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00:00:01
S3-140: Listener Questions With Some Big Guys!
527 Plays2 days ago
The guys welcome back Todd Dickerson of Top Dog Services, and Dave Gerow of Triple J Contracting in Toronto to help answer some questions sent in by our listeners!
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Transcript
Podcast Introduction
00:00:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
here we go snow jobs nation back again bringing you episode 140 of the snow jobs podcast main show powered by top gun backblades as always i'm steve you know who's with me
00:00:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
the man the myth the legend mr jeremy lindstrom what's up jay how we doing all bringing the energy bringing the energy right out of the gate come on buddy let's go here how we doing
00:01:00
RICK JAMES
Hey, Steve-O. Just another day in paradise.
00:01:06
RICK JAMES
yeah Yeah, you know, I'm doing good. Doing good. I'm loading some salt this month.
00:01:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
What are you doing this week?
00:01:11
RICK JAMES
I've been kind of all over. Been in the combine a couple of days. Been down the cities, grabbed some stuff for putsy. Now I'm unloading salt trucks. So, yeah little bit of everything.
00:01:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Anything cool? What's putts getting?
00:01:24
RICK JAMES
i He got that hook lift from Tommy.
00:01:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:01:28
RICK JAMES
That hook truck from Tommy.
00:01:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:01:30
RICK JAMES
So I just went and got the parts for it or the other boxes for it.
Weather and Predictions
00:01:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool.
00:01:34
RICK JAMES
So yeah, covering some ground.
00:01:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool. Anything else going on?
00:01:38
RICK JAMES
How about you?
00:01:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
uh work just uh the other job just working get trying to get a ah bunch of overtime in trying to get a bunch of stuff uh done and and in line before we start cranking this because we had hard frost this morning and 29 degrees so it is coming
00:01:56
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it'll be while, yeah.
00:01:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
i don't know man i don't know and that's that's a little scary when it drops below 30 in early october
00:02:00
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah. You always say you're lucky to get snow before Christmas. You always say you barely get snow before Christmas out there.
00:02:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, we we weren't supposed to last year either, and we did, you know, not listening to not listening to the Weathermen.
00:02:13
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
Listener Engagement and Storm Chasing
00:02:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah That was the... ah the What's that?
00:02:23
RICK JAMES
What's with the what's with the bus now? Have you seen those posts of, oh, Rob, Rob's got like a weather bus going around the schools stuff.
00:02:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
No. I have not seen that.
00:02:32
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:02:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's Rob's boss.
00:02:34
RICK JAMES
So yeah. ah Says the weather pros on it. I mean, it's on.
00:02:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
What does it say? Free puppies and candy?
00:02:39
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I think so. Yeah. They're really trying to get people sucked in now. So yeah.
00:02:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man. No, they have a bus?
00:02:47
RICK JAMES
Yeah, or a camper or something. and yeah its It's all like wrapped in weather pro stuff. I picture Rob with is it holding his Emmy like a baby.
00:02:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
No.
00:02:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Does it really?
00:02:59
RICK JAMES
no I don't think he has that.
00:03:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right.
00:03:00
RICK JAMES
but He does have a bus, though.
00:03:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
That would have been... I mean, that wouldn't have been too far-fetched, honestly.
00:03:05
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I'll find it.
00:03:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Knowing Rob...
00:03:06
RICK JAMES
I'll send it to you.
00:03:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome. Good for them, man. they I know they do a lot of work with the schools talking weather and meteorology with the yeah but the schools and the little kids and stuff. So they love doing that. So good for them. That's pretty cool. They got their own bus.
00:03:20
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:03:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
That can't be real. Is it? You think it's real?
00:03:22
RICK JAMES
I'll send it to you. Don't you follow me on Instagram? You better.
00:03:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
I do, but nothing's popped up. I honestly have not been have not been looking at Instagram too much the last couple days. I am posting everything that we're we're tagged in, and then I kind of close it down because the Triple J minions are just destroying my phone.
00:03:33
RICK JAMES
whatever.
00:03:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, look at that. That can't be real, dude.
00:03:45
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Here's the other side.
00:03:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
No way. Wow. Is that a camper or Yeah.
00:03:51
RICK JAMES
i think it's a camper.
00:03:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
is it storm central it's it's like oh my gosh that's crazy i gotta i gotta to find out if that's real that means they're staying mobile they don't want to be in a centralized location where angry snow guys can find them they're they're staying on the road uh yeah good for them good for them that's cool gotta find out if that's legit
00:03:54
RICK JAMES
Probably keeps Nick in the back.
00:04:02
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it's real.
00:04:08
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Chasing hurricanes or something now.
00:04:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
But, yeah, it's been a busy week. The last two days of storm chasing voting have just been insane. Like, everybody is tagging everybody else, and the the phones just don't stop.
00:04:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
I actually i turned all my sound off on my phone yesterday at work. It's just every 10 seconds, bing, bing, bing, bing. I'm like, Jesus Christ.
00:04:35
RICK JAMES
Yeah. It's going nuts.
00:04:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's going nuts. It's absolutely going nuts. But that's a great thing. I watched, ah I finally got to watch the videos of everybody. I hadn't seen all the submission videos. So I finally got to do that last night. And there's some really funny ones.
00:04:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
There's some really good ones out there.
00:04:51
RICK JAMES
Yeah. No, I ah saw it the other night when was combine. i was watching them. Yeah, it was pretty cool.
00:04:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, we're gonna talk a little more about that.
00:04:58
RICK JAMES
um really um guys put Some guys put some good thought into it. saw it.
00:05:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
They did. They definitely did. but It was really cool to see.
00:05:04
RICK JAMES
i saw I saw Billy Moore, you know, I saw his, you know, using the old sex appeal there, have his wife at the beginning. I go, I go, wait, wait to know your audience, Billy. Wait to know your audience.
00:05:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
He's no dummy. He's no dummy.
00:05:18
RICK JAMES
No, no, he's not.
00:05:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Gotta love Mr. Moore.
Episode Overview and Guest Introduction
00:05:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Yeah, we're going to talk some more about that after the ah after the commercials when we get into the announcements because we have some stuff to ah update guys on.
00:05:22
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:05:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
But, yeah, what are we doing tonight? we yeah We're doing another one of your favorites, the listener questions. Had a lot of demand, had a lot of guys call in and text and DM all that and asking for another one of these.
00:05:36
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:05:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
So we put a thing up yesterday and we immediately got 15, 20 questions. We're not going to be able to get to all of them today, but we'll get to as many as we can in the time we have.
00:05:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that's what we're doing tonight. We're doing listener questions. And here to help us do that, we have two very successful snow guys representing both the United States and Canada. We have Mr. Todd Dickerson back with us of Top Dog Service. Todd is a crowd favorite.
00:06:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
And Dave Giroux of Triple J, who i'm goingnna I'm going to scold a little bit for all his people blowing up my phone the last two days.
00:06:16
RICK JAMES
Thank you.
00:06:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
But we're very lucky to have these guys. They have some great experience, great knowledge on a larger scale. And some of these questions that we're sending are from larger scale people that that want to know how the big guys do it.
00:06:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that's what we're going to do today, guys. So before we do that, as always, we're going to hear from Team Top Gun. We're going to come right back and we got a couple quick things on a week in review and we'll get into it.
Tech Issues and Event Promotion
00:07:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, we're back. ah Did you do the, you have an iPhone, right, Jeremy?
00:07:16
RICK JAMES
I do.
00:07:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Did you have to do that update like two days ago?
00:07:20
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I did it like a couple weeks ago. Yep.
00:07:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Did it screw up your phone?
00:07:24
RICK JAMES
Oh, what do you mean screw it up?
00:07:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, like, for example, I have everything.
00:07:26
RICK JAMES
He's got.
00:07:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
I have the ringer turned completely off. I have the phone on silent. And yet somebody just called my phone. and It rang through.
00:07:35
RICK JAMES
God didn't screw that up.
00:07:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
that shit's been happening all sorts of craziness ah they really messed my phone i don't know how to reset it
00:07:41
RICK JAMES
No, I did. It took a while to figure out some of new stuff on it. And I, and I figured out, I watched these TikTok videos where you can turn it back to the, they got where you, they give you a lot of tips so you can turn it back to what what you're used to.
00:07:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
send me that okay good send me that i do not like change
00:07:53
RICK JAMES
So. ah
00:07:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
uh all right so let's get into it quick week review uh at equip if you're going to equip expo in kentucky in louisville look what how'd they say it louisville louisville if you're going there uh the end of this month top gun backblades is again going to be hosting that awesome party they had last year jim beam distillery uh if you're in snow and you're going you guys want you want to make this party you want to be there so it was an amazing time last year we had what's that
00:08:06
RICK JAMES
luville Louisville, Louisville, Louisville.
00:08:22
RICK JAMES
think we should go for the party. I think we should fly down there you go to the party and have back up.
00:08:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think we yeah we got to rethink this. but now Now, like, nobody expected us to, like, kind of call this one off and not go, and now we've learned how much stuff we're actually going to miss.
00:08:30
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:08:36
RICK JAMES
I don't want to miss a party.
00:08:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't want to – listen, I don't want to miss Rick James getting thrown off the bull at the PBR because the woman got mad at you for – what do they call it?
00:08:38
RICK JAMES
want miss a party.
00:08:46
RICK JAMES
Yeah, right.
00:08:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Showboating? well
00:08:50
RICK JAMES
Yeah, as soon as you start showboating in, they really crank her up.
00:08:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
when With the hat?
00:08:52
RICK JAMES
so yeah i was dust i was dusting I was dusting the ball.
00:08:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, the hat off, and, yeah, they she threw him off real quick.
00:08:57
RICK JAMES
I was dusting the ball because I've been on it too long.
00:08:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
last thing That was what you called it.
00:09:01
RICK JAMES
It's like, let's go.
00:09:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
he He took everything that bull had to dish out, and he was riding it with no problem. And then he just, to yeah, I don't know if he got tired of it or what, but he started showing off. And then she proceeded to kick that into a whole other gear and toss his ass about 15 feet.
00:09:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
It was pretty good.
00:09:18
RICK JAMES
She sure did. She sure did.
00:09:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
It was pretty funny. But, yeah, Equip is a good time. i just We had a lot of events this year, and we were talking about sitting this one out.
00:09:26
RICK JAMES
Todd's cowboying up now.
00:09:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's that?
00:09:29
RICK JAMES
Todd's cowboying up now. I see.
00:09:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Otter. Yep. Yep. Yep. Cowboy Todd.
00:09:33
RICK JAMES
Oh, my God's my pin pad.
00:09:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
There he is He's got it. um But yeah, top Top Gun Backblades is hosting that event at Jim Beam. It was an awesome setting last year. It was an absolutely awesome event.
Merchandise and Store Management
00:09:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
The food was incredible. ah If you guys want to, if you're snow guys at Equip and you want to go to that, head over to topgunblades.com, fill out the contact form, and leave the comment Equip Expo. All right? And also watch for the link posted on Top Gun's Instagram and Facebook pages.
00:09:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Keep hitting Apple Podcasts and Spotify with the like and subscribe. Keep hitting us with comments and reviews, guys. it it definitely helps us get better, and it helps our standing in that whole neighborhood there.
00:10:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm not a tech guy. i don't know how it works, but it see it definitely seems to improve our ratings all across the board. um As we talked about, voting for Storm Chasing Season 2 is here. It's underway.
00:10:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's been going on for a couple days. If you haven't already done so, head over to StormEQ.com. Get your vote in for who you want to see on Season 2 of Storm Chasing. A lot of great submissions.
00:10:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah There's been a lot of great videos. We thank all the companies out there who did submit videos, took the time to do that for us. It means a lot. It means a lot that so many snow guys out there are supporting what us and Storm are trying to do for the yeah for the guys in this industry.
00:10:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah So to all of those out there who submitted videos, even if you are not selected for season two as a consolation prize, if you can call it that, you know, Jeremy and i are going to have every company who submitted the opportunity to come on the show with us to do their own snow jobs episode.
00:11:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
So if you haven't gotten on the show yet, you know, even even in losing, at least you get your own episode. You can talk about your company here. And then there's always season three.
00:11:10
RICK JAMES
not losing. There's always next year. There's always next year.
00:11:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
There's always season three.
00:11:12
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:11:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
This is not slowing down. This is only getting bigger.
00:11:15
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:11:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's only, know, it's only growing.
00:11:20
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:11:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
Right.
00:11:21
RICK JAMES
For sure. For sure.
00:11:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right.
00:11:22
RICK JAMES
Yeah, no, it's just going get bigger and better.
00:11:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Snow jobs nation store still stocked.
00:11:26
RICK JAMES
It's, yeah, I'm looking at it. It's still stock. We need to get the stuff out of here.
00:11:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Long sleeve shortage is coming.
00:11:30
RICK JAMES
Get some new stuff in.
00:11:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
It is coming.
00:11:33
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:11:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Get them, get them while they're hot hey or you'll be cold.
00:11:36
RICK JAMES
yeah I see one of the listener questions we're coming up on. like got We got stuff for them.
00:11:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
There we go. All right. Anything
Guest Banter and Snow Tire Debate
00:11:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
I missed, buddy? All right, cool.
00:11:46
RICK JAMES
I don't think so. I think we're good.
00:11:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Let's hear from our partners. We'll be right back. We'll get into it with the boys.
00:12:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, gang, we're back. So let's just welcome in. We'll go right into Dave and Todd. How are we guys? How's everything?
