
00:37:04
Lucas & Blake Strait
I finally get to the edge of the field and I'm able to back into the field. And I'm pretty sure I remembered that there's a pocket of water that I'm going to have to drive to and get through to get back to this road.
00:37:18
Lucas & Blake Strait
So I just gunned it and I was just hauling ass to this field. And I hit the water and I mean, it just goes up the sides of the truck. I can't see it. didn't even bother turning the wipers on and just made it through it. At this point, I'm like, I'm getting home. This is happening.
00:37:35
Lucas & Blake Strait
I am not not getting stuck in this field. I'm not getting stuck in a ditch.
00:37:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well,
00:37:40
Lucas & Blake Strait
I'm going home and I'm sleeping in my bed. I don't care if it's for 30 minutes. I'm just fixated on getting home at all costs at this point. Get the truck back on the road. Tell the lady in the van, like, youre you're totally screwed now. Like, there's nowhere to go. who's sit and wait for ah wait for the county plow to come by. didn't want her help.
00:37:57
Lucas & Blake Strait
She said, oh, I told i called the tow truck company. and I'm like, yeah, the tow truck company ain't getting down this road. Yeah, and was like, I'm pretty sure I saw them on the way in.
00:38:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
well
00:38:04
Lucas & Blake Strait
It's just like a fucking dually. Like, I don't think these people are going to you.
00:38:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, if you get her out of the ditch, she's got to go back to work.
00:38:08
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:38:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
The longer she's in the ditch, she's getting paid for doing nothing.
00:38:12
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah she didn't She didn't want us to pull her out. I was like, okay. Then we had to just struggle bus our way back out. so then we got back to the kids in the car and I'm like talking to them. I'm like, what's going I'm like, well, we live on the East Coast and we're moving to somewhere out West, like Colorado. And I'm like, okay, well, why aren't you on the toll road? and they're like, well, we didn't want to spend the money on the tolls. I'm like, okay, well.
00:38:33
Lucas & Blake Strait
I'm gonna give you some advice. You're not getting where you're going. By the way, you're like 15 hours away on the toll roads. You're not getting there on country roads.
00:38:43
Lucas & Blake Strait
So I think what we ended up doing was we pulled them out. Which was also a struggle because everything was ice. Well, yeah, and they had no way to tow off the car. I had to like work my way. everything Everything was just sliding, so I to work my way just over to the side, over to side. Then finally, I got to like a farmer's driveway. who he He had plowed it, and then I was able use his driveway.
00:39:04
Lucas & Blake Strait
My poor truck. was my Ram. I beat the crap out of that poor thing. I finally got him out of there.
00:39:08
Spencer Strait
Yeah.
00:39:09
Lucas & Blake Strait
Who would have thought a Ford Focus? It's like a snow wedge. It's designed to just go to the snow even more. So and we ended up plowing our way back to like a main road that does get serviced somewhat.
00:39:20
Lucas & Blake Strait
Got them to a gas station. paid They didn't have any money. So I said, all right, we'll pay to top off your tank. Here's a couple hundred bucks. Just take the toll road. Like you're not going to get where you're going if you don't.
00:39:34
Lucas & Blake Strait
So I gave them some game from scratch and sent them on their way. But never.
00:39:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'd like to ask you a question. Have you ever seen a Ford Focus that did not annoy you on the road?
00:39:43
Lucas & Blake Strait
ah never
00:39:44
Spencer Strait
I got ah just got T-boned by one, so...
00:39:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
exactly like Never.
00:39:46
Lucas & Blake Strait
year round year round they annoy me year round it's very oh god yeah Spencer's got a Subaru
00:39:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
That and Subarus. Year-round worst drivers on the planet.
00:39:53
RICK JAMES
There you go.
00:39:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Worst drivers on the planet.
00:39:56
RICK JAMES
oh
00:39:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do you really?
00:40:01
Spencer Strait
Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
00:40:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
you got one of those You got one of those Rice Rocket ones, though?
00:40:03
Spencer Strait
Let's... Let's not get hasty, because Blake has it blake has two Subarus, so...
00:40:04
Lucas & Blake Strait
ah yeah and it has the motor from Jake's car yeah
00:40:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
You got one of the Rice Rock, but there's different Subarus. I'm talking like an Outback.
00:40:14
Spencer Strait
We got one of those ricers.
00:40:14
Lucas & Blake Strait
No. Soy
00:40:16
RICK JAMES
orster
00:40:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, but the Outback. That's
00:40:18
RICK JAMES
hey
00:40:19
Lucas & Blake Strait
sauce. Soy sauce deluxe. Trevor's car is a focus.
00:40:24
RICK JAMES
That
00:40:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:40:25
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:40:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
a lot oh my God. So,
00:40:27
RICK JAMES
that' was great.
00:40:30
Spencer Strait
but
00:40:31
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:40:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
so wait, you guys don't have any... First of all, Lucas, why did you not have a plow on your truck?
00:40:35
Lucas & Blake Strait
I have a good...
00:40:37
Lucas & Blake Strait
Me?
00:40:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:40:38
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, so back then I was more focused on just jumping around site to site. Like John didn't have a plow on his truck either. well you had your dually had a plow. Yeah, but you had you had the Razorback. yeah So I was like, I'm not going to drive an F450 around if I could just hop in an F150, which I had the tool carrier on the back, like the highway products.
00:40:56
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah. We stopped putting plows on F150s and 1500s. Well, yeah, I just bought it to be able to get around and use it as like a service truck and a Foreman vehicle.
00:41:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:41:05
Lucas & Blake Strait
Cause we did all the R and D stuff for the Razorback. We did all the R and D work on the double down. So I had a couple of Milwaukee's in the back. I had saddles so like we could pull up and do what we needed to and support that kind of work and, and film. Yeah.
00:41:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
You guys got to have funny R&D stories.
00:41:19
Lucas & Blake Strait
I'm
00:41:23
RICK JAMES
ah Johnny's laughing.
00:41:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Come You got to have funny R&D stories.
00:41:24
Lucas & Blake Strait
breaking a lot of stuff. Yeah, that's probably going to be more John.
00:41:27
Big Daddy
ah Some things cannot be aired.
00:41:28
Lucas & Blake Strait
My R&D stories are more work than it is fun.
00:41:32
Big Daddy
ah The hours that get put in into R&D that people don't understand. It isn't the nine to five time it gets done. The nine to five time is when the regular shit gets done. Then it's like, get food delivered and let's go.
00:41:42
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah. Yeah.
00:41:45
Big Daddy
And before you know it, it's like three in the morning and you're looking going, holy shit, it's three o'clock already. We got to start the day again in a few hours. You know, and these guys live in Indiana.
00:41:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:41:57
Big Daddy
So they got a little bit of a cruise to scoot back home to like Lucas said, I just want to be in my bed for a couple of hours. Let me get a couple hours in in my bed and I'll go right back to it again.
00:42:08
Big Daddy
It just the R&D stuff. I can't even imagine trying to tell you anything about that and the time that's involved in all that stuff. It is it is not simple. Like people just think, oh, you put it together and you run it. I mean, look at.
00:42:20
Big Daddy
Blake didn't wear glasses before he started this job. He spent so much time in front of the computer designing shit.
00:42:24
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:42:24
RICK JAMES
ah
00:42:25
Big Daddy
He's going blind.
00:42:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:42:26
Big Daddy
He needs the glasses now.
00:42:26
RICK JAMES
Well, come on, John. You got to tell the story or rip something apart.
00:42:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:42:31
RICK JAMES
i
00:42:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Not the funny, like first generation out there r and D in it and the thing explodes on you or something.
00:42:33
Spencer Strait
Okay.
00:42:35
Big Daddy
Well,
00:42:36
RICK JAMES
I saw that pile on there. I saw that pile behind your shop there.
00:42:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. I I've heard about this legendary scrap yard at Arctic.
00:42:42
Big Daddy
wow that, that, that, that scrapyard has a name.
00:42:44
Lucas & Blake Strait
Well,
00:42:46
Big Daddy
It's called the Raptor.
00:42:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh,
00:42:48
Lucas & Blake Strait
i am yeah, dad's going to hear that.
00:42:49
RICK JAMES
yeah Oh, yeah.
00:42:51
Big Daddy
Yeah.
00:42:51
RICK JAMES
I still want to see that.
00:42:52
Lucas & Blake Strait
He's going to come into your office, John.
00:42:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah ah
00:42:54
Big Daddy
Oh boy.
00:42:55
RICK JAMES
i I still want to see that old plow going.
00:42:55
Lucas & Blake Strait
going to say hi to you real quick on that one, buddy.
00:42:57
RICK JAMES
I want you guys to get that old plow going.
00:42:57
Big Daddy
Yeah.
00:42:58
Lucas & Blake Strait
Well, the first time we ran the Razorback plow, it ran for about an hour and then we blew the piston apart on the wing because it didn't have a trip edge. Yeah, that's when you learn real quick.
00:43:08
Spencer Strait
That's when you figured out you need a trip edge.
00:43:08
Lucas & Blake Strait
You got to do it the right way.
00:43:10
Big Daddy
And the next time it went out, the wings got ripped off.
00:43:11
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:43:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Ah, trip edge.