00:13:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Hello.
00:13:04
Dave Triple J
I'm good. How are you?
00:13:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
There we go. There we go.
00:13:07
Dave Triple J
yeah i was going to Todd first crack at it.
00:13:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh
00:13:07
RICK JAMES
but
00:13:09
Dave Triple J
I'm good.
00:13:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's up, Todd? Come on. You got audio?
00:13:11
Todd Dickerson
I, ah you know, we're I'm just, I'm just sitting back and enjoying the, and enjoying the sites right now.
00:13:11
Dave Triple J
It
00:13:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, there we go.
00:13:14
RICK JAMES
it
00:13:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Everybody's too polite. Let's go here.
00:13:18
Dave Triple J
is coming.
00:13:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
are we doing, guys? Good?
00:13:23
Dave Triple J
and good
00:13:24
Todd Dickerson
All's good.
00:13:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good.
00:13:24
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:13:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Everybody getting ready?
00:13:25
Todd Dickerson
getting Getting chilly around here.
00:13:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, it's coming.
00:13:29
Dave Triple J
is coming
00:13:29
Todd Dickerson
No doubt.
00:13:29
RICK JAMES
chiy Chilly, chili.
00:13:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Definitely coming. All right, so we can get right in. We'll go right into questions. We'll get this rolling right off the bat. So Quentin, I hope I say your last name right here, buddy. Quentin Hufford wants to know if you guys know what everybody uses, the best snow tires for loaders out there.
00:13:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
So let's start with Todd. What do you think, Todd? Do you guys use them at all?
00:13:50
Todd Dickerson
So we do not use them. And and the reason why is generally with the flat surfaces and the stuff that we use, um, that we're working on, we really don't need them.
00:14:02
Todd Dickerson
Um, but when we were up at the storm show with ran into you guys and you know, we, we made connection with, I believe, believe it's NTS, um, tire company.
00:14:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:14:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
I believe that's correct.
00:14:14
Todd Dickerson
Um, yeah.
00:14:15
RICK JAMES
Yep. yeah
00:14:16
Todd Dickerson
And, uh, we got very, very interested and we've been having some conversations and they're talking about, you know, doing a trade-in program for our, you know, our tires to convert.
00:14:26
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, I mean, honestly, I'm i'm very, very interested in that.
00:14:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
That don't suck.
00:14:32
Todd Dickerson
So I can't remember the exact tire brand, my apology, but you know, it's definitely on our radar right now with some of the, some of the trade-in possibilities. Cause I never knew that was even remotely possible to be honest with you.
00:14:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yo, I wouldn't have expected trades.
00:14:47
Todd Dickerson
which yeah which
00:14:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Our guys don't take trades around here.
00:14:51
Todd Dickerson
you know shows why you go why you need to get to these shows, right? Like sit there, shake hands, you know talk, have ah have a taco out of the food truck and and you know talk all this kind of stuff.
00:14:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:14:56
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:15:02
Todd Dickerson
so um But again, we really don't use them yet, but we are we are going to convert and I'm excited to see what what that how that improves performance.
00:15:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool. What about you, Dave? You guys using snow tires up there on your loaders?
00:15:19
Dave Triple J
We do. We've got the Nokians that we use on ah lot of, well, on most of the machines now we have the Nokians. few years ago, just like Todd was saying, most of our machines we didn't have, and we still have the ag tires on on the tractors and loaders just with the construction tire.
00:15:33
Dave Triple J
But the last few years, they've been kind of more come in stock with ah the Nokians on them. And and our our guys like them a lot. They they give a little more traction, especially in the heavy pushes or the wet snow.
00:15:44
Dave Triple J
We got to push the distance.
00:15:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah.
00:15:46
Dave Triple J
Then they got a little more little more grip to them. And the guys have really liked them. So now it kind of seems to be more where when we're specking at the machine, again we're making sure they got snow tires on them.
00:15:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool. Jay, you guys are, we know what you guys are running. You guys run everything, right? But you like the Nokians the best.
00:16:02
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah. I'm a big Melkeian fan. Yeah, they're, I think they wear way better than the Michelins that come on factory, the factory of snow tires that we get on the cats and stuff.
00:16:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:16:14
RICK JAMES
But I got those double coins a couple years ago on those things. I would say they're pretty comparable to our Melkeians. They're really ah good snow tires as well.
00:16:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's the difference in price? Do you know offhand the double coins from the Nokians?
00:16:25
RICK JAMES
oh I never did get a price on the double coins. They just gave me a set.
00:16:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
showed up.
00:16:31
RICK JAMES
so yeah but there
00:16:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Love that.
00:16:34
RICK JAMES
Nokia, the last set I put on 926 installed. I think there're my last quote was like 10.6. Installed everything.
00:16:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:16:44
RICK JAMES
That's not bad. I think that Michelin's are close to 20.
00:16:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nope.
00:16:49
RICK JAMES
They're terrible.
00:16:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, we haven't.
00:16:50
Dave Triple J
Mm-hmm.
00:16:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, I know you've always said that you don't like the Michigan, yeah the Michigans, the Michelins as well.
00:16:51
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:16:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
But we've heard that from a couple different people as well over the last two years that the Michelins are not as good as the Nokeans. um
00:17:03
RICK JAMES
I mean, yep, it's cheaper.
00:17:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
I will also throw out Alliance out there. They are a little, ah they are basically the same tread pattern with a little bit harder rubber compound. So they might not have 100% of the grippiness of a Nokian, but they're probably about 90, 95% of what a Nokian is.
00:17:20
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:17:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
And they're almost identical, the tread pattern. And I think they're substantially cheaper, right?
00:17:23
RICK JAMES
Oh.
00:17:26
RICK JAMES
Yeah, they are. They're they're good tire. A lot of guys run them around there, too. and I would say, honestly, all these snow tires pretty much all have the same tread pattern and sight thing it looks like. you know They're very comparable to each other.
00:17:38
RICK JAMES
i don't know. Like I've said numerous times on the show, they make a huge difference to have. i mean, just not even just pushing, just driving around town.
00:17:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Definitely.
00:17:45
RICK JAMES
I remember back in the we'd be driving. you know, you go around the corner, your load would be going sideways and shit. These snow tires on, you just stick. You don't slide like you did.
00:17:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, you're on rails. 100%. So, yeah.
00:17:57
RICK JAMES
So you just, I mean, go ahead.
00:17:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
so yeah
00:18:00
RICK JAMES
I mean, I've just always been a big fan. And once you, once you have them, you cannot have them.
00:18:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
You don't go back. Yeah, you don't go back.
00:18:06
RICK JAMES
You got to keep the ah same operator.
00:18:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
so
00:18:08
RICK JAMES
And like I've said, numerous times, otherwise they're going to be a little upset.
00:18:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, so, I mean, Quentin, if you're looking for them, if you can get Nokian, I would go with them if they're in your price range.
00:18:11
RICK JAMES
So.
00:18:18
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:18:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
If you need something a little cheaper, check out Alliance or DoubleCoin.
Winter Equipment and Brand Discussion
00:18:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah But Nokians aren't available in all areas.
00:18:23
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:18:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
some Some places are tough to get them. they're Their dealer network is not everywhere yet.
00:18:28
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:18:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
so
00:18:30
RICK JAMES
There's a few other brands too, but like I said, I would say get any of that.
00:18:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't know.
00:18:34
RICK JAMES
you they're They're all, I would i wouldn't even say just Nokian. ah few You can find the, like I said, okay.
00:18:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, he asked for the best one. What are the best ones, in our opinion?
00:18:42
RICK JAMES
Okay.
00:18:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
So, no team...
00:18:43
RICK JAMES
I'm just saying Nokians, like I have the Nokians, I have loaders sitting right side by side in the shop and I like two more seasons on than some of these Michelins and the Michelin seem to cup more and don't know, they just seem to wear a lot more than the Nokians do.
00:18:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
sure absolutely so those those are the three we'd tell you to look up nokian alliance and double coin quentin i hope that answer your question uh autopilot mt i'm i don't know if that means montana or what but autopilot he's a big snow power guy right
00:18:57
RICK JAMES
So,
00:19:10
RICK JAMES
Montana. montana He's out of Montana.
00:19:15
RICK JAMES
Yes, sir.
00:19:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
uh he's he's looking to know if anybody knows of affordable walk behind brooms in the three to five thousand dollar range todd you guys use those anywhere
00:19:26
Todd Dickerson
Yeah, so we use a handful of those at the Pentagon and we're using the Exmark brand.
00:19:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:19:35
Todd Dickerson
Cheap. um I think it would certainly fit in that price range. um And i mean, they do a great they do a good job. but You know, they're not that. they are what they are, right?
00:19:46
Todd Dickerson
You know, it's it's a it serves its purpose, but that's that's the only, those are the only ones that we use currently that I'm aware of as of right now.
00:19:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. What about you, Dave? You guys use any walk behind brooms?
00:20:01
Dave Triple J
We don't. The only rooms we have are are either on machines or or sidewalk machines or the big loaders, so we don't have anything that small.
00:20:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:20:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. Jeremy Puttsy don't use any of those, right? You get too cold for you guys to be walking behind brooms?
00:20:12
RICK JAMES
I think he's got an Arians. i think he's got an Arians. Yeah, i think he might have one Arians or something. or I know one of our subs have. We like had one or two of those years ago, but I haven't seen them out and about. but i think it was an Arians, what they had.
00:20:26
RICK JAMES
But, yeah, it seemed to work good when you use it. so Does that Toro Grant stand?
00:20:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
marans Arians makes good stuff.
00:20:32
RICK JAMES
Does that thing come with that? Can you put a?
00:20:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, you can put a broom on on a grandstand.
00:20:36
RICK JAMES
Okay.
00:20:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep, I've definitely seen a broom on a grandstand before.
00:20:38
RICK JAMES
Okay.
00:20:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
um Yeah, Arians makes great walk-behind stuff. So, I mean, i i've so I've seen the Arians one. ah Douglas has one no matter what color you want it in, whether it's red, yellow, or gray, ah to cover all three of their brands.
00:20:49
Dave Triple J
Thank
00:20:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's the same broom. ah They have one as well, but we have no experience with them. And kind of sidewalk machines kind of killed the walk-behind stuff, you know? Like, really, why why buy walk-behind stuff when the sidewalk machines are are out there and can be outfitted with them?
00:21:05
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:21:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
um So, yeah, that's that's what we'd tell you to check out. I would probably say, you know, as far as walk-behind snowblowers, Arians is tops, and I would also tell you to check there for the broom.
00:21:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
i don't know what their price is on them, but they they can't be more than $5,000 for a walk-behind broom, right? and I wouldn't think.
00:21:28
RICK JAMES
I don't know, money now, least who knows.
00:21:29
Todd Dickerson
I don't think so. I think you're in that lower range of the three to five, in my opinion.
00:21:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, i would I would say you're probably around there. So definitely check them out. um What else? What else do we got here? Here's a good
Staffing Strategies and Challenges
00:21:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
one. So for I'm guessing that he's asking for winter staff that's that's not working for your year-round.
00:21:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do you guys guarantee hours for your winter personnel? Todd?
00:21:55
Todd Dickerson
So we do a couple different things. um We have some seasonal guys that we bring in to run, you know, we give them a ah monthly program. call it retainer, whatever you want. And we expect this amount of hours per month.
00:22:10
Todd Dickerson
And then anything that exceeds that, they go to ah an hourly rate. um And those are, I would say like supervisors and above, um you know, not, not so much operators, but there's a couple operators that we do just because there are kind of hot shots that we fly around the country, so to speak.
00:22:31
Todd Dickerson
um And then, yeah,
00:22:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
So like a Jeremy Lindstrom type?
00:22:36
Todd Dickerson
He's got his application in, but not many people are voting for him right now.
00:22:38
RICK JAMES
Yeah. ah
00:22:41
Todd Dickerson
My phone's not going ding, ding, ding, ding.
00:22:41
RICK JAMES
That sounds about right. That sounds about right.
00:22:44
Todd Dickerson
So, um
00:22:47
Todd Dickerson
ah but, and then what we do for our regular at every location is, and it's it's either a four or six hour guarantee. So, you know, if they show up and the storm blows out or whatever, you know,
00:23:02
Todd Dickerson
and I mean, you got to make it worth these guys wild to show up, right?
00:23:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
100%.
00:23:06
Todd Dickerson
That's, that's the first thing.
00:23:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:23:07
Todd Dickerson
So, um but generally we're in a four to six minimum hour payout per event, regardless of, and honestly, there's times where, you know, right away an hour in, we're like, this isn't going to happen.
00:23:20
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, go home and see your family and we'll, we'll pay them their minimum.
00:23:24
RICK JAMES
Thank you.
00:23:25
Todd Dickerson
So that that's the two ways that we do it. um You know, I don't, I don't have much more on that.
00:23:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nope. Love it. What about you guys, Dave?
00:23:35
Dave Triple J
We get pretty creative, you know, I guess when you got to pull guys in, especially for the wintertime, you want the good operators, you want the good people. our HR doesn't really like that we have a standard form. We throw a lot of curveballs her way and say, well, this is what we're going to offer this person. This is what, but for the most part, I'd say for good operators, they get a standby of around $2,000 month.
00:23:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:23:55
Dave Triple J
So they'll get that regardless, and then they get a payout.
00:23:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:23:58
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:23:58
Dave Triple J
And the average some operator per hour here makes in between 30 to 40. It's creeping up pretty fast last couple of years with the shortage of you know good operators and all that.
00:24:12
Dave Triple J
But for the most part, I'd say the operators are in that 30 to 40. For sidewalk guys, they're a little lower. They get a lot more hours, obviously. So they're out every salt and event. And sometimes, you know, they get they get so many hours that, you know, you you can maybe get away with the yearly guys not having to give them a standby.
00:24:29
Dave Triple J
Those are the guys that are going to fill the salt bins, do the nightly salt checks or spot checks. and things like that but i'd say a guy that that's coming in if we're going to give a standard contract they'll get about 12 to 1500 a month standby plus their hourlies are around the 22 to 27 dollars per hour 50 cents for you guys per hour
00:24:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. And that's Canadian money. So that's like 18 bucks. I was thinking, I'm like, I'm like, wow, $2,000 retainer.
00:24:50
RICK JAMES
ah I knew you were going there. I knew you were going there, Steve.
00:24:55
Dave Triple J
yeah
00:24:55
RICK JAMES
You were going to say that I was going. Yeah. That was good. Yeah. yeah
00:24:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's pretty good. $2,000 a month. That's awesome. And I'm like, ah, that's Canadian money. so that's like 800 bucks.
00:25:05
Dave Triple J
and It's not that bad yet.
00:25:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah I'm just kidding.
00:25:08
RICK JAMES
so
00:25:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm just kidding.
00:25:08
RICK JAMES
well
00:25:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotta take the shot.
00:25:10
RICK JAMES
we got
00:25:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome, Dave.
00:25:11
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:25:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's actually a really cool way of doing it.
00:25:12
RICK JAMES
yeah and it
00:25:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
I like that.
00:25:14
RICK JAMES
that good
00:25:15
Dave Triple J
And some some just want a guarantee no matter what, they don't care if they're going to work 100 hours in a month or if they're going to work two hours in a month, they want they need that stable income.
00:25:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
And,
00:25:24
Dave Triple J
So they might be twenty five hundred. So they'll take a little less and at least it gives them stability. They know what they're going to get every month. So again, that's where we get a little more flexible with with who used to like who it is.
00:25:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
kind of but Oh yeah.
00:25:35
Dave Triple J
We used to be able to do a certain amount as casual labor. The labor boards cut down on that. And now we're they want their cut of no matter what we're doing. So
00:25:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:25:45
Dave Triple J
Unfortunately, we got to put everybody on the books and we got to make sure everybody's.
00:25:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's, that's the same on both sides of the border. As soon as the government figures out something's working for businesses, they got to shut that shit right down.
00:25:50
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:25:54
Dave Triple J
That's right.
00:25:54
Todd Dickerson
Yeah.
00:25:55
RICK JAMES
all right
00:25:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Whoa, no, they're making more money. Absolutely not. We're going to put our, put our foot down on that.
00:26:00
Dave Triple J
And that's why we've tried to approach the labor board and say, what we could have a winter where it doesn't snow at all, like couple years ago, and or the hours are very low.
00:26:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Uh,
00:26:09
Dave Triple J
So we're like, what's the legal way to work with them? Because you always hear about the certain industries, certain people, they get they pay their guys cash. We're not a cash business. We don't have that kind of income that comes in.
00:26:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. huh
00:26:21
Dave Triple J
So we were check to check business to business. So unfortunately we do have to kind of play within the rules of the system. So we've gone to the labor board before and we've asked them, how do we make this work? And unfortunately it's pretty cut and dry.
00:26:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:26:34
Dave Triple J
Whatever they work, there's no more of the casual labor. So we have to pay everybody and give them, make sure they get their guarantees and everybody's on on the books now.
00:26:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
I like that it's that you said that sometimes it's talent dependent. It's like free agency. Like if you got, you got a big time free agent, you're trying to land, you can go a little bit different form.
00:26:50
Dave Triple J
Mm-hmm.
00:26:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's pretty cool. That's nice.
00:26:56
Dave Triple J
Mm-hmm.
00:26:56
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:26:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jeremy, do you guys guarantee hours for you guys? Yeah.
00:27:00
RICK JAMES
We don't. We don't guarantee ours. we i mean, I'd like to andd like to guarantee these you guys something just you know to keep them interested because you go spurts really a while where nothing's happening and when something does happen, you can't get a hold of them.
00:27:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:27:14
RICK JAMES
So it's like, you know, that sucks. But yeah, there's some stuff i'm um I've been looking at trying to be creative and trying to somehow keep the guys... interested or something coming in for them you know that and we i try to entice them for when they do work you know i give them a bonus for every hour they work at the end of season they'll get a bonus for every hour they work you know so stuff like that and don't know it's it's a tough tough battle we can't do the cash thing either i mean i've had multiple guys this last week call me asking for a job and they're very qualified equipment operators but
00:27:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
They just want cash.
00:27:49
RICK JAMES
They're like, they want cash. I'm like, I just can't do it.
00:27:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:27:52
RICK JAMES
And then they're like, all right, see ya. I'm like, that sucks. Cause you know, you, you lost a couple of good guys there, but you just can't, you can't, you can't do it.
00:27:56
Dave Triple J
Mm-hmm.
00:28:00
RICK JAMES
And then with, uh, you know, all these lot guys around us, know, go on unemployment and they made that decent down, you know, years back where they usually didn't make much on it.
00:28:07
Todd Dickerson
Thank you.
00:28:10
RICK JAMES
Now they, now they can just go ice fishing and do that all winter instead of have to, you know, i'll pick up extra work here and there.
00:28:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:28:16
RICK JAMES
So, so.
00:28:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, geez. Yeah. That was the problem during COVID. there People were getting paid too much money to stay the fuck home. Nobody wanted to work.
00:28:23
RICK JAMES
yes ye
00:28:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that was ah that was a big problem. It seems to have kind of reversed itself a little bit. But um on the smaller side, what's that?
00:28:30
Dave Triple J
But not too much. But not even too much. Now I feel like we got a phone call someone looking to work and it's like, we're being interviewed. What do you guys pay?
00:28:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:28:38
Dave Triple J
what are you What are you offering?
00:28:38
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:28:39
Dave Triple J
And first, before they even say who their name is, they're asking what will pay them.
00:28:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Uh-huh.
00:28:44
RICK JAMES
what you Yeah, I know.
00:28:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
huh
00:28:45
Dave Triple J
Yeah.
00:28:45
RICK JAMES
I hate that. I, I, when guys, what?
00:28:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jeremy's complains about this all the time.
00:28:49
Dave Triple J
Yeah.
00:28:50
RICK JAMES
When he's telling me, that's the first thing you say to me, I'm just like, no, I'm not. Keep moving on.
00:28:54
Dave Triple J
yeah
00:28:54
RICK JAMES
and he I mean, that's all you're worried about is pay and not, you know, what do what do you bring to the table? i mean, I don't know. I hate that one.
00:29:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cause everybody's a world-class operator in their own mind.
00:29:05
RICK JAMES
Until they can win.
00:29:06
Dave Triple J
Everybody's world class on paper.
00:29:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, exactly.
00:29:08
Dave Triple J
That's right.
00:29:08
RICK JAMES
And everybody wants to everybody wants to work until the phone call comes in.
00:29:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh,
00:29:12
RICK JAMES
You know, let's go to work at 2 a.m., you know.
00:29:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, that's
00:29:15
Dave Triple J
Even with the standby too, it's like we'll pay the standby throughout the year and you get a, like we were just talking a of years ago where we didn't get much snow.
00:29:23
Dave Triple J
Then you finally make the call, you're calling everybody out and the person just got a new job. You know, of course they collected their standby on Friday, Tuesday comes around for the call out.
00:29:29
RICK JAMES
Or favorite
00:29:33
Dave Triple J
Unfortunately, we just found a new job.
00:29:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do you have any recourse to get that money back then?
00:29:35
Dave Triple J
So not no, not really because they're still technically employed.
00:29:40
RICK JAMES
is...
00:29:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man. That sucks. That sucks.
00:29:44
Todd Dickerson
The gamble we pay, it's just like the snowstorm every day, you know, is coming?
00:29:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man.
00:29:48
Todd Dickerson
Is it not coming? You got to hope that they show up.
00:29:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:29:51
Todd Dickerson
So, you know,
00:29:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep, absolutely.
00:29:52
RICK JAMES
um my my favorite my favorite is When you've got a list of guys all, yep, it's coming tonight. We're going to go out. Then time comes. They all say they can work. Then time comes to call them out at that time. And magically their phone turns Or they just didn't hear it. I love that.
00:30:13
RICK JAMES
That music makes me really happy.
00:30:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:30:15
Dave Triple J
They never knew that their ringer was off.
00:30:17
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:30:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah, that old gag.
00:30:18
Dave Triple J
yeah
00:30:19
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:30:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah.
00:30:19
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:30:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
I didn't realize my ringer.
00:30:20
RICK JAMES
Oh, my ringer is off.
00:30:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
My wife turned my ringer off. Oh, yeah, yeah.
00:30:23
Dave Triple J
Yeah.
00:30:23
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:30:24
Todd Dickerson
So so so we don't we don't have that issue because we bring we we generally bring our guys in at a convenient time or, you know, like 10, 12 hours before an event.
00:30:24
RICK JAMES
Are you calling 50 times?
00:30:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Easy target.
00:30:26
RICK JAMES
Okay.
00:30:38
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, I'd rather put put them in the beds and in the hotels than, you know, have them... you know go home and oh yeah i'll be there at 3 a.m no you're gonna be here at nine o'clock tonight or 10 o'clock at tonight and you know you're in room 201 with johnny and you know we're gonna wake you up at 3 a.m so generally we we try to um
00:30:56
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:30:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep.
00:31:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
hu
00:31:05
Todd Dickerson
manipulate the the time so that we're not dealing with that issue. Now, of course it does happen. And of course we fight that issue, but we try to eliminate that because, because we have to have the bodies we have, we don't have a choice.
00:31:20
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, we're, we're bringing in extra guys as well to be like a rotating shift kind of deal. So um generally that's how we'll get around that. But yeah,
00:31:31
Todd Dickerson
but It happens for sure, but we try to eliminate that risk as much as possible.
00:31:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. gotcha
00:31:40
Dave Triple J
But it is funny too, like how it's a heads of cards. So as one person doesn't show up, you got to shift your resource. You got to bring in exactly that, bring in a few extra people because it it it happens all the time. Like there's always a reason why somebody doesn't show up to that event. And all of a sudden that one machine's parked. you got to shift that person around and, or somebody else around and, know, then,
00:32:00
Dave Triple J
Before you know it, you got some managers and machines and everybody's kind of all hands on deck, especially for the big snowstorms. But, you know, the snow removal business, it it literally is a house of cards. Like one thing falls out of place. You just got to shift the resource towards it and hope for the best.
00:32:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:32:17
Dave Triple J
Hope too many cards don't fall out place.
00:32:17
RICK JAMES
Moving target.
00:32:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, right?
00:32:19
RICK JAMES
Yeah. It's always a moving target.
00:32:20
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. I mean, it gets back to that first thing that I mentioned back when you guys first had me on, right? Like snow business, the key is you got to be able to pivot. And like, if you can't pivot in this thing, you're, you're, you're not going to, you're not going
00:32:28
Dave Triple J
Mm-hmm.
00:32:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, 100%.
Operational Flexibility and Truck Rentals
00:32:33
Todd Dickerson
to survive.
00:32:33
Todd Dickerson
You got to be, you know, it's not, it's not, you know, ah a rigid process every, every time.
00:32:38
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:32:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
no
00:32:41
Todd Dickerson
Like we say, every three inch storm is a totally different three inch storm or whatever the case may be.
00:32:46
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:32:47
Todd Dickerson
So yeah. You've got to be as – and it's not fun as an owner, right? I mean, Dave, I'm sure you – there's great things that you love about it, but you know those things were that you just pull your hair out on, which is what we're just talking about.
00:32:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
You
00:33:02
Todd Dickerson
But you've got to be fluid. You've got to pivot. You've got to be – you've got to be –
00:33:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
got to have plan B, C, and D preloaded.
00:33:08
Todd Dickerson
you just got
00:33:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:33:10
Todd Dickerson
It's no question. and And you're going to take a piece from all of them, right, and make it work.
00:33:12
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah.
00:33:16
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, it's it's just like Jeremy and I were talking, you know, recently, and he's like, you know, well, what what do you got there? And what do you got there? And I'm like, oh, my God, my guys are ready to kill me. I got all this stuff still going on this late in the season.
00:33:30
Todd Dickerson
And, know, You know, they're like, how are we going to do this? And my response is, don't worry, we'll figure it out. Like we always figure it out.
00:33:36
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:33:37
Todd Dickerson
You know, i mean, we've been doing this for 28 years.
00:33:37
RICK JAMES
We always figure it out.
00:33:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:33:39
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:33:40
Todd Dickerson
We, we figure it out. Like, you know, now I'm sitting here at the same time, scratching my head when they're not around going, how the hell am I going to figure this one out?
00:33:50
Todd Dickerson
But that that's the fun of it, right? That that's part of the the reason we're in this game.
00:33:53
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:33:57
Todd Dickerson
So yeah.
00:33:57
RICK JAMES
But you figure it out.
00:33:58
RICK JAMES
You always figure it out.
00:33:58
Dave Triple J
That's what my wife said she's to put on my gravestone.
00:34:00
Dave Triple J
We'll figure it out.
00:34:01
Todd Dickerson
Exactly.