00:43:13
Lucas & Blake Strait
Well, that was right after Lucas ripped the tailgate off of his truck.
00:43:16
RICK JAMES
Oh, I heard about the gooseneck, right?
00:43:16
Spencer Strait
Oh, yeah.
00:43:17
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, the old... Yeah, think we told this a bit. Put the tailgate down, check everything's disconnected from the trailer, and then put the tailgate back up because it's just...
00:43:19
Big Daddy
Oops.
00:43:19
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:43:25
Lucas & Blake Strait
You're going through the motions.
00:43:26
Big Daddy
Oh my God.
00:43:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:43:27
Lucas & Blake Strait
Sleep deprivation as well.
00:43:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:43:29
Spencer Strait
What'd you do, Richard?
00:43:29
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah. Yeah.
00:43:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:43:33
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:43:35
Spencer Strait
Nope. Ship shape.
00:43:37
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, no, don't worry.
00:43:38
Big Daddy
oh my god
00:43:38
Lucas & Blake Strait
It only took me a year to get it fixed. so I took out a sign for a store with a snow wing.
00:43:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh
00:43:41
Spencer Strait
I guess it's not...
00:43:47
Lucas & Blake Strait
Another one of the storms, it was good amount snow, but just it was wet and had frozen underneath before. So it wass just everything was slick. So I was in 321. Well, it's our favorite property, Orland Park Place Mall. Here we are again.
00:44:01
RICK JAMES
ah
00:44:01
Lucas & Blake Strait
And I'm just trying to, I'm not even, I'm not even plowing.
00:44:01
Spencer Strait
Wait, it's only name dropped.
00:44:04
Lucas & Blake Strait
I just, I'm just trying to get into the property and it's just a slight incline and it's so icy and I start sliding backwards and I'm trying to like get the plow kind of condensed.
00:44:16
Lucas & Blake Strait
Cause I'm like, I'm hitting something. Right. And I take out, I can't get it moved in time, but the left wing is sticking out on the plow and it catches the old, uh, It's a business that rhymes with Watree Smith furniture, and it catches their sign.
00:44:31
Lucas & Blake Strait
It rips their sign apart, and then it also rips the wing off my fucking plow.
00:44:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
she
00:44:37
Lucas & Blake Strait
and And I just take a picture of it um to my uncle, Rick, who's our general manager. I'm like, this is going to come through insurance. mr I sit on ice. I have no story for you.
00:44:47
Lucas & Blake Strait
I have no story for you.
00:44:48
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:44:49
Lucas & Blake Strait
No excuses.
00:44:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
I have no excuse.
00:44:50
Lucas & Blake Strait
They're going to get a new sign. Oh, but then, you know.
00:44:52
RICK JAMES
Whoopsie daisy.
00:44:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man.
00:44:52
Spencer Strait
but I guess the only R&D story I have is a true testament to the first sectional snow pusher.
00:44:53
Big Daddy
money
00:44:54
Lucas & Blake Strait
You're not. Go ahead. Yeah.
00:45:00
Spencer Strait
My dad always told us it scraped so good. Maybe, John, you can attest to this, but it scraped so good it was taking the yellow lines off the parking lot.
00:45:08
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:45:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yes.
00:45:08
Lucas & Blake Strait
and
00:45:09
Big Daddy
that's That's no joke.
00:45:09
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:45:09
Spencer Strait
Yeah.
00:45:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
that ah We've done that. We've do we've done that.
00:45:13
Big Daddy
No, with the first one, there were the way the wings were short, there were
00:45:13
Spencer Strait
So, don't know.
00:45:17
Big Daddy
there were it was also a power angle. The very first sectional had a yeah telescopic piston on it. So you could power angle. So we had no skis, no shoes on it. So when you set it down, that whole plow sat down and it sat down square.
00:45:35
Big Daddy
And we were at a casino in Indiana doing a parking lot there. And Randy's plowing and he's looking at it going, what the hell was in the snow? What's going on?
00:45:45
Big Daddy
Because he was plowing on an angle across the lot. So it wasn't like if he was plowing a stripe, you would see the line in the snow and this stuff kept coming up in the snow.
00:45:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
hu Yep.
00:45:54
Big Daddy
And that's exactly what it was because they had used the chloroplast paint that they use. So it's much thicker than just regular paint.
00:46:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
00:46:04
Big Daddy
So he was literally chipping that shit up off the asphalt and rolling it in the snow.
00:46:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:46:10
Big Daddy
That was that was a true story
00:46:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
We've seen that in our snow piles before we've had, uh, when they redid all the handicapped spots at one of the, uh, complexes, they redid it all blue.
00:46:14
Big Daddy
You
00:46:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
And like you said, the chloroplast, that rubberized stuff that they put down with the heat and all our, and it was all the reflective, the glitter that they put on there too. Our snow piles were just sparkling with blue.
00:46:29
Big Daddy
know?
00:46:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like it was all blue glitter. Cause the Arctic's took it like took right up. And I'm like, yeah, there's nothing we can do about that.
00:46:34
Big Daddy
Superstar!
00:46:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like nothing we can do about that.
00:46:36
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, that's standard operating
00:46:36
Spencer Strait
Are there shopping carts in there? you
00:46:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
No shopping carts. Nope.
00:46:39
Big Daddy
Oh, shit.
00:46:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nope. We don't have any shopping carts to worry about. Jeremy gets out, moves shopping carts for all his guys apparently on video now.
00:46:46
Spencer Strait
That's what we usually do.
00:46:47
RICK JAMES
Yep. Yep.
00:46:48
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah that's standard operating procedure.
00:46:49
RICK JAMES
Just on video. Just on video.
00:46:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:46:53
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:46:53
RICK JAMES
Just when the cameras are rolling.
00:46:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Just on video. Just when the cameras are rolling.
00:46:55
RICK JAMES
Just when the cameras are rolling.
00:46:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man. 100%. 100%.
00:46:59
RICK JAMES
I got so much shit about that.
00:46:59
Big Daddy
Never fails.
00:47:00
RICK JAMES
Ugh.
00:47:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh man
00:47:01
Big Daddy
Never fails. You have a perfect night.
00:47:02
RICK JAMES
Ugh.
00:47:02
Big Daddy
Nobody ever sees it. When things screw up, everybody's watching you.
00:47:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred percent
00:47:06
RICK JAMES
Oh, got it.
00:47:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred percent
00:47:06
Big Daddy
I mean, look at look at all the reels you get nowadays on Facebook from people catching people doing stuff because everybody's got a video camera.
00:47:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah.
00:47:15
Big Daddy
you know You're not getting away with shit anymore. Somebody's going to catch it.
00:47:18
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:47:19
Big Daddy
Somebody's going to post it
00:47:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
We tell our guys that the second you leave the shop to the second you get back, you are on somebody's camera. So act accordingly at all times, even at three, four in the morning.
00:47:28
Lucas & Blake Strait
Overreactions are the greatest.
00:47:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
The one side, Lucas.
00:47:31
Lucas & Blake Strait
Overreactions are the greatest from an operator when an operator hits something, they try to hide it and it's no big deal.
00:47:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah.
00:47:36
Lucas & Blake Strait
We have this we had this Sam's Club. John, you remember Tinley Park Center, the Urofresh?
00:47:42
Big Daddy
Yes?
00:47:42
Lucas & Blake Strait
Back in the day. And so the operator and the loader backed into a cart corral and he just bent, bent it like no big deal. So what the guy does, instead of just telling us, he goes to the back of the other shopping center, takes the plow off, puts the bucket on, drives back there and he's driving across the parking lot from a snow pile and he's dumping frozen snow on his cart corral.
00:48:03
Lucas & Blake Strait
And then so Boudreaux comes around the corner, the foreman who he's an excitable person. Let me just tell you that.
00:48:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:48:11
Lucas & Blake Strait
and And he's just watching this guy trying to figure out what he's doing.
00:48:13
Big Daddy
excitable.
00:48:14
Lucas & Blake Strait
And then he figures it out. He goes over there and has a meltdown on the guy. And the guy ended up mangling the car corral because he was dumping all these frozen piles of snow from the bucket onto this car corral.
00:48:27
Lucas & Blake Strait
And I'm just like, you guys, like, it's okay to make a mistake. Just tell us. Now you made it much worse.
00:48:32
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:48:33
Lucas & Blake Strait
And away, it's on camera.
00:48:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:48:36
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:48:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. What's the plan, Phil? Like, what are you doing?
00:48:39
Lucas & Blake Strait
You're not going to notice. so
00:48:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah well
00:48:42
Big Daddy
Well, you're
00:48:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
I dented it a little bit.
00:48:42
Lucas & Blake Strait
What's this?
00:48:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Let me make it worse. Oh
00:48:45
Big Daddy
Do you remember the fence?
00:48:45
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, what's this pile of snow doing in the parking lot? I don't know. Let's go move it. oh wait, there's a car corral under it.
00:48:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh my God.
00:48:51
Big Daddy
Do you remember the wooden fence behind Ravinia? And let me say, Ravinia is across the street from Moreland Park Place Mall.
00:48:54
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:48:54
Spencer Strait
Oh, yeah.
00:48:57
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:48:59
Big Daddy
The guy pushed snow against the wooden fence and broke it, knocked it over.
00:48:59
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:49:04
Big Daddy
He had someone else come help him push it back up and dump snow on the backside of the fence to hold the fence up with snow on each side, thinking that that was going to be okay.
00:49:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jesus Christ.
00:49:16
RICK JAMES
I've seen that reel. I've seen that reel.
00:49:17
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, that was the...
00:49:18
Spencer Strait
ah
00:49:19
Big Daddy
sot I mean, no, that's the guy in that F-150, that silver F-150 in the reel where he backed into it, knocked it over.
00:49:21
RICK JAMES
That's you guys.
00:49:23
Spencer Strait
but
00:49:26
Big Daddy
He pushed it back up and pushed snow against the back of it.
00:49:27
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:49:29
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:49:29
Big Daddy
But no, they knocked over like four sections of fence when he pushed up against it cause figured the plow is 17 foot wide. So when he pushed it, he had a good amount of snow, snapped the post off because most of those fences back there is that that shitty stockade stuff that's thin as can be. It's just there for privacy.
00:49:47
Big Daddy
He had two other guys come from the other mall to push it up and hold it up while he dumped some snow behind it and packed the snow on both sides the hold defense upgrade.
00:49:52
RICK JAMES
Accomplices.
00:49:57
Big Daddy
So soon as that shit melted, the defense fell over.
00:49:57
Lucas & Blake Strait
Bulletproof.
00:49:57
Spencer Strait
You got that?
00:49:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah, what could go wrong?
00:49:59
Spencer Strait
That?
00:49:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, perfect.
00:50:01
Spencer Strait
That fence has gotten the best of us. And funny enough, when we were filming storm chasing at that Orland property, Johnny kind of did his intro and was talking to all the operators and ourselves saying, hey, this is where you want to push the snow, yada, yada, yada.
00:50:14
Spencer Strait
And we had a new operator who's only plowed there a couple times. And he said, Spencer, if you're going to be over there, make sure not to push any snow up against the fence. i said, okay, thank you. I I plowed there since I was a kid. So i was like, I already got it.
00:50:26
Spencer Strait
And the issue with that fence is it goes halfway down this lawn property line. And it's the only main area you could really push a snow on this property. So I go over there. I'm like, it's doing my normal thing. And lo and behold, the dude who told me not to do it is pushing snow right up to the fence.
00:50:42
Spencer Strait
I'm like, you can't make this up. Like the guy who told me not to do it is bending that fence right now.
00:50:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, that fence.
00:50:50
Spencer Strait
Yeah.
00:50:50
RICK JAMES
ah
00:50:51
Spencer Strait
Yeah.
00:50:51
Lucas & Blake Strait
I'll show you that fence.
00:50:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, so.
00:50:53
RICK JAMES
i yeah need to but I got a good story too.
00:50:53
Spencer Strait
I said you can't do it.
00:50:54
Big Daddy
Oh, shit.
00:50:54
Spencer Strait
doesn't mean I can't do it.
00:50:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Exactly.
00:50:56
Big Daddy
Right.
00:50:56
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, exactly.
00:50:57
Big Daddy
Do as I say, not as I do.
00:50:59
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, he he wanted to be able to break it.
00:50:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
So. Hmm.
00:51:01
Lucas & Blake Strait
He didn't want you to get to it first.
00:51:04
RICK JAMES
I got a good story. I think I was at Orland Park doing the storm chase. And they're like, hey, let's get a good video of German plowing. Next thing you know, there's a drone flying above. Next thing you know, I see Spencer running across the parking lot.
00:51:12
Spencer Strait
Oh.
00:51:12
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah. Yeah.
00:51:16
RICK JAMES
ah What did you do? Did you hit a tree with your drone, Spencer?
00:51:21
Spencer Strait
Um, yeah, something like that. i actually, we did get a good, we got a great shot out of that.
00:51:23
RICK JAMES
yeah All I see is just...
00:51:28
Spencer Strait
I'm not actually going to lie. It was a good shot, but I put it into sport mode.
00:51:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
but Thank you.
00:51:32
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:51:32
Spencer Strait
It gets rid of the caution symbols and stopping the drone. I'm like, man, this is a great shot. I'm going to keep going. And then just out of the corner of the camera footage, I see this branch. And then right after that, it was toast.
00:51:46
RICK JAMES
Boom.
00:51:46
Spencer Strait
And I thought it was good because the drones are pretty durable. We've done that in the past before. I'm like, shit, it's on the main drive lane of this big property at a mall.
00:51:52
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, that makes sense.
00:51:56
Spencer Strait
So all Jeremy sees me hauling ass over there trying to get it.
00:51:58
RICK JAMES
but Just all ass. Yeah.
00:52:00
Spencer Strait
but thing was The thing was mangled. Thank goodness we had the protection plan. So they sent us a new one. was like, i don't think they're going fix this one.
00:52:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh
00:52:06
RICK JAMES
Yes.
00:52:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
So we've established that Orland Park Mall is the Bermuda Triangle for snow.
00:52:08
Big Daddy
Don't run it over.
00:52:13
RICK JAMES
Yes.
00:52:13
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
00:52:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
and
00:52:14
Spencer Strait
Hey, but it's tried and true.
00:52:14
Big Daddy
there you go.
00:52:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's like.
00:52:16
Spencer Strait
They love us. They love our service. We go back every year. Just keep us away from shopping carts.
00:52:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, it's.
00:52:21
RICK JAMES
Nobody dare...
00:52:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's probably entertaining as hell for them.
00:52:21
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah.
00:52:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, what are these guys going to get into next year?
00:52:24
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:52:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
like That's great.
00:52:26
Spencer Strait
Weekly dose of security camera footage.
00:52:28
RICK JAMES
the
00:52:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
but
00:52:29
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, security loves us. Keep them awake.
00:52:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
is there There's no footage of your dad hitting the light pole and trapping himself in the machine, right?
00:52:36
Lucas & Blake Strait
I'm sure there was.
00:52:36
Spencer Strait
Nowadays, probably not.
00:52:37
Lucas & Blake Strait
we just didn't get it.
00:52:37
Spencer Strait
I'm sure there was.
00:52:38
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, we should have.
00:52:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh.
00:52:40
Spencer Strait
He probably paid the security guard to delete it.
00:52:40
Lucas & Blake Strait
Well, there was a...
00:52:43
Big Daddy
That'd be 10 grand on America's Funniest Home Videos.
00:52:43
Lucas & Blake Strait
There was for a couple of years...
00:52:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely. Absolutely.
00:52:48
Lucas & Blake Strait
For a couple of years there, we actually did the Orland Mall that's just north of it. Yeah. That was actually one of my first times... Well, first year's plowing
00:52:59
Lucas & Blake Strait
ah
00:52:59
Spencer Strait
In Old Red.
00:53:01
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, old red, my old 1500 Stepside. Yeah, it was a big mall. True gem.
00:53:05
RICK JAMES
Step side.
00:53:07
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, we got like 11 inches of snow there one night and we're plowing and we're plowing and the guys in the loaders were kind of going slow and Blake and I were on the top side of this mall. And it got to the point where windrowing so much, like Blake had his front wheel locked all the way to the one direction, trying to windrow the snow.
00:53:23
Lucas & Blake Strait
And I'm like, yeah, you could probably just leave that for the wheelers. snow was just pushing me at one point.
00:53:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
no
00:53:27
Lucas & Blake Strait
Like I can only do so much. ah Lucas took down a... ah Handicap sign. But don't worry. I had a quick repair. I sheared it clean off. So then I just got out my tool set, took the old one apart, put it back together. was just about a foot shorter than all the others.
00:53:44
Lucas & Blake Strait
But it was good to go instantly.
00:53:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Done. Problem solved.
00:53:47
Spencer Strait
ADA. There you go.
00:53:48
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, no, I have a...
00:53:48
Spencer Strait
Oh,
00:53:49
Lucas & Blake Strait
Oh, yeah, old red. Bring that up, Spencer. I've blown three CV axles on that thing.
00:53:54
Spencer Strait
oh gosh.
00:53:55
Lucas & Blake Strait
um
The Fire-prone Truck Story
00:53:56
Lucas & Blake Strait
Fuel pump.
00:53:56
Spencer Strait
That got me stuck at Orland.
00:53:57
Lucas & Blake Strait
It started on fire when Spencer was sleeping in it.
00:54:01
Spencer Strait
Oh, yeah.
00:54:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Really?
00:54:02
Spencer Strait
oran At Orland.
00:54:02
RICK JAMES
Right here.
00:54:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like on purpose or by accident?
00:54:02
Spencer Strait
Yes.
00:54:03
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, normally. We need another...
00:54:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
but
00:54:05
Spencer Strait
No, I was, I was plowing and Blake got a new truck at the time.
00:54:06
RICK JAMES
Okay.
00:54:09
Spencer Strait
So I took over old red and i had to fix a couple of things on And I detailed the crap out of that truck. I was so excited to finally plowing it. Cause I was always in a machine. I'm plowing. I'm like, you know, to a quick nap. The sun's coming up. We'll take a couple hours and finish this property up.
00:54:26
Spencer Strait
And i'm like, what is that smoke and smell? Like what is going on right now? So take a look under the hood. I don't notice anything. i'm like, all right, it's fine, whatever. And then the AC goes out. and I'm like, oh crap, what's going on?