00:34:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah yeah
00:34:02
Dave Triple J
and it's like
00:34:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
absolutely like
00:34:02
RICK JAMES
That's great. I like that.
00:34:03
Todd Dickerson
Exactly.
00:34:03
Dave Triple J
No matter what contract comes in, no matter what we have on our plate, it's always, we'll figure it out.
00:34:03
RICK JAMES
I like that.
00:34:09
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. Yep.
00:34:10
RICK JAMES
Yeah, that's great.
00:34:11
Todd Dickerson
So.
00:34:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Anything else on that?
00:34:12
Dave Triple J
Life of snowmobile guy, like during a big snowstorm, i I picture myself as a cartoon character sometimes where you got that big cannonball with the wick that's burning.
00:34:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:34:21
Dave Triple J
And it because it does feel like it's almost one after another. Like it's not really a lot at the same time. You finally get this problem solved. And then within one minute, someone's lobbing you another cannonball, you're picking it up and dealing with that problem as it goes.
00:34:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
no
00:34:32
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:34:34
Dave Triple J
And, you know, thankfully we've got a lot of layers in our company now where people can share some of the stress and the problems, but you know, during a big snowstorm as an owner, you're, you're always involved.
00:34:44
Dave Triple J
And unfortunately it's the problems that we have to deal with.
00:34:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah i do believe that that wily coyote represents all snow guys like we're always chasing that road runner and we're always getting hit with fucking anvils and bombs and shit
00:34:49
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:34:53
Dave Triple J
if that's Yeah.
00:34:53
RICK JAMES
Yeah. ah yeah
00:34:59
Dave Triple J
yeah
00:35:00
RICK JAMES
And you keep popping up, though.
00:35:00
Todd Dickerson
be be be Beep, beep, beep.
00:35:01
RICK JAMES
You keep popping up.
00:35:02
Dave Triple J
Yeah.
00:35:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep we keep coming back oh all right so that uh that covers that no no you never learn your lesson um
00:35:04
Dave Triple J
Yeah.
00:35:04
RICK JAMES
Yep. We do not learn our lesson. We do not learn our lesson. Yep.
00:35:11
Todd Dickerson
We're like that video arcade game, Whack-A-Mole. You know, it just keeps something pops up.
00:35:16
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:35:16
Todd Dickerson
You got to get So, yep.
00:35:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it. Got to smack it down.
00:35:19
Dave Triple J
Well, think of all the things we've woke up out of a dead sleep to to answer our phone.
00:35:19
Todd Dickerson
you
00:35:24
Dave Triple J
That car just got into an hour or that truck just got into an accident. This person just backed into a light post. this person The things that I've woken up to, usually if my phone's ringing during in a smaller event or something, you know it's it's never a good sign, especially if it's you know certain people within the company that are calling me in the middle of night because usually they can handle majority of the issues.
00:35:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:35:45
Dave Triple J
But this one's like, I thought you should know.
00:35:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, shit.
00:35:48
Dave Triple J
Yeah, i don't I think you'd want to know this right away.
00:35:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep, 100%.
00:35:52
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:35:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that was from Jeremy Kirkham from Clintar. ah Thank you for the question, Jeremy. um Let's see what else we got here. So do you guys rent trucks in the winter for your sidewalk crews?
00:36:03
Dave Triple J
you
00:36:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
This is.
00:36:08
Todd Dickerson
So we we obviously don't do any sidewalk stuff, so except the Pentagon, which ah I've already told that we use the Landscaper there because they they're there every day and know all this, the whole property compared to like just our
00:36:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah god
00:36:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's true. You don't.
00:36:23
Todd Dickerson
seasonal situation so um but we rent trucks that we then install plow equipment on um at certain certain contracts um so not so much for sidewall crews but we do rent seasonal rentals for um for plow trucks yes
00:36:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay
00:36:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Where do you get those from Todd do you know barco or somewhere else Okay, no problem, what about you dave do you guys rent trucks?
00:36:47
Todd Dickerson
um give me a minute and i'll look it up i can't remember the name of the company
00:36:55
Dave Triple J
We do. And this has actually been something we've been discussing a lot lately is is the benefit of renting over over leasing because we have hundreds of trucks that sit in our yard from April to October and they're just depreciating.
00:36:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:37:10
Dave Triple J
So it's something that we've looked at. we have We've entered into a good partnership with a company around here and we we started with you know, 20 something this year, we're into a lot bigger order with them. And we're starting to, which isn't our leasing company you might not like hearing this, but we are starting to look at the option right now of using them a little bit more just because of the simple fact, it's a little more costly on a monthly, but we're not holding on to the asset.
00:37:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure.
00:37:34
Dave Triple J
As our company continues to grow, it's a little more stress on our shop. Parts are harder to come by.
00:37:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
sure
00:37:39
Dave Triple J
ah Again, labor is harder to come by and everything else.
00:37:40
RICK JAMES
Thank you.
00:37:42
Dave Triple J
So we have been discussing this internally. Our our CFO is a very big fan of it. He wants to see more rentals. We want to make sure it's reliable. We've gone through the process with a few different companies.
00:37:55
Dave Triple J
We found a really good partner that kind of specializes in the construction vehicle market. And so we've been using them the last couple of years and this year we're we're really stepping into it. So we'll keep obviously a lot of our own assets too, but ah the trucks come, we can outfit them in small things, walkway crews,
00:38:12
Dave Triple J
Or maybe if we're just throwing a salter on the back of the truck for some of the 550s or 650 style, then we're able to just put a quick salter on it. We wouldn't typically do it with like a plow truck or anything that's a little more and intensive to be able to put that on.
00:38:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure.
00:38:27
Dave Triple J
But for the for the easy applications, I guess you could say, then we are looking a lot more rentals and kind of trying to balance out, I guess you could say, the are fleet.
00:38:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool. Jay, you don't rent any trucks, right?
00:38:41
RICK JAMES
We don't have any as of now.
00:38:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, you don't even use trucks.
00:38:43
RICK JAMES
We're thinking about um the sidebar guys. I've never been talking about doing something different with that operation just because the pickups we do have now, are they beat the piss on them.
00:38:57
RICK JAMES
I've never seen guys rip more door handles inside and out of vehicles than these guys do. I don't get it.
00:39:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
You have absolute animals to work for you. I don't know how. They break everything.
00:39:07
RICK JAMES
I don't get it. i'm like I've never broke a door handle in my life. and i they We put door handles on left and right. I just don't understand it. Inside, outside, it's retarded.
00:39:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
know.
00:39:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
So so we we don't. I mean, obviously, we don't. We're only five trucks. we we use mostly equipment. But I'm actually considering it now that we've had this problem that we've discussed on multiple shows of New York State with snow insurance. Anything, any insurance that has snow next to it is going to be up. So...
00:39:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
I want to see if renting from a company like Barco, I want to see what that does to my commercial auto policy. If I'm renting a truck, what are the numbers on that versus having those trucks on the road with a snow operations tag year round?
00:39:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Because it's it's gone astronomical. And I'm not a big company. I can't imagine what the big companies pay for their commercial auto policies because mine's up 800% in the last two years. so And we have clean driving records and no accidents.
00:40:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
you know never a claim in 15 years so i can't imagine what what bigger guys are doing or what guys that don't have clean records or have had an accident or two especially in new york it's just it's a losing game so i'm actually going to explore looking into maybe getting rid of trucks we own year round and just renting for the winter and if it works out numbers wise with insurance i i like to know what the rental policy is for insurance and stuff like that and
00:40:14
Todd Dickerson
Thank
00:40:20
Dave Triple J
Thank you.
00:40:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
You know, if my GL policy still covers damage that my rental truck truck did versus a truck that I own stuff like that. I don't know the legalities of all that yet.
00:40:47
RICK JAMES
I thought you were thinking about getting rid of your trucks and just doing like...
00:40:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
But it's interesting.
00:40:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
i would love to but there's certain trucks i can't get rid of like the sidewalk crews still got to have trucks they still got to drive the trailers around for the ssvs and stuff salt trucks i'd love to get rid of i would love to take them off the road and uh just use that that whole new vernic setup uh that if that thing works like advertised and that might definitely that might definitely take two salt trucks off the road next year we're going to test it out this year and see how it does and
00:40:57
RICK JAMES
Okay. Yeah.
00:41:01
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:41:06
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:41:13
RICK JAMES
Nice.
00:41:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah you know you're using equipment on site and on a route that you already have there and you can strategically place boxes salt boxes around and plug into a new box as you need it as you run out so that's definitely something we're looking into but i'm just talking about as far as the cost of ownership of trucks now in new york state is just ridiculous so i'm going to look into the rentals and see what the legalities are and see what the the rates are and what i actually have to do so it's a viable thing Todd, did you figure out that company name yet?
00:41:46
Todd Dickerson
I have not yet. and know I know we do use Barco some, but there's another main one that we use and I'm digging it up.
00:41:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:41:52
RICK JAMES
was was the one What was the one we were talking on the show last year?
00:41:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
There is.
00:41:53
Todd Dickerson
I'm just...
00:41:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
I can't remember. I'm drawing a blank on it myself.
00:41:57
RICK JAMES
It wasn't Barco, was it?
00:41:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Barco. Yeah, it was Barco.
00:41:59
RICK JAMES
boy Oh, I thought it was different one.
00:42:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. That was the one out in Utah, I believe. Barco's out in Utah, I believe, out of Utah.
00:42:04
RICK JAMES
Okay, I thought it was a different name too. Okay, maybe not.
00:42:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm almost positive it was Barco.
00:42:08
Todd Dickerson
I'll have it here. I'll have it here in a second.
00:42:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Maybe I'm wrong. All good. We'll come back to it. um So, yeah, that was ah that was another Jeremy question, Jeremy Kirkham. ah Here we go. All right, here's one for the the two big guys.
00:42:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
uh ak mulching guy wants to know how do you manage your cash flow heading into the winter example he uses pre-buying hundreds of thousand dollars in salt funding payroll leading up to the season fuel that you've purchased equipment that you've purchased that the contracts are not yet paying on um are larger companies using lines of credit to do this or are you guys somehow negotiating lower payment terms so either one of you guys want to jump on that grenade first
00:42:52
Todd Dickerson
Yeah, i'll I'll jump on it because
Cash Flow Management and Supplier Relations
00:42:54
Todd Dickerson
again, unfortunately, I'm a little different.
00:42:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. Sure.
00:42:56
Todd Dickerson
um so we don't have to purchase any material at any of our airports. um We do purchase some for Pentagon, for an example.
00:43:10
Todd Dickerson
um but Generally, all of our chemicals are supplied, so we don't have that as a cash flow real issue. um But I mean, any business has cash flow constraints, right?
00:43:23
Todd Dickerson
I mean, that's that's just the nature of being in business. um
00:43:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:43:27
Todd Dickerson
You know, and I think, you know, you got to you got to get creative, not only with the line of credit, right, which, you know, is is our last resort, but,
00:43:39
Todd Dickerson
as being a relationship kind of guy, you know, there's nothing wrong with having open dialogue to an equipment supplier or whoever the case may be.
00:43:49
Todd Dickerson
And, you know, if you, if you prove yourself, in my opinion, to, to the vendors, like, you know, Hey, I start getting paid July 1st or whatever the case may be, um, you know, and you need the machine in June, like they're not, or that's kind of extreme, but let's say may April, whatever, um, you know,
00:44:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure. Sure.
00:44:13
Todd Dickerson
you got to build your track record, right? And it only takes one time, you know, to ruin that record.
00:44:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:44:20
Todd Dickerson
So as long as you openly communicate with the sources, um you know, i I feel that it's always, always worked out for us.
00:44:31
Todd Dickerson
um You know, the other thing is we try to keep, and believe me, this, this, is more probably in the last 10 years than prior, but, you know, we try to keep reserves, you know, um you know, that, that secret little bank account that nobody, you know, touches unless it's an emergency.
00:44:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:44:52
Todd Dickerson
So you kind of build your own credit line as well. Um, And that's hard to do, too, because like we somebody mentioned earlier, i think it was two or three years ago, I mean, we had.02 inches of snow for the year at our home airport, which is our bread and butter.
00:45:10
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, now granted, we have, you know, some guarantees there on on part of those contracts, but I mean, it's certainly not enough to, to, keep the lights on.
00:45:21
Todd Dickerson
Right. So we had to get very creative that week or that year.
00:45:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. yep
00:45:25
Todd Dickerson
Um, but I think it's all different kinds of ways. I mean, ah you know, it's easy to just go hit a line of credit, but like I said, we try to use that as last resort emergency fund.
00:45:37
Todd Dickerson
Um, you know, i would say I do know some, some other guys that are kind in the commercial market around here that, and again, we're kind of lucky being in the location with the port of Baltimore right here.
00:45:50
Todd Dickerson
um but they'll buy a whole, you know, barge of salt coming in and, you know, four or five of them will split it up. Right. So it's not, you know, such a big nut to try to cover, you know, and that save that cash outlay.
00:46:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure. Sure.
00:46:08
RICK JAMES
Thank you.
00:46:09
Todd Dickerson
And then I know for a fact that some of them have, know, bigger contracts than others, but yet they all kind of split it equally. And then, you know, if if Jeremy needs more than Steve, you know, Steve will let Jeremy and then, you know, you kind of all pass it, pass it around and work it out at the end of the year.
00:46:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
sure
00:46:29
Todd Dickerson
you know when you who who used what and so on and so forth. So I think you just kinda gotta think outside the box versus just, gotta go buy $200,000 worth of salt, right?