00:54:37
Spencer Strait
So it turns out, I forgot what was wrong with it. it It was terrible, but it took me like six hours to fix the truck. i had to replace the alternator, the radiator in the parking lot. It was, that truck was just doomed from the moment my dad and Blake bought it.
00:54:52
Lucas & Blake Strait
I think you lost a belt and then it was like rubbing on something and started fire.
Truck vs. Loader Debate
00:54:58
Big Daddy
The look on Steve's face when you said the AC went out, he's thinking, what the fuck is the AC on for in the middle of winter?
00:54:58
Spencer Strait
No, the,
00:55:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm like, that's probably what's happening.
00:55:05
Spencer Strait
Oh, sorry. No, no, no. Sorry. The heat went out.
00:55:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
but
00:55:07
Spencer Strait
The AC was running. So I was like, I got to go check it out.
00:55:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. ah say
00:55:10
Big Daddy
Oh, shit.
00:55:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah That's called karma. You're running the AC during a snowstorm.
00:55:16
Big Daddy
Oh, my God.
00:55:16
Lucas & Blake Strait
No, Lucas runs the AC.
00:55:16
Spencer Strait
Yeah, right?
00:55:17
Lucas & Blake Strait
I do, yeah.
00:55:18
Spencer Strait
Yeah, me and Lucas both.
00:55:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Are you really?
00:55:19
Lucas & Blake Strait
You frost, yeah.
00:55:20
Spencer Strait
Yeah.
00:55:20
RICK JAMES
It's defrosting.
00:55:20
Lucas & Blake Strait
they get the moisture out of the air.
00:55:21
Spencer Strait
And the wheel loader, windows are open, doors open, everything.
00:55:21
RICK JAMES
Works good for defrost. Yeah.
00:55:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh yeah. I just leave all the windows open.
00:55:24
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:55:26
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:55:26
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:55:28
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:55:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man. So would you guys you guys seem to like plowing in trucks. Would you rather plow in a truck or a loader?
00:55:33
Lucas & Blake Strait
I've actually, I've always loved popping in like a loader.
00:55:33
Spencer Strait
The loader.
00:55:37
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah. well Up until we started doing the Razorback development.
00:55:37
RICK JAMES
lower
00:55:40
Lucas & Blake Strait
Then I've been right back into a truck, honestly.
00:55:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, I'd imagine that's...
00:55:44
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:55:44
Big Daddy
I will agree 100%.
00:55:44
Lucas & Blake Strait
but
00:55:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:55:46
Big Daddy
I like plowing in equipment, but now that I have the Razorback, I love plowing in my truck again.
Razorback Plow Success Stories
00:55:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:55:51
Big Daddy
because Because you're able to get done what you need to get done now.
00:55:51
Lucas & Blake Strait
I don't know.
00:55:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
I can see that.
00:55:54
Big Daddy
You know, before you were fighting a seven and a half foot or an eight foot blade and you go so far and the shit's spilling off the side.
00:55:55
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:55:56
Spencer Strait
Thank you.
00:56:01
Big Daddy
Or you're trying to make a windrow and then you know how it is.
00:56:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:56:03
Big Daddy
Once that windrow starts to climb, you've got to take less and less of the blade. Well, that's where plowing and the equipment was great because you had the captivity of the wings, the side panels, and you were able to hog some snow and get some shit done.
00:56:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:56:10
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank you.
00:56:16
Big Daddy
Now I'm doing that same thing in my trunk because I put that thing in scoop mode and I can take that pile where I want to take it. I can push that sucker up high.
00:56:24
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, but it also it also scrapes well. It's not like you're sitting there pulling the wind and then the machine's got to come by and scrape it again because it won't you know they won't touch hard pack with with the Razorback at will.
00:56:28
Big Daddy
Right.
00:56:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. yep
00:56:29
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:56:33
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:56:37
Lucas & Blake Strait
It actually feels like you're doing something. When we went to Indy this year and i got like 15 inches of snow,
00:56:40
Big Daddy
Thank you.
00:56:44
Lucas & Blake Strait
um that was the first time I got to use the like the pre-production Razorback because we haven't had a lot of snow here in the Midwest. The full kit you're saying? Yeah, the full kit. Yeah. And so we went down there with four trucks to go plow ah with a contractor that we know and and rent some equipment to.
00:57:00
Lucas & Blake Strait
And we gave him one of the plows, one of the R&D units, and he came and picked it up. And this guy's Indy, so we're like, eh, you know, he probably won't get that much chance the to use it. Maybe he'll get on the road with us and we'll go plow snow up with Jeremy with him or something. And Sure enough, the guy that was you know less likely to get snow, he gets 15 inches of it.
00:57:18
Lucas & Blake Strait
Like the week after he grabbed the plow. Yeah, he literally grabbed it.
00:57:20
Big Daddy
Bye.
00:57:21
Lucas & Blake Strait
And then a week later, he had 15 inches coming in. So we went down there and plowed with him. And he had a couple of loaders on his sites and they had the the boss pushers on him. And at one point we were clearing the snow so effectively, we just, the guy just stopped.
00:57:30
RICK JAMES
right.
00:57:34
Lucas & Blake Strait
He just sat and watched us. It was almost like he was in our way and it was pretty slick once he plowed. So then he couldn't really move a lot of snow. So we're just moving all the snow with these trucks. He's sliding everywhere. Yeah, and I'm like, man, i I'm ashamed to admit, I knew the retrofit kits were fun and they were a big, big upgrade, but I didn't think that the full kit would be this good, like no bullshit.
00:57:55
Lucas & Blake Strait
And I actually really enjoyed, block see like John and i historically, you know we're always fielding a bunch of phone calls, running the guys, dealing with all the problems.
00:58:05
Lucas & Blake Strait
You know you could take 300 phone calls in one night, managing several zones.
00:58:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah.
00:58:09
Lucas & Blake Strait
And John always managed a lot more than I did. I can only imagine what his phone felt like, but it's just really taxing on you mentally. So you don't really get to enjoy it.
00:58:21
Lucas & Blake Strait
And those trips that we get to take to do the Razorback you know prototyping, it's really enjoyable because your phone's not exploding. So you're sitting there talking to the guys, BSing on the radio.
00:58:31
Lucas & Blake Strait
You get to actually enjoy it. So you'll be in 40 hours plowing in the truck and it feels like nothing in comparison. I really enjoy it
00:58:40
Big Daddy
Jeremy, you can attest to you saw it when we went to that that warehouse to do that last segment of the episode, how deep that snow was getting and how efficiently those Razorback pickup truck piles were pushing that stuff.
00:58:46
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:58:48
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:58:56
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank you.
00:58:56
Big Daddy
And they weren't lifting, they were moving it.
00:58:56
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah.
00:58:59
Big Daddy
You were pulling the stuff out away from the loading dock area for us to push through it, and that would grab those mountains of snow and move it fully with it being clean on the bottom.
00:58:59
RICK JAMES
Yeah, they were...
00:59:09
Big Daddy
You'd never get that with a regular straight blade or or bla like that.
00:59:12
RICK JAMES
No.
00:59:13
Big Daddy
Not happening.
00:59:14
RICK JAMES
No. yeah was It was great to see it in person and everything. Like ah like everybody, you know, Andy's got that one from you guys and everybody's like, well, what do you think of the Razorback? I'm like, it's all I can ever say is it's an Arctic. It's an Arctic on a pickup.
00:59:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:59:28
RICK JAMES
That's all you have to say.
00:59:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
ye
00:59:28
RICK JAMES
it cleans just like an Arctic, they like a wheel loader or whatever. and It's on a pickup. So it's fucking amazing. so and Yeah.
00:59:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
There's a reason.
00:59:34
Lucas & Blake Strait
It's
00:59:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
There's a reason we now call Metal Plus Storm Steve Arctic Steve.
00:59:39
Lucas & Blake Strait
still on the truck.
00:59:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Because he yeah he wouldn't give it back once he once he got to use it.
00:59:39
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:59:40
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
00:59:40
Spencer Strait
but
00:59:40
RICK JAMES
Yeah. yeah
00:59:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
He loved it so much he wouldn't give it back.
00:59:46
Lucas & Blake Strait
That's funny.
00:59:46
Big Daddy
You know, you can sit here and tell people time and time again about these products and about all this stuff.
00:59:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:59:50
Big Daddy
But honestly, with us, seeing is believing because once these people use it, they realize it.
00:59:57
Spencer Strait
Thank
00:59:58
Big Daddy
They really really realize it.
00:59:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:59:59
Big Daddy
Yep, there it is.
00:59:59
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
01:00:00
Big Daddy
Arctic Steve. I love it.
01:00:02
Lucas & Blake Strait
it's funny
01:00:02
Big Daddy
I love it.
01:00:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:00:03
Big Daddy
On your phone.
01:00:03
Lucas & Blake Strait
and this has turned in This is turning into a Razorback.
01:00:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
There's no going back.
01:00:04
Big Daddy
That's great. No, that's no bullshit. Steve, you you even said that yourself.
01:00:06
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, we better get back to telling stories.
01:00:08
Big Daddy
How long did it take you to finally get one? And now you're hooked.
01:00:12
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:00:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Who me?
01:00:12
RICK JAMES
It'll
01:00:12
Big Daddy
Yeah. Yeah.
01:00:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
You killed the snow for me. I had the opposite effect with the Razorback. Once it showed up, it killed our huge busy season. We were done. It showed up and the next day we were done. It was over.
01:00:23
Big Daddy
We, it has that kind of magic.
01:00:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. The snow was afraid of it.
01:00:26
RICK JAMES
come back.
01:00:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like the Arctic goody truck showed up and the winter was like, all right, we're done here.
01:00:27
RICK JAMES
you i'll come back
01:00:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Let's move on. We've, we've messed with these guys enough.
01:00:33
Spencer Strait
for
01:00:33
Big Daddy
Yep.
01:00:35
Spencer Strait
We forgot to christen you, so we apologize.
01:00:35
Lucas & Blake Strait
How about you
01:00:37
Big Daddy
Yeah. And, you know, backing up, backing up what Lucas said, it, in 2008, I got my plow taken away.
01:00:38
Lucas & Blake Strait
How about you guys?
01:00:44
Big Daddy
I got a new truck and Randy said, no more of you plowing. You got to supervise that type of thing. So when I had the opportunity to get this, this ah Razorback on the truck, it was the very first shot we did when we went out by, out by Stan, out by Dirt Monkey with the F-550s and that.
01:01:04
Big Daddy
We didn't have weather here. So the phone wasn't ringing. No one was calling you.
01:01:09
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
01:01:10
Big Daddy
You just had the mindset of we're plowing snow. And it was an actual joy.
01:01:13
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
01:01:16
Big Daddy
It was fun not only doing it, but looking at what that product did. and And I still here I am. I'm talking about it And if you could see the hairs on my arm are standing up. I still get excited talking about it because Fucking A, man, that's something that we built.
01:01:32
Big Daddy
That's something we did. We're not just promoting somebody else's product. Oh, yeah, this plow is doing great or that plow is doing great. It's our shit. We've built it. The people that are on this phone call have designed it, have welded it together, have put it on the truck.
01:01:48
Big Daddy
and have marketed it to get other people to understand how good it is.
01:01:53
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank you.
01:01:53
Big Daddy
So many people were against the sectional when we first came out with it. The biggest line was, that'll never work, it has too many moving parts. And now, I can't even count how many people have these things now.
01:02:08
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
01:02:09
Big Daddy
Seeing is believing. And that's why we have the big booths at Saima. That's why we do all these shows because I can go get a 10 by 10 and have a video play of my plow all day long.
01:02:21
Big Daddy
That is not the same as walking up to it and putting your hands on it and touching it, which you guys never saw this part on the heavy duty plow.
01:02:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
You know,
01:02:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
it's not.
01:02:32
Big Daddy
We would make couplers out of wood so that you could pick it up and you could show a guy how it slides up and down and adjusts. We had a wing that was made out of wood so you could show how it would ride up, come into the curb.
01:02:47
Big Daddy
Nine out of 10 people would walk up the thing, grab it, shake it back and forth and go, that's wood. That's never going to last. Come on.
01:02:55
RICK JAMES
ah
01:02:56
Big Daddy
yeah And then the smart comment comes back.
01:02:56
Lucas & Blake Strait
The best line was like,
01:02:56
RICK JAMES
Bye.
01:02:58
Big Daddy
Well, we do that so you can go to Home Depot and buy the parts.
01:03:02
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, you just make it. It's a build a set. You just make it. I had a good old boy look at me like, are you serious?
01:03:05
Big Daddy
You know, it just,
01:03:09
Lucas & Blake Strait
I'm like, yeah.
01:03:10
Big Daddy
you have to screw with them back. You do because, I mean, come on, you really think that that would be wood?
01:03:11
Lucas & Blake Strait
you know You don't have to buy my toys. You just make them.
01:03:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
So when we, ah when I got my first sectional, I remember telling it's the same guy, ah Blake, that, that looked over the Razorback when it got there and like, was really looking at the guts of it and kept saying, well, well that ain't dumb like that, you know, man, a few words.
01:03:16
Big Daddy
You know?
01:03:19
Spencer Strait
Bye.
01:03:30
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah. yeah
01:03:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
So he's telling me you spend how much on this, on this plow for this, for this machine. And I told him, he's like, are you kidding me? Why would you spend this much money? I'm like, let's just, just watch it.
01:03:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Just watch it in action once. So we went to a parking lot that hadn't been plowed in like the previous two storms. was all frozen. And I said, How hard packed is this?
01:03:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
And he looked at all. He's like yeah, oh yeah. I mean, it's totally hard packed. I'm like, all right, good. Kids doing donuts, the whole nine below freezing temps for a week. So i said just watch. I made one pass with it.
01:04:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
And he's like, okay. I was like, man, a few words.
01:04:07
Lucas & Blake Strait
How
01:04:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
He's like, okay, we need a 10 footer. he We need, we got the eight. We needed 10 now. And that was it off to the races. But yeah, he's, he's funny with that.
01:04:17
Spencer Strait
Thank you.
01:04:18
Lucas & Blake Strait
um but about you guys? What do you like more? Machines or trucks?
01:04:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, um definitely the machines for for me. Definitely. that I mean, that changed the game for us going from trucks to the skids and the ah the compact loaders. um It's just it's night and day how much we can get done.
01:04:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, and we can we're tight enough that we can road our stuff to from site to site. So it makes makes a lot of sense for us. But, you know, I did this year. I took myself out of the loop basically. And I just went around kind of checking sites and filling in. So I did a fair amount of, of plowing in my truck, just dropping the blade.
01:04:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
And I just kept saying like, I can't imagine how good like the Razorback is going to be when I get it. Or like even snow power, something that is something that's not traditional, you know, the big three, something that's going to maximize the productivity of this truck.
01:05:06
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah. Something innovative. Yeah.
01:05:11
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
01:05:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
And That will be like when I actually start plowing with the Razorback, you might not get me in another machine because I do like the creature comforts of my truck. You know, i do like having more room than a skid or a compact.
01:05:20
RICK JAMES
Thank you.
01:05:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's it's nice. And I can take I can take the kids plowing to in that and and actually still be productive because they they're at the age now where they want to come out in the in the white stuff with us.
01:05:33
Lucas & Blake Strait
and That's cool.
01:05:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yup. And that would be good. But you know, my son wants the controller at all times. That's the thing. He, he wants to, he wants the controller. He's too big to sit on my lap, but he can, he can run a skid with a sectional at nine years old last year. So he, he did, he got in there, he plowed the shop.
01:05:51
Lucas & Blake Strait
That's awesome.
01:05:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
So, yeah, no, it's I and I tell people that like, dude, if if you got a nine year old, you can and you got pilot controls on a skid, you can teach any operator how to use an Arctic and how to plow like ah looking like a professional in 20 minutes. They will be just fine with that thing.
01:06:08
Big Daddy
and
01:06:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's so easy. And like a nine year old.
01:06:09
Lucas & Blake Strait
Hey, Spencer, get on that with marketing.
01:06:12
Spencer Strait
i met
01:06:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:06:13
Lucas & Blake Strait
Nine-year-old approved.
01:06:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go.
01:06:15
RICK JAMES
Yep, yep.
01:06:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Riley will do a video for you.
01:06:18
RICK JAMES
I got pictures, I got videos of Cade doing it back in the day when he was, think he was, he was, he was younger than that.
01:06:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
He'll do it. There you go.
01:06:23
RICK JAMES
I think he was six or seven running a compact.
01:06:25
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
01:06:25
Big Daddy
Trevor was six when he started. Trevor was six with the pilot controls when he started doing it.
01:06:28
RICK JAMES
Yep.
01:06:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:06:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:06:31
Spencer Strait
That's crazy.
01:06:32
Lucas & Blake Strait
Back in the day, man.
01:06:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Yeah, Riley did it. This was the first year he actually went around the neighborhood with a shovel and shoveled driveways and made his own money and stuff at nine.
01:06:39
Big Daddy
At 10? Good for him.
01:06:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, he was he was nine.
01:06:42
Lucas & Blake Strait
ask him.
01:06:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
And my wife would my wife would walk around with him and let him let him do the driveways and stuff. He had like six or seven of them that he did. And he was real proud of himself making his own money. But, you know, typical young kid, he's like, you know, knowing dad's got equipment. He goes, hey, yeah dad, yeah, I did. I did seven driveways. Good boy. You know, nice job. How much money did you make? ah I made this much money.
01:07:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome. Yeah. Can you do me a favor? of The next storm, you bring one of the vent tracks. but like I want to use one of the vent tracks on these driveways. It'll make it more efficient. I'm like, you're speaking my language, but it ain't working.
01:07:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
You know, what yeah you know I like the efficiency thing.
01:07:16
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
01:07:16
RICK JAMES
Thank
01:07:16
Big Daddy
Oh,
01:07:17
RICK JAMES
exactly
01:07:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
I like that you're thinking, but no, you know, keep shoveling, bud. You got some time.
01:07:22
Big Daddy
oh
01:07:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man.
01:07:25
Big Daddy
God, that's funny stuff.
01:07:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Any other stories, boys? What else you guys got?
01:07:30
Spencer Strait
I think that's all for me.