00:46:43
Todd Dickerson
um And you know do it that way.
00:46:44
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:46:46
Todd Dickerson
So that would be my suggestions or comments on that question. So Dave, I'll let you speak your wisdom.
00:46:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
cool
00:46:56
Dave Triple J
So we we have a blended approach to this. And so what we'll do is we'll speak to the salt suppliers. There's a couple of factors that might come into play. If it was coming off a salt shortage season, the salt suppliers seem to have a little more, a little more pull, I guess, in which way the the agreement's going to work out.
00:47:07
Todd Dickerson
Thank
00:47:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:47:15
Dave Triple J
So what we've done in the past is we communicate with our salt suppliers. We let them know what our needs going to be for the year. We speak to them and so that they have an idea because they want to allocate their stockpiles as much, especially for a big user like us. And we've got multiple locations ah throughout the province that they have to support for us.
00:47:36
Dave Triple J
And we've had good relationships with a lot of these guys for 20 something years now. So um communicating is obviously the key, making sure that we're all in the same you know, we're on the same board so that they know if we're going to be 20,000 tons more this year or whatever it might happen to be that they they know what to expect from us.
00:47:54
Dave Triple J
But I can say over the last couple of years that they don't give you the amount of wiggle room that we used to have years ago. They're keeping, they're on a tight leash. They keep you on a tight leash. They want to make sure that we're paid.
00:48:04
Dave Triple J
Sometimes they're calling for money before the invoices even hit our inbox.
00:48:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jeez. Yep.
00:48:10
Dave Triple J
So, you know, the accounts, the lines aren't as long as they used to be. um So they want they want to be paid quickly. They're obviously in the same position too. And unfortunately, there's a lot of bad contractors out there that don't pay their bills.
00:48:22
Dave Triple J
So the you know the good guys have to take some of the heat for you know the guys that can't pay their bills. and
00:48:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
00:48:29
RICK JAMES
Thank you.
00:48:29
Dave Triple J
you know But on the opposite side of that, they know who they can trust. They know who they can rely on. And so that they'll they'll give you a little bit more. So we've got good relationships where we don't have to worry about not getting salt.
00:48:40
Dave Triple J
and We just kind of have to make sure that every month we're at least. So coming into the pre-buying, we don't pre-buy, but we may have to give pay a little quicker than terms. So we might not be on terms anymore, um especially when it gets to the season. If there's a salt shortage, you better repaying your bill right away.
00:48:59
Dave Triple J
And you got to stay in their good books to make sure you're going to get that load when you need it. So if something starts to run out, especially we got a lot of zero tolerance customers that we got to make sure that if there's a shortage, we've, know, we can get the salt and get it for them quickly.
00:49:13
Dave Triple J
So in that sense, we don't pre-buy. Our suppliers on the opposite end sometimes even work with us. If we'll take salt in the summertime, we don't have to start paying for it until, you November 1st kind of thing. We can start making our payments towards it.
00:49:27
Dave Triple J
So that that's been one thing that's beneficial. and what it gets Also with the equipment, a lot of our leases are six on six off. So we shift that date a little bit around. So we'll start paying our equipment, say January 1st or even February 1st, if we're lucky when we pick it up in November.
00:49:45
Dave Triple J
So we have the cash starting to come back into the company.
00:49:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:49:49
Dave Triple J
and And most suppliers, they're happy to work with you, whichever way makes sense. They don't they want you to buy that equipment from them. And especially right now where a lot of people are tightening their belts and the economy is not so great over here that they're looking for the sale. So if you come up with a creative plan with them, they'll probably jump on it.
00:50:10
Dave Triple J
It might, you know, you might have to go through a little bit hoops to get that to work. But for the most part, as long as you are good and you pay your bills on time and everything like that, then you shouldn't have an issue to get a little more creative.
00:50:21
Dave Triple J
So we do have lines of credit. We do obviously dip into it, but we use it more as a tool than a crutch. So we don't want to use the line of credit, but just like, you know, this is a very relatable question and I understand where it's coming from because You start an invoice, if you're lucky, November 1st, if not November 30th.
00:50:38
Dave Triple J
And then you got to wait minimum 30 days. And that's for the good paying customers.
00:50:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. Yep.
00:50:42
Dave Triple J
You know, unfortunately, the big ones all kind of stretch us.
00:50:43
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:50:45
Dave Triple J
For some reason, the Americans seem to stretch us 90.
00:50:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, really?
00:50:47
Dave Triple J
There's a little im right back at you.
00:50:49
RICK JAMES
oh
00:50:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's because that's the the exchange rate.
00:50:51
Dave Triple J
And so, you know, it is.
00:50:52
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:50:52
Dave Triple J
Yeah.
00:50:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's the exchange rate.
00:50:54
RICK JAMES
like
00:50:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Takes time.
00:50:54
RICK JAMES
They like to use your money to make them money.
00:50:55
Dave Triple J
yeah
00:50:56
RICK JAMES
So...
00:50:57
Dave Triple J
Yeah. So, you know, it it does take a long time before the money starts to roll back in and and you know larger companies, the payroll is big.
00:50:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:51:05
Dave Triple J
And obviously our startup expenses is huge as well. So you got to make sure that you know the line of credit there if you need it. But hopefully you don't have to rely on it too heavily.
00:51:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool. Jay, anything to add to those two? think they about covered that.
00:51:18
RICK JAMES
No, it's, it's, it's, yeah, they cover that pretty good. Yeah. I mean, obviously you don't want to go in the line of credit unless you really need to. So that's pretty much how we roll, but yeah, alllthough all the, all great points and pretty similar stuff all around here too.
00:51:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
10-4. If you're a smaller guy and you're you're wondering you know how how I've done it, um so if I'm taking on a new contract that I have to – I'm a small guy.
00:51:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm a small company. So I don't have unlimited funding to to make preseason purchases that I'm not getting paid on. So if I'm taking on a new contract – that we're say finalizing in August, that we're going to do it.
00:51:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
And I need to buy equipment or lease rent. I always buy. So that might not be the smartest play all the time, but I like the equity. If everything, if with all I got going on, I've always said like, if this go, if I drop dead tomorrow and my wife has to sell everything off, if all my stuff is leased, then she doesn't have anything.
00:52:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah She's not left with any nest egg basically that's coming out of the company. If I have equity in that equipment, she can at least sell it off. And in today's equipment market, she's probably going to get more than what I actually paid for it. So I always buy the stuff.
00:52:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
I know ah and know Johnny Starick, big daddy at Arctic, does not like that.
00:52:35
RICK JAMES
Hello, Mark.
00:52:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
He wants me to transfer these things out every two years you know and and do that program. And I agree with it. It's a great program. It's awesome. I just, we don't put enough hours on them, so we leave them.
00:52:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
But what I do do with those new contracts that I know I'm going to have to buy machines for or layout is as soon as they agree that, yes, they are, they're accepting our price, they're accepting it, ah that first payment is coming September first
00:52:52
Todd Dickerson
you
00:53:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like they as soon as they're signing, they're paying that first payment. So at least that first outlay of money that I'm going to spend on the equipment i have to purchase for that specific site is covered by that specific site.
00:53:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't care if the rest of the payments are made yet, but I need that first, that first, whatever I'm putting down on that stuff to, uh, to be covered. So that's just, uh, how, you know, how I've done it as a smaller guy and, uh, the customers don't seem to mind.
00:53:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Um, They've I've never had an objection, especially when I show them that like I show them all the numbers and say this is what it's going to take to do your property. This is how many machines we we need. This is how much they cost. We're buying these specifically for your property to do this.
00:53:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
So you have proper service. They understand that. And they've all I think it's all how you sell it to them, like not even sell it to them, all how you break it down, explain it to them. You know if you talk to them.
00:53:52
RICK JAMES
Right.
00:53:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
If you don't try and go in there like some pushy salesman and you actually say, hey, listen, these are your pain points. Here's my pain point taken on your site. I need money up front to be able to do this. And you came to us. So obviously you're not picking the name out of the yellow pages, not knowing what we're all about.
00:54:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
You know, you found us through, you know, referral. So and they haven't had a problem with that. and So that that's worked out pretty well for me as a smaller guy. let's see what else uh lj baum wants to know what are the benefits and drawbacks to multi-year contracts todd what's your feeling uh yeah i don't yeah exactly
00:54:31
Todd Dickerson
So obviously everybody everybody wants multi-year contracts. You got structure them correctly. ah You know, obviously the government side, as I always speak on, they'll they'll generally allow you a 4% increase every year without any even questioning it.
00:54:52
Todd Dickerson
um Obviously, if you start going above that, they're going to start, you know, explain this to us. um But, you know, if your numbers are right on year one, 4% is not a bad, you know, not a bad bump that you can share.
00:55:09
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:55:09
Todd Dickerson
So, but you gotta, you gotta make sure year one's right and not be counting on year five or whatever the case may be.
00:55:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. Yep.
Contract Structuring and Pricing Strategies
00:55:16
Todd Dickerson
Um, and then obviously getting back to building your numbers on year one that allows you the multiple years and let's just funny money here you you get to spread your costs across those multiple years so you know you're not just trying to get everything that hundred thousand dollar loader up front on year one you know you can well now a hundred thousand dollars is a
00:55:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
00:55:42
Todd Dickerson
F-150 pickup truck, but um yeah, I mean, um God, that just hurts me to to look at those now.
00:55:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, it's not much.
00:55:44
RICK JAMES
Right. Yeah.
00:55:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
It does.
00:55:50
Todd Dickerson
But anyway, yeah.
00:55:50
RICK JAMES
don't know. It's terrible.
00:55:53
Todd Dickerson
You know, so obviously it allows for your, that's where you're, you're making your costs up is spreading that capex across multiple years instead of just, you know, trying to get it all on, on a single year contract. So um those are the benefits I see.
00:56:13
Todd Dickerson
um You know, is there a downside? Not that I'm aware of yet, but.
00:56:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Only if you didn't price right.
00:56:19
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. I mean, if, if I can get a seven, 10 year contract, I'm all about it.
00:56:21
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yep. Mm-hmm.
00:56:25
Todd Dickerson
Let's go. So, you know, I I'd rather that than, you know, the, the, the every three year, you know, rebid type stuff that I've heard that, you know, turns into an absolute nightmare because you're doing more paperwork than you are snow removal.
00:56:26
RICK JAMES
you
00:56:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, sir.
00:56:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm hmm.
00:56:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, sir.
00:56:44
Todd Dickerson
So, That that's my, no I was just going to say that's my take.
00:56:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
What about you, Dave? Sorry, Todd. Got more? 10-4. What about you, Dave?
00:56:53
Dave Triple J
Three years seems to be our average contract rate. Obviously the multi-year, if we can get three plus one or whatever additionals, then that's fantastic. We typically try to go for the larger contracts where we can invest with that contract too. So we'd like to perfect world, nice big contract.
00:57:12
Dave Triple J
We can lease a few pieces of loaders or equipment, whatever it might be, outfitted with all brand new stuff. And it's a five-year deal, kind of cost is associated. It makes everything nice and simple. So,
00:57:23
Dave Triple J
Year over year contracts are obviously, they're not, we'll take them, but you know, it's not, yeah, it's not ideal.
00:57:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah Not ideal. yeah
00:57:31
Dave Triple J
It's not something that we want. And we might even give a better price too. If it's ah a three, five, whatever your term, a little longer tier, then it's a little more attractive for us because again, we can, we can budget for it and we can plan for it and and we can put some new equipment on it.
00:57:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, sir. What about you, Jake?
00:57:49
RICK JAMES
oh Yeah, same thing. Definitely the multi-year contracts are the way to go. you know you just want that stability stability built in. and Hopefully, not hopefully they they're all not done up at the same year. so you're you know Hopefully, they're all staggered little bit. so You got something to bank on. You've improved reputation.
00:58:10
RICK JAMES
lot of these places will stick with you. you know Obviously, national companies won't. A lot of the way that's going nowadays is low-bid stuff. but You still got a multi-year contract sort way to go for everything helps, helps business all around and every aspect of it, honestly.
00:58:26
RICK JAMES
So like, like Dave said, you know, we'll take the one year deals if we have to, I mean, to fill, fill stuff up, but then, then you prove yourself and then maybe I'll sign a multi-year deal after that, you know, so it all works out.
00:58:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
00:58:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
amen being a smaller guy we like to i like to keep the contracts the multi-years we we try and get all multi-years uh the only ones that don't are our local municipalities that we do a lot of work for with their emergency service stuff uh they by charter have to rebid every year
00:58:39
RICK JAMES
Thank you.
00:58:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Uh, so those are the only ones that are kind of a pain in the butt that we have to submit. We know they're coming back to us. They love us. They want us, but they have to, by law, rebid it every year. Everything else we do is, um our multi-year contracts, whether they're per push or seasonal.
00:59:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Um, and we're, I try and limit them to three years only because in my earlier days, I found that even i thought I was, you know, doing everything right with increasers every year built in of the three-year contract. And the increaser was not enough to keep up with the inflation rate that we saw during that three-year period.
00:59:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
So I didn't make as much money as I should have on that. So since then, I've limited to three years because it allows me to see if, A, do I want to keep this account?
00:59:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do my guys hate doing it? Do they, is it a pain in the ass as have things popped up that we didn't, we didn't expect, um, you know, that kind of thing. So it lets us get out after three years if we want to.
00:59:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
And if we've done a good job and we want to keep it generally, it's not going to be a problem to just renew for another three years with new numbers and, uh, adjust as needed. Uh, cause we generally put a three between 3% and 5% increase every year,
01:00:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
increaser every year um but We had a couple years there where the 3% was not enough to keep up the beating that the economy took. So, ah you know, you you basically – You were a little bit, you we weren't, thank God we weren't as bad as it would have been if we didn't think to put increasers in every year.
01:00:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
But, you know, we didn't make the, we didn't make ah as much as we should have by the way we designed the contract, um which is okay. You live and you learn. It didn't turn the lights off. You know, we still made money on it. Just wasn't as much.
01:00:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah The downside, I'm sorry, the, yeah, the downside, there was one other downside and I can't remember what the hell i was going to say. Todd, did you have something else you wanted to throw out there?
01:00:48
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. So real back real quick back on your emergency service deal. Like I don't i don't consider that, like that's that's almost auto renew, right?
01:00:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
01:00:57
Todd Dickerson
At least in our area, because the the locals are trying to get, you know, 1200 plow trucks, right?
01:00:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:01:05
Todd Dickerson
And you have, I don't know, five or whatever. And, you know so that's almost auto renew you're you're basically working off of their contract with their payment schedule and then you have to decide it does that make sense for us to do um for an example our runway blowers right we have those with the state of maryland and that's the only thing we have on that schedule and like the rate i i think is like
01:01:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:01:35
Todd Dickerson
I don't know, I wanna say it's a thousand bucks an hour, 9.50 an hour or something like that. So like, sure, we we we'll pull a couple of those off the airport to go, you know, do the the shoulders or whatever during a real snow event.
01:01:51
Todd Dickerson
And then if you, if you Rescue the locals like that. A lot of times they'll be like, well what else do you have available? And you're like, well, so like from MDOT or VDOT, we tell them, look, you know, we got 50 loaders once we're done at Dulles or Reagan Airport. So if you want us to pull those out and start, you know, hitting the roads, you can be, you can have 50 loaders in your back pocket if you need it, you know?
01:02:20
Todd Dickerson
um So i just wanted to, for guys that don't understand that, like the the local contract is is a different beast than what were what I was considering a long-term deal.
01:02:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
sure no understand
01:02:34
Todd Dickerson
You know, that that's just kind of that's kind of candy to us is at the end, we're we can come help as emergency.
01:02:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
gotcha 10-4 um yeah just the only other thing i would throw on that is just make sure your pricing and your terms are correct because you're locked in for three years so you know make sure you've done your homework and you term it correctly that it's beneficial to you um
01:02:44
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
01:03:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
I have, I've seen a couple of these, um, guys have sent these property management companies are now writing their own snow contract. And basically in the contract, it's determining the level of service and how, what the snow plan is going to be like, don't sign that.
01:03:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, don't let anybody else tell you how you're going to handle snow on a certain site. Don't get locked into that. You know, you got to change the verbiage of that contract. Uh, if it's being put like that, um,
01:03:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
I've seen a couple of them like that. that I don't know. It's a new age of property management companies that are there. They maybe have plowed a lot or two over their time and they now think they um know how to run a 40 acre site and plan the snow plan for your company. So just make sure your contract is priced in term correctly for you.
01:03:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
And if so, there's, there's really no drawbacks to a multi-year deal that I see anyway. uh you guys want to do some commercials get something to drink real quick and we'll come back and we got a couple more these to go so we'll be right back
01:04:05
Dave Triple J
Thank you.
01:04:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
all right we're back our um we got one more we're gonna hammer out here and then i'm gonna let these guys go uh it's a pretty simple one ground ball uh winter apparel for your cruise what do you guys supply your cruise with and what brands are you using
01:05:11
Todd Dickerson
So if I can circle back one real quick, because I'm going to give a little nugget here that I think might and might help on a bunch of these other questions, if you don't mind.
01:05:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah nuggets nuggets
01:05:20
Todd Dickerson
um So kind of getting back to the cash flow and the cash flow. the contract structure, you know? um So what I started doing this year, and it's kind of new for us is generally our, all of our guarantees are five or six month payments, right?
01:05:44
Todd Dickerson
So, And as I've said in previous episodes, we we generally negotiate our contracts, even though we have couple getting ready to to get executed. We generally do those back in March, April timeframe.
01:05:58
Todd Dickerson
um So what I started doing is I put payment one on execution. um, which then gets me cashflow, March, April, you know, even May, June, whenever it is, but that might help those salt guys back the couple previous questions ago.
01:06:20
Todd Dickerson
And, you know, it didn't really register until I was just sitting here and we started chatting about all the other stuff. Um,
01:06:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
good. That's a great point.
01:06:29
Todd Dickerson
But I think if if you're guaranteed payments, you know there's nothing wrong with getting creative with those payments.
01:06:30
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
01:06:36
Todd Dickerson
Like like the the vet equipment vendors, like you know Dave said earlier, they're willing to get creative with us. So let's get creative with our customers and we'll be able get creative with them.
01:06:44
Dave Triple J
Oh
01:06:49
Todd Dickerson
good figure out a better way. I mean, if you if you really want to do cashflow, hey, you know, I'll let you pay this this amount over 10 months, a year, whatever, that you're you're you're trying to build your bucket of cashflow.
01:06:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:07:03
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, that is one thing that I just started doing this year.
01:07:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
01:07:08
Todd Dickerson
My brother and I had a conversation and, and you know, we've we've gone this route just to kind of you know, change it up a little bit and and see, and the, and the, see what the temperature was. and And everybody was like, fine with us. Like, you know, it works.
01:07:24
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, they might be paying their first payment in in May and then not start paying again until, I don't know, November or October, or depends on where it is, but, um, you know, it kind of gets you that, that little bump when you least expected it. Right.
01:07:39
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, just something I thought I'd throw out there.
01:07:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:07:40
RICK JAMES
Yeah, good idea.
01:07:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
we just We just did that.
01:07:42
Todd Dickerson
Yeah.
01:07:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
We just did that with one customer that we've had for a while. Cause we were going to have to increase, uh, based on a new, a new part of the property they acquired. Um, so obviously it was going to go up money and they said, we want to keep you. We, you know, we love you guys. You guys have done great, but we can't afford this number.
01:08:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm like, well, why, why can't you afford that number? And they explained to me what their pain points are at certain times of the year and how much money they had to come up with. And I said, well, I'm good.
01:08:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
What if we stretch this out to 12 monthly payments just for snow contract?
01:08:15
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:08:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
And when you just keep going, basically it's a, it's a lease of a car, you know, you're paying every month for the 36 months you have us in there. And they worked the numbers and they got back to me and they said, if you're willing to do that, that absolutely would work for us. and I'm like, that solves problems for me too.
01:08:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
You know, that, that keeps money coming in and months that, you know, if we're a little like,
01:08:32
Todd Dickerson
Thank you.
01:08:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
i don't want to say it i shouldn't say let's just say if you were a green company that was doing less green you know heading into the the white season that might float your boat you know a little longer you got you got money in those months those those shoulder months as rob but from weather pros calls them so yeah we're gonna gonna do it
01:08:54
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yep.
01:08:55
Todd Dickerson
Sure.
01:08:55
RICK JAMES
yep
01:08:55
Todd Dickerson
And look, that they're going to say, and Steve, I'm sure you probably heard this, right? Well, we like all our snow money in the fourth quarter, right? or Or the beginning of the first quarter.
01:09:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
hmm
01:09:06
Todd Dickerson
And you're like, I understand that, but you know, here's the situation, we're trying to help you and you're helping us. So all we're doing is building our our partnership and relationship.
01:09:18
Todd Dickerson
And I'm telling you, you'd be surprised how many times they're like, that's that's a great idea, let's do it.
01:09:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Love it.
01:09:23
Todd Dickerson
Just like the what you just referenced. so you know Like I said, we just started doing that this year and we've had zero pushback on it. um So just just a thought to throw out there for guys that are like trying to think of new ways to the cash flow things.
01:09:38
RICK JAMES
Make sense? Mm-hmm.
01:09:42
Todd Dickerson
Yeah.
01:09:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
love it
01:09:42
Dave Triple J
And even from a standpoint too of of creating more income for your company, sometimes if you can throw in the sweeping of the parking lot, depending on what you guys offer, but if you can throw in the sweeping, maybe even the window cleaning or services, line painting that you know they're going to get done every year, we create maintenance packages in the and full envelope for our clients, which is great because we offer all those services and now they get to budget for They have one monthly payment.
01:10:08
Dave Triple J
They don't have to go for tender maybe to somebody else too. You work it into one contract set rate and now you get a little bit more.
01:10:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:10:15
Dave Triple J
You get to offer some more services and and the customer wins too because now they get to pay for it over a year.
01:10:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
Love that because everybody's looking to hit the easy button.
01:10:21
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah. You yeah
01:10:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nobody wants to pay seven different contractors.
01:10:24
RICK JAMES
you know
01:10:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
If you can offer everything or at least most or even even offer one package, but you have two subcontractors doing parts of it, you know, that's still, if they're paying one person, they all want to do that.
01:10:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
Everybody in this day and age wants to hit the easy button, know exactly what they have to, the nut they have to get a month to get everything they want done. So that's, yeah, that's awesome. I love that.
01:10:46
RICK JAMES
Yeah. And like Dave just said, you you might get extra services on it.
01:10:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great. 100%.
01:10:49
RICK JAMES
So you're you're winning there too.
01:10:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred percent
01:10:51
RICK JAMES
So it's a win-win. So, yeah.
01:10:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
yes sir um
01:10:54
Todd Dickerson
You guys didn't even notice that Canadian verbiage he just used with tender.
01:10:59
RICK JAMES
Tinder.
01:11:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
we're we're used to it we we've had enough canadians now we're used to it translates um so yeah winter apparel for your crews what are you guys supplying them with and what brands are you using if you are supplying them
01:11:01
RICK JAMES
Yeah. and
01:11:14
Todd Dickerson
Yeah, sorry, I shouldn't have ah jumped off task
Winter Apparel for Crews
01:11:16
Todd Dickerson
there. um
01:11:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
no you're good that was that was great information
01:11:18
RICK JAMES
That was good. That was great.
01:11:19
Todd Dickerson
Yeah, just just a different thought
01:11:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's going to do guys more good than what sweatshirts are we giving our people.
01:11:24
RICK JAMES
Right, yeah, exactly.
01:11:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. So oh by all means.
01:11:25
Todd Dickerson
Yeah, exactly.
01:11:25
Dave Triple J
Thank you.
01:11:26
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:11:27
Todd Dickerson
Exactly.
01:11:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
but
01:11:27
Todd Dickerson
um So we we do a ton of different apparel, but I would say our main line Carhartt. um
01:11:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:11:36
Todd Dickerson
And, you know, actually, Jeremy just gave me a new guy to to speak to. And we've had some conversations about, you know, what what we're using and what he's going to suggest to us to use. But I mean,
01:11:49
Todd Dickerson
We have the, the, I don't know, $15, you know, neon yellow sweatshirts that we give out like Tic Tacs that I've told everybody, you know, I mean, you're giving those out probably every storm, you know, ridiculous amount of number.
01:11:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
hmm. Yep.
01:12:05
Todd Dickerson
Um, but I would say our main line, um,
01:12:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
01:12:10
Todd Dickerson
Besides like office apparel, like what I'm wearing right now, which is we use Foot Joy for everything, which is a golf company. um But our safety apparel and high vis and all that is all pretty much Carhartt stuff.
01:12:24
Todd Dickerson
um So it's it's proven it works and it's easy.
01:12:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
cool
01:12:29
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, why why change it?
01:12:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, sir.
01:12:33
Todd Dickerson
So.
01:12:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
What about you, Dave?
01:12:34
Dave Triple J
We're the exact same. Carhartt's kind of more for our yearly employees that have been with us. They they appreciate it When everybody, you know, they get it, they open it up, they see the Carhartt, they're happy to happy to receive it.
01:12:48
Dave Triple J
We have a lot of other stuff too, like Pioneer, Viking. i'm not sure if you're familiar with those brands, but they...
01:12:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Hmm.
01:12:53
Dave Triple J
Those are just, anyways, couple of generic brands here, are a little cheaper, just the everyday stuff. If someone needs to have a sweater, maybe a new employee just started and you just give them a quick package and kind of out the door, then that's kind of our go-to and probably purchase lot more of that that kind of stuff.
01:13:09
Dave Triple J
And then this, know, every year on their yearly anniversary or before the winter starts, then we'll give them quite a few, the car hearts and the better stuff.
01:13:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cool. What about you, Jay?
01:13:21
RICK JAMES
uh know we go to a media shack i go to media shack give them guys a good shout out they do really good work for us yeah well spencer does great work over there but uh yeah they they definitely
01:13:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Shameless plug. Yeah.
01:13:31
Todd Dickerson
I don't know why you get all this free stuff all the time.
01:13:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:13:35
RICK JAMES
what do i get free stuff i don't get free stuff i haven't got free stuff for a long time don't
01:13:35
Dave Triple J
thank you
01:13:41
RICK JAMES
But no, they do great work. usually buy the guys sweatshirts and stuff like that. you know i just I like nice things. so i like and As you know, Steve, I try to get Carhartts and whatever nicer brand sweatshirts we can get and stuff like that.
01:13:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:13:56
RICK JAMES
The guys like it. If they like how it feels, they're going to wear it. It's just not going to be like ah you know like a or whatever it is or whatever. But no.