01:07:30
Lucas & Blake Strait
Well, we got to john you got the story about the guys playing tag in the skid series.
01:07:36
Big Daddy
Oh, wow. That's, yeah. Yeah. well You know, you got the, you got to tell them, like you said, Steve, there's a, there's a camera everywhere now.
01:07:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:07:45
Big Daddy
And we try and make it clear to them because I get a property that I got a couple guys on and they would start screwing around because they got most of the lot done and they were just going to check corners and that. And one guy's got a bucket on, he's, you know, putting up the corner, doing this and that.
01:08:02
Big Daddy
We start chasing each other around the parking lot.
01:08:04
Spencer Strait
Thank you.
01:08:05
Big Daddy
See who can get behind who and pick their ass end up while they're running across the lot.
01:08:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jesus.
01:08:09
Big Daddy
And it's all on camera. It's like, guys, you know, and you know, who's going to see that, that little pimple faced, 20 year old who's the manager at Dollar Tree who's trying to make a name for himself and he's going to be sending it to corporate going hey these guys did a good job but look what they're doing in the parking lot they got to think about that shit cameras are everywhere people got phones in their hand that's why I said there's so many reels out there's so many you you know extreme videos you see all those things put together now how do people get that shit picking that phone up dash cameras all that
01:08:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:08:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Everywhere.
01:08:46
Big Daddy
You can't fuck around anymore. You have to do what you're supposed to do. You can't screw off. You can't be jumping out of the skid steer, taking a leak on a tire in the middle of the parking lot because someone's going to see you.
01:08:58
Big Daddy
None of that. It's all got to go away, man. you've got ah You've got to be as efficient, as as smart as you can when you do this shit.
01:09:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, sir. 100%. Yep.
01:09:07
Big Daddy
Well...
01:09:07
Lucas & Blake Strait
Seasonal hope is just magical, isn't it?
01:09:07
RICK JAMES
Bless you, one of...
01:09:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah Spencer, do you want to ah you want to talk about what you guys got cooking for Simon, you want to do that in a separate episode?
01:09:17
Spencer Strait
Yeah, we could just go over it real quick. um
01:09:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do it.
01:09:21
Spencer Strait
It's right around the corner. I was actually just talking to one of our new hires, Dylan. I was like, you know, I'm really excited for you to be on board. This is going to be a great year. And then I realized it's already May. So Simon is right around the corner.
01:09:33
Spencer Strait
We're going to be there just like we are every ah every year. But we're doing something a little bit different this year. We do host a private party, but this year we... we just really love being a part of this industry.
01:09:46
Spencer Strait
I, just like John says, the hair goes up on my arms when I think about how much history we have doing all this and being a part of it, the relationships we've made over the years.
01:09:47
Lucas & Blake Strait
right.
01:09:57
Spencer Strait
And i was like, you know, we really got to do something to give back to not only the community, but the people within the industry that not only make us successful, but make everyone successful.
Razorback Plow Appreciation Event
01:10:07
Spencer Strait
So on the 18th, Wednesday, the day before the main Simon show starts, we are going to be doing a appreciation event partnered with case CNH.
01:10:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
01:10:17
Spencer Strait
And that's going to be from six to 12 at the B O B in grand Rapids. So we're going to be revealing the Razorback full kit there. ah The winner of love my Arctic, it's going to be drinks, food. It's going to great time.
01:10:28
Spencer Strait
You don't have to sign up. You just have to show up. We're going to release some more information on it on our website as well as social media. ah So everyone will definitely be hearing about it. And we have a really kick-ass band called Mike and Joe, and they're coming all the way out from Chicago to play for it.
01:10:43
Spencer Strait
So like I said, drinks, food, going to be merchandise, giveaways. I know Case was telling us that they're doing some exclusive apparel that has our logos on it as well.
01:10:52
RICK JAMES
Ooh.
01:10:52
Spencer Strait
So that'll be pretty interesting. And we're just really excited for it.
01:10:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome.
01:10:57
RICK JAMES
Nice. Awesome.
01:10:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, that's going to be a great time.
01:10:58
RICK JAMES
It'll
01:10:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sorry, I'm going to miss that.
01:11:01
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
01:11:01
Spencer Strait
That's okay.
01:11:01
Big Daddy
It'll be the party that'll be talked about for time to come.
01:11:02
RICK JAMES
be a blast.
01:11:02
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
01:11:02
RICK JAMES
Oh,
01:11:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, it absolutely will. like just like yeah Just like the parties last year raised the bar.
01:11:06
Spencer Strait
Ain't no...
01:11:07
RICK JAMES
yeah.
01:11:07
Spencer Strait
hey
01:11:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think this is i think this year that party will raise the bar again.
01:11:12
Lucas & Blake Strait
ah
01:11:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's going to be tough to top.
01:11:14
Spencer Strait
Yeah, tenfold.
01:11:14
RICK JAMES
There
01:11:15
Spencer Strait
Ain't no party like an Arctic party, and we're taking that for real.
01:11:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Amen. Amen.
01:11:18
RICK JAMES
you go.
01:11:18
Lucas & Blake Strait
We have the Arctic party the next night at the same place with more floors.
01:11:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
amen
01:11:22
Lucas & Blake Strait
So Spencer did a great job on picking the venue.
01:11:25
Spencer Strait
Yeah, it's it's a cool place.
01:11:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Amen.
01:11:27
Spencer Strait
Anyone from the Grand Rapids area has been there and gone out for the nightlife. The B.O.B. the Bob. I call it the B.O.B., but the Bob is the number one place to be.
01:11:38
Spencer Strait
It's going to be a really good time. And it's only a few-minute walk away from the Divas Center or DeVos.
01:11:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, if the, if the, you ever get bored with the snow game, Spencer, it sounds like you got a future in party planning.
01:11:49
Spencer Strait
Yeah, right?
01:11:50
RICK JAMES
Hmm.
01:11:50
Spencer Strait
There go.
01:11:52
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah ah Like I said, I don't have any really funny stories.
01:11:54
Big Daddy
Oh.
01:11:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, anything else boys.
01:11:57
Spencer Strait
That's all for me.
01:12:02
Lucas & Blake Strait
Most of it is just long hours and doing what everyone else knows comes with the but the space of the snow industry. And I'll kind of lean on Spencer being a party planner, not really related to snow though, but when I was in ah high school and he was barely middle school, he had a party at our house and there was kids from my high school that heard about it as a middle schooler.
01:12:22
Spencer Strait
ah
01:12:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
if The statute of limitations has expired.
01:12:27
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
01:12:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
We can talk about that.
01:12:30
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
01:12:30
Big Daddy
but
01:12:30
Lucas & Blake Strait
I had a tight shirt, Steve, the DJ, set up a full DJ set up on the balcony of my dad's house and just rocked the neighborhood.
01:12:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
01:12:39
Lucas & Blake Strait
We told the neighbors ahead of time, hey, you guys should come by for some drinks to try to, you know, calm the seas. i said, yeah yeah, you don't understand. It's going to really loud.
01:12:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh That's great.
01:12:48
Spencer Strait
Yeah, we've had some good parties, especially in college too. It's always been a good time. So we'll try and relay that a little bit over to the Arctic parties.
01:12:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome.
01:12:55
Spencer Strait
Yeah.
01:12:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
01:12:56
Big Daddy
you know it's kind of It's kind of something these guys look forward to because they did just get out of winter.
01:12:57
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:13:01
Big Daddy
They did put in those hours. They had all that. And it is just, I don't know you want to say, take the edge off, but it's a tasteful party.
01:13:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Amen.
01:13:11
Big Daddy
you know It's a good time.
01:13:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:13:11
Spencer Strait
It's a time to celebrate.
01:13:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:13:13
Big Daddy
It's a time to celebrate.
01:13:13
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:13:14
Big Daddy
It's a time to have That casual conversation, we can have a business conversation in the booth, talk about that plow. We can bullshit and have casual conversation at that kind of party.
01:13:27
Big Daddy
And honestly, more business gets done at that type of thing.
01:13:27
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank you.
01:13:30
Big Daddy
Then when you are sitting there and you're all strict business, you know, in the booth trying to deal with things.
01:13:31
Spencer Strait
Okay.
01:13:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred percent
01:13:35
RICK JAMES
Yep.
01:13:35
Spencer Strait
ah
01:13:35
RICK JAMES
Yep. Always...
01:13:37
Spencer Strait
Yeah, 100%. I always tell people to the cool thing about art parties is I've never seen atmosphere where everyone's so laid back, having a good time talking over some drinks. And there's so many people there that are direct competitors with each other.
01:13:50
Spencer Strait
i mean, direct competitors and they, you would never think that they weren't best friends. I mean, everyone is so close and it's a very niche industry. We really love being a part of it and to have a party like that and bring out a the best of everyone and the best memories and just to celebrate the year and the year ahead.
01:14:10
Big Daddy
Great way to put it.
01:14:11
Spencer Strait
Yeah, it's awesome.
01:14:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Amen.
01:14:13
RICK JAMES
Yeah, definitely.
01:14:13
Big Daddy
Great way to put it.
01:14:15
RICK JAMES
It's always something always look forward to, an Arctic party, like we say.
01:14:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
and
01:14:18
RICK JAMES
Ain't no party like an Arctic party. It's just fun to hang out with your buddies.