01:14:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:14:08
RICK JAMES
It's philosophy. It might cost a little money, but hey, it's great advertising out there. you know If the guy's whole crew's wearing it, they take pride in it too.
01:14:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely. The only thing we are still buying guys and I've learned. So we do winter caps um and we do the winter high vis jackets, the heavy duty waterproof, you know, that we, we spare no expense on that. We make sure every guy gets, but I used to go crazy.
01:14:36
Dave Triple J
Thank you.
01:14:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
I used to buy, waterproof pants waterproof jacket waterproof um gloves everything for the sidewalk guys because they're out in the elements they're they're doing it and i used to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars per guy doing this and we went super high end with it the waterproof stuff and insulated and they lasted like less than a season. They all, they tattered up. They were shit.
01:15:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Uh, then I said, just for shits and giggles, I went on Amazon like five years ago and I got like Amazon brand waterproof neon yellow pants And they're like paper thin, but they're waterproof so that they're not insulated. They don't have to be. They wear their jeans and they're warm enough.
01:15:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
And those were those are still going five years later ah for like thirty dollars there.
01:15:22
RICK JAMES
Okay.
01:15:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
um But what I found is no matter what I get the sidewalk guys, they don't fucking wear them anyway. so it's a waste of money i get them all the stuff so i'm just like now i tell them you guys tell me what you want tell me what you're gonna wear and i will buy it for you because the only thing they have to wear is the high-vis jacket and the um then the cap the high-vis cap other than that i don't care what they wear if they want their feet to be cold wearing nike sneakers they you know do it but i i buy them boots if they want them i but buy them gloves
01:15:44
Dave Triple J
Thank you.
01:15:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
and uh yeah but as far as other stuff we buy you know the nice carhartt duck jackets uh with our with our logo on them and that's that's about it for the operators which they they'll wear them in and out of the cab but uh in the cab you know it's it's not you know nobody's wearing anything in the cabs of the machines or the trucks but they'll wear them when they get out but that's about it i mean the car hearts you can't go wrong with carhartt they hold up great i heard i know a lot of guys are using true work is it true work
01:16:16
Dave Triple J
Thank you.
01:16:19
RICK JAMES
and
01:16:22
RICK JAMES
TrueWork's really good and Brunt's really good too. So, have it I mean, there's and a lot of good brands now, but yeah, both those other two are really good.
01:16:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
front front work where
01:16:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah that's uh matt well matt young just gave us the uh what is that true work yeah that's that's really nice that uh yeah quarters that that's really nice yes sir so
01:16:35
RICK JAMES
TrueWork. TrueWork, yeah. That's really nice stuff, yeah.
01:16:41
RICK JAMES
brons i like I like a lot of Brunst stuff too. They got nice stuff. What's that other brand? KUHL or something. like They got some nice stuff too.
01:16:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't know them. Don't even know them. All right. So here's the last one that we're going to do today. And this is probably one of the most the important ones, if not the most.
Industry Education and Pricing Challenges
01:17:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
How can we as an industry educate people on pricing properly?
01:17:09
Todd Dickerson
Um, no, it's not crickets.
01:17:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Crickets. Oh, God.
01:17:11
RICK JAMES
It's too many cars involved.
01:17:12
Todd Dickerson
I mean, that that's a loaded, that's a loaded question, right?
01:17:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
god It is. It's, it's, it does.
01:17:16
Todd Dickerson
I mean, they're,
01:17:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's why it's so hard to teach everybody because no one, there's no one magic bullet for everybody.
01:17:23
Todd Dickerson
No, for sure.
01:17:25
RICK JAMES
to me the castle of
01:17:26
Todd Dickerson
Right. um You know, like perfect right here, sitting right here on the screen, we have guys that are using pickup trucks and guys that aren't.
01:17:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred percent.
01:17:33
Todd Dickerson
We have guys that, you know, are using metal pluses and guys that aren't. Right. Like you, you got to figure out what you want to do.
01:17:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
01:17:43
Todd Dickerson
um Not only property wise, but equipment wise. Right. Like, what what's what you're all in on this thing. um You know, what's your vision? the the There's so many variables on this part.
01:17:56
Todd Dickerson
um But I would say, first of all, I think if we're talking about how are we gonna educate our our people, meaning snow contractors, I think you guys are doing a phenomenal job with that, right?
01:18:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. Thank you.
01:18:11
Todd Dickerson
um
01:18:13
Todd Dickerson
Because you know the The low-balling days, i mean if if you're going to compete against me, you're you're probably going to beat me, but I'm going to beat you on performance and production.
01:18:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
thank you
01:18:25
Todd Dickerson
um so um I have zero interest in my company doing anything and a low-balling
01:18:26
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
01:18:33
Todd Dickerson
low-balling arena um but you know no disrespect but i think 28 years of experience you know i bring a higher value than you know a guy two or three years into this not to say that he can't can't do the same job or close but i know all the variables i mean there is not a variable that i have not seen in 28 years um
01:18:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh,
01:18:59
Todd Dickerson
so um So I think that question is so broad, you could probably spend four or five episodes on it, you know, not just, not just a, I mean, 10 minutes that we're going to throw at this thing.
01:19:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh easily, easily.
01:19:10
RICK JAMES
Right, yeah.
01:19:14
Todd Dickerson
But now if we're talking about how do you educate the consumer, then i think, As you said way back in in the show earlier, if they're calling you, they're calling you because they're not happy generally.
01:19:28
Todd Dickerson
I mean, I would say 90% are not happy and looking for a new contractor.
01:19:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:19:33
Todd Dickerson
The 10% are calling because their boss told them, we got ah we got to price this out this year, so let's get a bunch of you know, prices and see where our guys are.
01:19:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
01:19:42
Todd Dickerson
Right. But that 90% is calling for a reason. So figure out what, as you said, their pain points are and address those with the Tylenol that I've always said that that's what we are trying to cure the headache.
01:19:47
Dave Triple J
Thank you.
01:19:56
Todd Dickerson
And once you show them, you can cure their headache and past performance, uh, you know, how you've performed in the past on different like properties, then is price really an issue? And if it is, explain why it shouldn't be.
01:20:14
Todd Dickerson
Because, you know, again, you're calling me because I'm the, you know, the expert.
01:20:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm hmm.
01:20:20
Todd Dickerson
So I think that's the quick answer. But like I said, dude, you could be on this on this topic for a week.
01:20:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:20:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Easily, easily. Yeah.
01:20:30
Todd Dickerson
So, and it's it's just like the three-inch,
01:20:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think it's more what steps can we take to help guys? Uh, like I know knowing what your true overhead is, like you were saying, how are you doing the property that you're, how are you attacking the property that you're wanting to attack?
01:20:40
Todd Dickerson
Oh, true average.
01:20:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, what are you using? Are you using pickup trucks? Are you using machinery? Um, yeah know Are you using tier one plows with you know live edge? Are you using you know ah rubber edge stuff that's going to leave two inches of hard pack behind that you're going to now have to spend more on salt to salt off?
01:21:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's all how are you tackling it, what your true overhead is going to be for tackling it that way, and then what is the market threshold or market tolerance for that property type in your area?
01:21:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
it's A lot of it's area dependent.
01:21:12
Todd Dickerson
So,
01:21:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
like I have this argument with Sean in Jersey all the time where the rates that he does stuff for in Jersey – I would not even answer the phone for up here. Like not even close.
01:21:24
Todd Dickerson
so
01:21:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
So I think, I think it's.
01:21:25
Todd Dickerson
i would agree i would agree with everything you've said.
01:21:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm
01:21:28
Todd Dickerson
i think the one cost in there that that we add to everything that you just said is we put a slop factor on everything.
01:21:30
Dave Triple J
Thank you.
01:21:38
Todd Dickerson
because you know there's something in there that you're gonna have to wiggle on. So if you're if your overhead is 39%, honestly, your overhead should probably be 42%, right?
01:21:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
hmm.
01:21:51
Todd Dickerson
And I'm just using numbers, but you know because there's going to be a curve ball somewhere, somehow, and it might not be on contract A, it might be on B, and hopefully A and B cover each other.
01:21:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. Yep. Yep. oh
01:21:54
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
01:22:05
Todd Dickerson
But somehow, some way, there's going to be a slop factor in there.
01:22:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:22:10
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, add a couple points onto your overhead number to cover, you know, whatever that is. um But yeah, if you don't know your your overhead in this in in this market, your you're not making money.
01:22:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Amen.
01:22:27
Todd Dickerson
So I don't care what the rate is, you don't you're not making money.
01:22:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Amen. but
01:22:33
Todd Dickerson
So.
01:22:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Agreed. What about you, Dave? What do you think?
01:22:37
Dave Triple J
It's a tough question because I think even with educating people, there's, we're in a tough industry because anybody with a plow truck technically can be your competition.
01:22:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
It is.
01:22:47
Dave Triple J
Even if they got one machine, they might be able to do that one contract because they have two loaders and whatever it is. So for example, this year, there's been a lot of competition. We've had a lot of tenders that are out. We're coming off somewhat of a difficult winter last year, whereas a little more heavy, uh,
01:23:05
Dave Triple J
The economy is not the greatest right now. So there's a lot of companies that are out for bid. And then there's on the opposite side, there's a lot of businesses in the snow removal right now that are pricing really low. They want to make sure they've got some security.
01:23:19
Dave Triple J
They want to make sure that they have some business for all this equipment that they may or may not have. But on the end, we're seeing pricing all over the map right now. It started pretty strong now that we're getting a little closer to the startup of the season.
01:23:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:23:33
Dave Triple J
it's getting ridiculous. Like we've seen quotes that property should be 350,000 or going for 150,000. And, are going for a hundred and fifty thousand
01:23:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Guys are blinking.
01:23:39
Dave Triple J
and and
01:23:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
They're not getting the contracts they want or need to be comfortable monetarily.
01:23:41
Dave Triple J
ah
01:23:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
And they're blinking and lowering their prices on stuff that's coming in.
01:23:48
Dave Triple J
And we've had conversations with the facility manager and we'll talk to him. It's impossible to do it for that rate. and like Dave, we're honestly laughing. And this, I'm not sure if anybody follows me on LinkedIn, but I had a post about this a couple of weeks ago saying the facility manager should be so a little bit more responsible. If they're in a position where they know this contract going to be operated at a loss, then they shouldn't award it.
01:24:10
Dave Triple J
And I got a little bit of pushback, but from this customer in particular, they came back to me and they said, listen, Dave, we're going to discredit his quote.
01:24:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:24:18
Dave Triple J
He can't do it for this price. Checked his references. They all came back good. He does one of their facilities in a different area. This one happens to be in the snow belt, which I'm not sure if he's fully aware of that by his price, but he was able to qualify himself for the bid. They went back to him a couple of times. They said, are you sure? you sure? Are you sure?
01:24:37
Dave Triple J
So now they've come back and they've said, It's his to fail. And at this point, they're going to take the risk because everybody is very cost conscious right now.
01:24:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure.
01:24:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
sure
01:24:47
Dave Triple J
And they're going to give these contractors the chance. And, you know, we've seen another few that are just doing the same. Like everybody wants to hang on to a bit of work and you, your competitions, regardless, it's ridiculous. So you get these guys that two machines, we get this foot and a half snowfall, their two loaders break.
01:25:05
Dave Triple J
They don't have the mechanics, the mobile mechanics to go fix them right away. And it happens where we'll get phone calls throughout a snowstorm of guys that have been up for two days. They're almost in tears because their one machine's down.
01:25:17
Dave Triple J
They've got a snow drift that's 10 feet high blocking a dock. They know their customer is going to lose their mind in two hours when they show up.
01:25:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
01:25:25
Dave Triple J
And they don't have anything to get it done. And you know we're happy to you know help when we can. but Obviously, we've got to make sure our stuff's taken care of. But you know it it's just they don't have the infrastructure to support some of the contracts that they're bidding on.
01:25:38
Dave Triple J
And especially if you're going to go at a low rate. If you're gonna take it at a rate where you know you've got some room, you can have some backup equipment, you got plan B, you can afford to have a plan B in place, then that's a different story. and And I understand everybody wants to grow.
01:25:52
Dave Triple J
you know This is part of the game. You start small, you hopefully get big one day. But you know again, I'm going to go back to that that comment. there is There should be some own ownership on the facility managers, not just to award it for a dollar.
01:26:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred percent
01:26:05
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yep.
01:26:07
Dave Triple J
ah you know you know It's got to be within reason.
01:26:07
RICK JAMES
ye
01:26:09
Dave Triple J
And, you know, that's that's the part that kind of frustrates me is that some of the numbers we're hearing about this year, they're coming back to us and literally saying, and I don't know how he's doing it that cheap. How can he do it that cheap?
01:26:21
Dave Triple J
And basically, the if you don't know your numbers and you're born from Peter to pay Paul and you hope you got a little bit of money in the bank at the end of the at the end of the season, but you're taking a loss on certain contracts, like you're just, you're not going to get ahead.
01:26:34
Dave Triple J
And then you got to look for, and you, you know, in here on, on the Canadian side, for the most part, or at least in the Toronto market, 99% of the contracts are fixed rate.
01:26:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:26:43
Dave Triple J
So I see that a lot of guys, you know, especially in the States, they're, they're hoping for big snow where it's the opposite for us. If we get a lot of snow, everything, every single time it snows, it's costing us money to go out.