01:14:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it.
01:14:21
Spencer Strait
I have to send Steve some videos.
01:14:22
RICK JAMES
and
01:14:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep, definitely.
01:14:24
RICK JAMES
Yeah, yeah.
01:14:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Definitely, definitely.
01:14:27
RICK JAMES
We can do a live stream or something that night just to make them feel left out.
01:14:30
Big Daddy
Wait, has Steve gotten with the program and gotten Snapchat yet so he can get in on all this?
01:14:30
Lucas & Blake Strait
We'll get you...
01:14:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
No,
01:14:34
RICK JAMES
No, no, know no, no.
01:14:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
and no na no, no,
01:14:36
Big Daddy
Come on, dude.
01:14:36
Spencer Strait
He's still got his foot on.
01:14:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
hu
01:14:38
Lucas & Blake Strait
What is... What is...
01:14:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
I have both. I have both. Hold on. Yeah, I have both.
01:14:41
RICK JAMES
He's got a flip phone.
01:14:42
Big Daddy
Oh, Jesus.
01:14:44
Lucas & Blake Strait
Well, the e-phone.
01:14:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
I have both.
01:14:46
Lucas & Blake Strait
We'll get you one of those iPads on wheels where can, like, FaceTime yourself on a party.
01:14:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's that?
01:14:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Bang. Look at that. Still.
01:14:51
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:14:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Still, baby.
01:14:52
Big Daddy
My God. Wait a minute.
01:14:53
RICK JAMES
That's called a burner phone, Steve.
01:14:53
Big Daddy
Is that a Nextel?
01:14:55
RICK JAMES
That's called a burner.
01:14:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, I wish, dude. I was one of the guys that was sad to see Nextels go.
01:14:59
Big Daddy
Nextel was the shit.
01:14:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
I love those things.
01:14:59
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah. That's a fun story about Nextel.
01:15:01
Big Daddy
What?
01:15:03
Lucas & Blake Strait
John, you want me to tell about that one?
01:15:04
Big Daddy
Go for it, dude. Because as soon as we said that, I was thinking about it. Go for it.
01:15:08
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah. So back in the day, and this is a little before my time, we were the biggest user Nextel
Communication Evolution in Snow Operations
01:15:14
Lucas & Blake Strait
in the Midwest. I don't know if it was the whole country. i won't I won't take that claim, but we were the biggest end user. We had them in all the loaders, all the salt trucks, all the sidewalk trucks, all the pickups, everything.
01:15:27
Lucas & Blake Strait
We all had them on our hips.
01:15:27
Spencer Strait
Jesus.
01:15:29
Lucas & Blake Strait
the big The big brick with the big 12-inch stiff antenna, and those things work very well.
01:15:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. yep
01:15:32
RICK JAMES
Yep.
01:15:35
Lucas & Blake Strait
Why they took that network down, I bet they're kicking themselves in the ass now over it because they spent the like the next 20 years trying to recreate it. And it was but was when Sprint bought Nextel to essentially close the deal, they had to buy dad out of this contract because what it essentially was, it could not be ended, could not be voided, nothing.
01:16:00
Lucas & Blake Strait
I think the terminology is written in blood or whatever it was. So in order for Sprint to finalize the purchase with Nextel, they had to give us a smoking deal.
01:16:03
RICK JAMES
Sure.
01:16:10
Lucas & Blake Strait
And I think it ended up being like 400 phones for free every couple years. The service plan costs like nothing. And then it was pretty much nothing because I think like it was only five years after that and we jumped ship because they ruined it
01:16:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:16:24
Lucas & Blake Strait
But Nextel, anywhere across the country, you could chirp someone instantly. And I don't really know of anything that has come close to the reliability and speed that they had. So that's kind of a sad story.
01:16:34
Spencer Strait
Thank you.
01:16:34
Big Daddy
Well, that new rapid radios thing is now saying that it's copying Nextel and you pay for the thing.
01:16:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
No.
01:16:37
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:16:40
Lucas & Blake Strait
You know, I hear a lot of mixed reviews. I hear a lot of people love it. And then I hear the other side of it with nothing in the middle is it's bullshit. It doesn't work. So don't know.
01:16:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, I've heard both.
01:16:49
Big Daddy
Well, the disadvantage to that though, with the Nextel, you had your phone and the two-way.
01:16:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
I've heard both sides.
01:16:49
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
01:16:53
Big Daddy
Now you got to carry your phone and a two-way.
01:16:54
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
01:16:56
Big Daddy
You got to carry two different things. And like Lucas and a few of the other guys all carry two phones.
01:17:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
The disadvantage to the disadvantage to Nextel was if you had friends that were total clowns and knew that they could just chirp you and start talking without you being able to stop.
01:17:02
Big Daddy
So now you're going to carry a third thing?
01:17:12
Lucas & Blake Strait
a
01:17:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah And you're in church or something. Hey, fucker. like i
01:17:17
Lucas & Blake Strait
um
01:17:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
but and Crap.
01:17:20
Big Daddy
Luke, go back go back to the story, Luke.
01:17:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
I forgot to turn it off.
01:17:22
Lucas & Blake Strait
No, I mean, that was the end of it. that They ended up giving us a lot of free phones and of essentially very inexpensive service, which didn't amount to anything because they just ruined it. it didn't work and it never came back really.
01:17:37
Lucas & Blake Strait
So.
01:17:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'll never understand why they did away with it.
01:17:37
Big Daddy
We had...
01:17:38
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah had to make We had to make all of our own stuff after that. I mean, we worked with AT&T and tried to work with Verizon. And now I think we still kind of tried to figure it out with another company. It's been a whole fiasco.
01:17:51
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
01:17:52
Big Daddy
we ah We used to have what they call groups. um you know this This part of town was group one, this part of town was group two. My group was group three, and we went all the way up to nine groups.
01:18:04
Big Daddy
And like group 10 was the mechanics. They always monitored group 10. If there was a problem, and you turn your radio to group 10, you call the mechanic, blah, blah, blah.
01:18:12
Big Daddy
Well, we would be out there and there was surprisingly always activity going on on John's group. So everyone would be turning their radios to group three to get involved with it.
01:18:12
Lucas & Blake Strait
Oh.
01:18:20
RICK JAMES
weird.
01:18:23
Big Daddy
Oh, Randy would be out there and he'd go on to group one. Hey, how's everybody going? How's it going out there? How's everybody doing? Hello?
01:18:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Crickets.
01:18:31
Big Daddy
Hello? Is anybody there? Go to the next group. Hey, it's Randy. Is anyone out there? All these people were on group three. Randy could never find everybody. You know, you would pass the night by so fast going back and forth on those damn nextiles.
01:18:45
Big Daddy
and The sun would be coming up before you knew it The night was gone. You know how it is.
01:18:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:18:49
Big Daddy
Before they had radios and these loaders and shit, it's like, oh my God, how much longer am I going to be out here?
01:18:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah.
01:18:55
Big Daddy
Oh shit, I've only been out here three hours. It feels like you've been out all night. You got good music playing.
01:18:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, sir.
01:19:00
Big Daddy
You got a conversation going on. Jeremy, I noticed in your video that you guys all have headsets on. Do you have two ways going through that or does everybody on the telephone
01:19:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
No.
01:19:09
RICK JAMES
No, we we we have two ways, but most guys turn the two ways off now.
01:19:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
we
01:19:13
RICK JAMES
We're all on the Google Meet. We're all on a phone call. We got like 40, 50 guys on a phone call.
01:19:19
Big Daddy
Okay, that's how you're able to talk back and forth.
01:19:20
RICK JAMES
I mean, they yeah, they all just – yeah, it it's great.
01:19:22
Big Daddy
That's awesome.
01:19:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:19:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, we took that from them.
01:19:26
RICK JAMES
The guys love it.
01:19:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's great.
01:19:27
RICK JAMES
We we talk about all the time, but it's –
01:19:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
it Set up a Google meet with all your guys numbers and then you push send when the storm starts.
01:19:29
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah,
01:19:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
When guys get in the machines, you push 10 or send.
01:19:33
RICK JAMES
strip
01:19:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
They all got the Bluetooth headsets on and boom, they're on their own phone. They could still get phone calls from, you know, whoever they're getting phone calls from, but they're on the Google call and it's a, yeah.
01:19:41
RICK JAMES
Yep.
01:19:44
Big Daddy
I like it, that's a great idea.
01:19:44
RICK JAMES
They'll be on in 40 hours.
01:19:44
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah that's awesome.
01:19:45
RICK JAMES
40 hours.
01:19:46
Lucas & Blake Strait
I'd say when we...
01:19:46
Big Daddy
But that that time goes by so fast.
01:19:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, it flies.
01:19:48
RICK JAMES
oh yeah
01:19:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
And its it's instantaneous where, like I've said this on multiple episodes, where we've managed to avoid like three or four accidents in the last couple years just because the guys are all on the same chat. They're all talking live.
01:20:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
And it's like somebody says, whoa, whoa, stop. Everybody stops the machines. And then the one guy that was going to hit a car back into a car, he also stops and and he can get his bearings now. And you've avoided, you know, we've avoided a couple could have been good accidents in the last couple of years because of that. that live chat.
01:20:19
Big Daddy
Very cool.
01:20:19
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, first thing we do every time we roll out for like an R&D trip or something, we grab radios.
01:20:25
Lucas & Blake Strait
And it makes you so efficient. And the way you can communicate to each other and stay the same page. From the factory. Yeah. When the radio dies, you feel lost.
01:20:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, definitely.
01:20:34
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:20:34
Big Daddy
Yeah.
01:20:35
RICK JAMES
ah
01:20:36
Big Daddy
Yeah.
01:20:36
Lucas & Blake Strait
You're like, well, i had this radio for like eight hours or 12 hours or, and you're like, well, I don't what to do now.
01:20:36
RICK JAMES
Well, my guys.
01:20:40
Lucas & Blake Strait
I don't know how to communicate to anyone. yeah And then you realize how beneficial it is to have that open line of communication and how we've kind of lost it, you know?
01:20:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
um never sent
01:20:51
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, we have them in the salt trucks for that purpose, but with all the machines rotating out every year, and would, I think John would stab me if I asked them to uninstall and uninstall radios on every single machine.
01:21:04
Lucas & Blake Strait
yes
01:21:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, sir.
01:21:06
Big Daddy
Nice square tissue with a little bit of chloroform.
01:21:06
RICK JAMES
do Google Meet, John. Google Meet, John. Make different groups.
01:21:09
Big Daddy
ah I don't know, Jeremy, I might have to get on that with you guys and talk with you guys one night.
01:21:10
RICK JAMES
We can do that.
01:21:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, Google Meet in the Blue Parrot headset.
01:21:10
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
01:21:12
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:21:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's all you got to do.
01:21:13
RICK JAMES
A lot of my guys carry two headsets. When one goes dead, they grab the other.
01:21:18
Big Daddy
You know, maybe I need to jump in with you guys one night.
01:21:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, absolutely.
01:21:22
RICK JAMES
Oh, I'll put you on the call.
01:21:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jeremy's the the glacier chats are great.
01:21:23
Big Daddy
Would that not be crazy?
01:21:23
RICK JAMES
But every time we go out, yeah it every time we go out, it'll ring. It'll ring you I got people all over the country, all over the country, Your Honor.
01:21:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah. yeah
01:21:29
Big Daddy
Oh, shit.
01:21:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, two two years ago, not actually, was it three years ago when you guys were doing 55 inches and like 48 pushes?
01:21:34
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:21:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
That phone, because, you know, they get a they get an inch of snowfalls and then they're pushing one night and hauling the next three nights. So that that call was going, that my phone was ringing one in the morning, two in the morning.
01:21:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Every time somebody would push it, that thing was constantly going off for the glacier chat.
01:21:52
RICK JAMES
sorry. Mm-hmm.
01:21:55
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah, that's awesome.
01:21:57
Big Daddy
Yeah, see, that's that's where we we started running into what you said, Steve, problems where the guys were on a group or that because with as far, as big of a footprint as we have, we were shit, almost three hours from Northern Tip to Southern Tip.
01:21:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Then you have to explain that.
01:22:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, that's the nice thing about that Google meet.
01:22:14
Big Daddy
And
01:22:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
You could put those guys three hours away. They could all be on the same phone call chatting it up.
01:22:20
Big Daddy
But the guys up north would be plowing. The guys down south didn't have anything going on.
01:22:25
Lucas & Blake Strait
Thank
01:22:26
Big Daddy
So these guys all start chiming on the group and guys phones are going up in the kitchen.
01:22:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Ah.
01:22:31
Big Daddy
their their kids are getting woke up at two o'clock in the morning or a group of people like Lucas, myself and that would head home in the morning to go get some sleep.
01:22:34
RICK JAMES
so problem.
01:22:40
Big Daddy
Then the guys that were coming in in the day, the mechanics, all that would go and get out of group and start talking and wake you up. And you know how it is. All you need is a couple hours of sleep after being out all night.
01:22:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:22:50
Big Daddy
It's like a nap. You get woke up, you ain't falling back asleep. Shit, I was open for six hours.
01:22:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, you can actually set that up that way, just like you did with all your different zone groups. You can set the Google chats up like that with different groups of who you allow and what group.
01:23:03
Big Daddy
Sure, but when you go to bed because you're dead ass fucking tired, you don't remember to turn that shit off.
01:23:03
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah. We'll definitely look into it.
01:23:08
Big Daddy
And then it starts beeping or to not set the group up right. And you would get woke up, you know. So guys started turning it off and that.
01:23:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:23:15
Big Daddy
But man, how I wouldn't love to have that thing back.
01:23:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
The nice thing about the Google thing is you can mute the notification of Google.
01:23:21
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:23:22
Big Daddy
Yeah.
01:23:22
Lucas & Blake Strait
John, we're looking into the Google thing.
01:23:22
Big Daddy
10-4 on that.
01:23:24
Lucas & Blake Strait
We'll teach you, John. Wait. Are you telling me it's like the free Google on your computer?
01:23:27
RICK JAMES
I'll get you set up on ours. Sorry.
01:23:32
RICK JAMES
Hey,
01:23:33
Lucas & Blake Strait
I thought that was only on my computer. open
01:23:36
Big Daddy
Duck, duck, go.
01:23:36
RICK JAMES
He's a safari guy.
01:23:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh I remember when TVs had a back to them.
01:23:39
Big Daddy
That's pretty cool.
01:23:42
Lucas & Blake Strait
Back in my day.
01:23:42
Big Daddy
God.
01:23:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Oh man.
01:23:46
Big Daddy
oh
01:23:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
What else? Anything else boys?
01:23:47
Lucas & Blake Strait
I mean, I wasn't going to tell him.
01:23:48
Big Daddy
God, thanks for putting this together. It's great to laugh about this stuff now.
01:23:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, you guys are good. What do you got? What do you got? Uh, Lucas.
01:23:55
Lucas & Blake Strait
No, I mean, I like how this kind of just turned into us talking about fun stories in the past. i was goingnna talk about more like a personal one of like a week I worked 125 hours and started that week building double downs ended up in Wisconsin salting and then coming back down and helping John pick up a semi but maybe that'll just be a different story for another day yeah
01:24:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. Oh, we can definitely do that. Anytime.
01:24:20
RICK JAMES
Oh yeah, I think we're in it for a long haul.
01:24:21
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah but I think that was I was not prepared for the fun stories
01:24:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
All good. All good. Spencer, you got anything else?
01:24:28
RICK JAMES
Oh
01:24:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
All All right.
01:24:29
Spencer Strait
That's all for me. I think I'm all good on my end
01:24:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm not even going to ask big daddy because he's always got something else.
01:24:36
Lucas & Blake Strait
yeah
01:24:38
Spencer Strait
end. Yeah, we'll have love to do this again for sure.
01:24:39
Big Daddy
I'll get my thoughts together for another episode all itself.
01:24:39
RICK JAMES
yeah. Oh
01:24:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, absolutely.
01:24:43
RICK JAMES
yeah oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:24:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
We'll definitely do that.
01:24:44
Spencer Strait
and think we'll have to get my dad on one of these too. I think his will be three hours long and again.
01:24:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, a hundred percent.
01:24:48
Lucas & Blake Strait
Oh, man. yeah
01:24:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's, been it's already been too long to hear from your father.
01:24:49
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:24:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely.
01:24:52
Spencer Strait
Yeah.
01:24:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely. Uh, that that's anytime that's good. We'll just press record and sit back. That's great.
01:24:58
Lucas & Blake Strait
We'll start at 8 a.m.
01:24:58
RICK JAMES
We'll have to do it when the...
01:24:59
Lucas & Blake Strait
for his.
01:24:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
Episode Conclusion and Holiday Message
01:25:01
Big Daddy
none None of us would be able to tell these stories if it wasn't for that guy.
01:25:01
Lucas & Blake Strait
How much time do you have? Yeah.
01:25:04
Spencer Strait
it
01:25:04
RICK JAMES
<unk>ll We'll do it after the storm chasing episode.
01:25:05
Lucas & Blake Strait
Yeah.
01:25:07
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:25:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes. Yeah. When you guys were, were every storm chasing episode that comes out, we're, we're interviewing the, uh, the guys that were in it for the, uh, the main show, uh, the following Monday.
01:25:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
So we'll definitely, we'll set that up for the Arctic episode after that airs.
01:25:18
Big Daddy
Nice.
01:25:22
Spencer Strait
Sweet. That's a great idea.
01:25:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. All right.
01:25:25
Spencer Strait
you.
01:25:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Boys, good. We'll wrap it up.
01:25:28
Lucas & Blake Strait
ah Thank you. yeah
01:25:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
No problem, guys.
01:25:29
RICK JAMES
Thanks, guys.
01:25:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Anytime, man.
01:25:31
RICK JAMES
Have a great weekend.
01:25:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, gang. Well, then that's going to do it for this episode of the Snow Jobs Arctic Army Roll Call.
01:25:34
Spencer Strait
Thank
01:25:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
As always, guys, we got to thank our guests. Thank the Straight Brothers and John so much for the time. We'll see you all next month with another Arctic Army Roll Call. Everybody, if you're out there this weekend with the family, friends, have a great holiday weekend.
01:25:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Be safe. Drink responsibly. Keep pushing.