01:26:54
Dave Triple J
and every factor between damage, just the hours, everything else. So if you price cheap and you're hoping for no snow, you know, that's a problem. Like for us, and going back to the original thing too of paying standby and guys not showing up because they haven't been in a month, we want snow.
01:27:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:27:04
RICK JAMES
Yeah. It's all there.
01:27:09
Dave Triple J
we want We don't want a ton of snow because we're fixed, but we want that happy medium where the guys are working, everybody's happy, they're collecting a decent pay,
01:27:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, 100%.
01:27:18
Dave Triple J
you know, they're everything kind of works into line when they're out, because when they're not working, they're not familiar with the sites. They're not, you know, they're collecting their standby, maybe finding other work to to compensate for their shortfalls on their pay.
01:27:32
Dave Triple J
So we we do want that average winter, but you got to make sure that you've priced it accordingly.
01:27:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
What about you, Jay?
01:27:38
Todd Dickerson
So Dave, we can can I, ah so when that customer goes to the $100,000 instead of $350,000 and all hell breaks loose and they call you back at 3 a.m., how do you handle that in Canada?
01:27:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, sorry. Go ahead, Deb.
01:27:56
Todd Dickerson
Because I know how we handle it in the States.
01:27:57
Dave Triple J
again. We'll try to figure it out. yeah But at the end of the day, just like this, this customer did say that make sure he got some machines ah you know ready for us.
01:28:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Very true.
01:28:06
Dave Triple J
But obviously we don't, you know, i and but you never want to say no.
01:28:08
RICK JAMES
No.
01:28:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
no oh
01:28:10
Dave Triple J
And going back to the figure it out statement, because there's so much competition out there.
01:28:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
and
01:28:15
Dave Triple J
If you don't take that that opportunity when it comes up, you who knows if it's ever going to come back to you.
01:28:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
very true
01:28:21
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:28:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
very true but you can't you can't just this guy just went low ball and he's saying oh i want you as a plan b but i'm not going to pay
01:28:21
Dave Triple J
So
01:28:23
RICK JAMES
you You take it and you make them pay for it.
Backup Plans and Market Strategies
01:28:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
you a retainer to keep machines aside but i want to make sure you got five machines for me in case i have to push the panic button because i'm an idiot that took a a f freaking 350 thousand dollar contract at 150 you got to make it hurt right like if they do call
01:28:29
Dave Triple J
No.
01:28:37
Dave Triple J
That's right.
01:28:42
Dave Triple J
That's right.
01:28:46
RICK JAMES
You got make it hurt.
01:28:47
Dave Triple J
If they do go yeah.
01:28:47
RICK JAMES
yeah You know, you definitely make it hurt.
01:28:48
Dave Triple J
and last year we had that and a lot of times too, where the guys weren't equipped for the type of properties they were servicing.
01:28:49
Todd Dickerson
Hit it, hit it.
01:28:54
Dave Triple J
And one of them was the hydro contract. We had to go an hour and a half north up into the snow belt where they can get lake effect for three days and easily get three feet of snow. And we had, you know, we got a call Sunday 5pm. Their contractor can't do anything because it's too much snow for their pickup truck.
01:29:12
Dave Triple J
And we're floating loaders up there to to get the job done for them. So we have the infrastructure, so I understand it. you know, everybody wants to grow their company and and I get it, but you hope that they understand what what it costs to do the job.
01:29:27
Dave Triple J
um It always seems to be like, we we have this conversation a lot. We're trying to get Canadians talking a little more because, you know, we like to keep our cards close to our chest over here, but we are, we're trying.
01:29:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, that might that's changing though a little bit.
01:29:38
Dave Triple J
Yeah. But the problem is, there's so it seems to be, there's always that, you know, that guy or at least one guy, especially this year where people are a little bit more, ah nervous I guess you could say it. And they just want to make sure they've got some business to secure it because someone's winning all this. We seem to hear it all around that, you know, the big stuff's going to somebody and, you know, we we thought we'd be getting a lot more. And, you know, it's it's it's a funny year this year and the prices we're hearing it's going for is just it's quite low.
01:30:05
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
01:30:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
That is, I mean, that's a problem whether you're in Canada or the US. It's the same same circus, different clowns. ah It definitely is.
01:30:11
Todd Dickerson
Yep.
01:30:12
Dave Triple J
Mm hmm.
01:30:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
What about you, Jeremy? how ah How can we help educate as an industry on proper pricing? What do you think?
01:30:20
RICK JAMES
I mean, these two gentlemen said everything already for the most part. But yeah, I mean, and like Todd said, this show's helping a lot of people. We've heard that from tons of people. So, I mean, you're never going to, it's just like a snowfall. You're never going to fix the lowballers. You're just, guys are going to go in.
01:30:40
RICK JAMES
They see the money. and's all like you know they're not They see the money and they can grab this account at this point from somebody that's you know like Dave just said for half the price, you grab it, they can't perform the duties. but All I see is that money and like, hey, I'm going to do this account that's a big account in the area.
01:31:00
RICK JAMES
Everybody's going to see me there, but they don't perform and they just ruin the reputation too. i mean we had
01:31:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:31:05
RICK JAMES
We've had accounts this year go for that we had and they weren't that great great price even for us, but we We did them and they went for half of what we were doing for Somebody took them for under half of what we did.
01:31:17
RICK JAMES
I'm like, oh how can you even do that? I mean, it's all around same stuff.
01:31:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good luck. Have at it.
01:31:23
RICK JAMES
it's i mean it's I mean, I can't wait to see who got it because don't know who got them. I'm just like, you guys are fools, but whatever. I really guess they got to figure it out on their own. you know that's That's the way the world works. You got to get kicked sometimes.
01:31:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:31:37
RICK JAMES
got to get kicked sometimes
01:31:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Everybody's got their own overhead. Everybody's got their own company makeup, size difference. So overhead is always going to be different. But you at least in this industry, whether you're two trucks or 25 loaders, you should at least know what the going rate per acre is for a site of a certain type in your area.
01:32:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
What is the market threshold? What are the guys with 25 getting for doing that getting for doing that you know 10 acre office building versus what you know just because you have two machines and two trucks doesn't mean you should be pricing 80 percent lower than what those guys are doing it for because all you're doing is if you even get that contract all you've done is you've undone 20 years worth of work to get that contract price where it is currently so you've low-balled it you've set it back 20 fucking years so
01:32:07
Dave Triple J
Right.
01:32:16
RICK JAMES
Right.
01:32:27
Dave Triple J
right
01:32:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Don't do that. You know, do yourself enough justice that if you're not educated, it's more than what your overhead is. I mean, that's very important to know it, but know what the market threshold, what the market tolerance is for a certain site type in your area.
01:32:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Because the last thing you want to do is roll in there saying, I i got this price at 60% markup. I'm doing fine.
01:32:51
RICK JAMES
Yeah, right.
01:32:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
And you're still 45 or 50 below what that tolerance is in that area for that site because all you're doing is setting everybody back so that that kind of thing i think this show and what the guests on this show for the last three years i think that's done a lot to help guys figure that kind of thing out what the unwritten rules are uh because there's a lot of most of the stuff is unwritten there's not too much written about snow there's not too much concrete shit out there for guys to be able to go and do so i think that's that's a good thing that's come out of the show and every episode is like your own little college course you know you take one tidbit because i remember sitting in college classes for an hour and a half and if you learned one little four second clip then that was a win for that day because most of it was bullshit
01:33:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
But if you get one thing from one guest on this show, that that episode's a win.
01:33:39
RICK JAMES
Right. Mm-hmm.
01:33:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Use it for yourself. And i don't i think there's always guys you're not going to be able to help. You're never going to be able to change the gamblers. the The guys that are just pure fucking gamblers, I'm going go in there and I'm going to bet $50,000 that it doesn't fucking snow this winter.
01:34:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
You're never going to change those guys. So those are not the the guys we're trying to help.
01:34:02
RICK JAMES
ah
01:34:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
We're trying to help the younger guys, the newer guys, and the guys that are willing to learn. Just listen to what all these guys have been saying, ah you know, for two and a half years on this show and just try put them on the right path to know how to get to
01:34:20
Dave Triple J
Thank you.
01:34:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
you know, where they want to be and do it properly with proper pricing. I don't think there is one magic bullet. There's no one book to read. Everybody's in a different situation.
01:34:29
RICK JAMES
So...
01:34:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
They're different snow market. They're in a different tolerance threshold. It's all important stuff. And you can't, you can't just throw one thing out there and say, this is the blanket statement. That's going to help everybody.
01:34:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
01:34:41
Dave Triple J
This year has been, you know, going back, i guess, to a little bit of my frustration too, but this year has been funny where I've seen this more in the last month than I ever ever have before, where we submit our quote, the bid do the bid's due, we submit our quote, and then all of a sudden we get an email back couple days later, we're going to give everybody one last shot.
01:35:00
Dave Triple J
Now submit your final price. And it's, so now, you know, it goes, so everybody's dropping their pants a little bit more who wants it the most.
01:35:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Amen.
01:35:09
Dave Triple J
And we've been a part of one where it's a reverse auction. We submitted a quote. They didn't tell us first that there was going to be an auction. And then all of a sudden the bids come in, you get invited to a portal, you on the portal that shows you where you rank either with
01:35:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jesus.
01:35:22
Dave Triple J
one, two, three or green light, yellow light, red light. And now you price against yourself basically to see if you're how badly you want it.
01:35:31
RICK JAMES
You want to race to the bottom.
01:35:32
Dave Triple J
And that's where it's going to get really, and you're against a timer.
01:35:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, my God.
01:35:35
Dave Triple J
So, you know, now you got the auction mentality going to your head where you, you know, you maybe you're going to drop it.
01:35:38
RICK JAMES
so
01:35:40
Dave Triple J
So regardless, you're, you know, you're, you're shaving a couple points off depending on who wants it and or how badly you want it. If it works into your roots or if you feel you still got a little bit of room, And yeah, it's been a funny year this year where I've seen that come up time after time this year alone.
01:35:56
Dave Triple J
And I guess they know that the contractors for one, maybe the guys that aren't educated and that they'll take it and they hold most of the cards.
01:36:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. They'll blink.
01:36:04
Dave Triple J
Like who wants to work the most?
01:36:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's brilliant. I mean, that's a brilliant strategy if you're them, honestly, because you're going to get somebody to blink and you're going to so end up saving money on the contract. So, I mean, I don't like it, but it's, I mean, if you look at it from their point of view, and it's kind of, kind of underhanded and then but to take advantage of people's, you know, uh,
01:36:14
RICK JAMES
No.
01:36:18
Dave Triple J
it.
01:36:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
no moral fortitude that they're going to blink and low. No, no, no, no, no. I'll drop it, you know, 40%. You know, that that's kind of ridiculous, but it's brilliant on their end.
01:36:32
Dave Triple J
For sure. It is.
01:36:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
But I mean, you're you're always going to have you're always going to have that type of gambler. Like how many people do we know that have had snow businesses that they've fucking basically gone chapter 11 and opened up as a new name, you know, the next year with a new credit line and somebody else's name is the COO so that they can get a new credit line after they've already fucking, you know, screwed over how many people by not paying the year before, you know, they do it.
01:37:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
and you're never going to stop those gamblers that are just you know going low ball just take everything ah at a low price and try and do it in volume and hope for no snow you're never going to stop them but you can help the guys that want to be helped and want to try and do things the right way and i think that's what all of us as a community now are trying to do so we'll keep it rolling
01:37:21
Dave Triple J
A million dollars sounds great, but not if it costs you a million and five dollars.
01:37:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Not if it costs you 1.4.
01:37:28
Todd Dickerson
ah
01:37:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Exactly. but know. Anybody. And not if it's Canadian million. Anything
01:37:34
Dave Triple J
It doesn't matter if it's K or American, it still hurts.
01:37:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
else, boys, we'll wrap it?
01:37:37
RICK JAMES
it. yeah
01:37:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. anything else boys or we'll wrap it
01:37:44
Dave Triple J
it for us.
01:37:44
RICK JAMES
ran
01:37:44
Todd Dickerson
i
01:37:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
right
01:37:45
Todd Dickerson
I think I'm good.
01:37:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah You guys were awesome. Thank you very much. We appreciate it, man. You guys killed it. I knew ah i knew just the one question was going to be, that's why we were going to have you two on there. cause that's ah The larger company question was gold
01:37:59
Dave Triple J
I like how you sent the one, oh, we have one question and then 10 minutes before the show, here's the question.
01:37:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
like
01:38:02
Todd Dickerson
yeah
01:38:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, I wanted to make sure you guys had the the question that was tailored to both of you. Like that was the one where, okay, you guys need maybe needed to spend the five, ten minutes thinking about that one. The rest of them you could answer from, you know, shooting from the hip.
01:38:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
No problem. It's all easy stuff. But I figured that one you might and want a heads up on. ah I appreciate it. Jeremy appreciates it. We, we love what you guys are, are, are helping us do.
01:38:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
And thank you as always for coming on with us and giving us the time. know you guys are busy.
01:38:32
RICK JAMES
Yep, definitely. Thank you, guys
01:38:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, apparently not Todd. Todd's still on the back of the boat. They're just chilling.
01:38:36
RICK JAMES
yeah guys. yeah
01:38:38
Todd Dickerson
I got to figure out how to change that picture.
01:38:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Can't figure out a background.
01:38:40
Todd Dickerson
You guys give me too much of a hard time.
01:38:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
i love it.
01:38:44
Todd Dickerson
So yeah.
01:38:44
RICK JAMES
We'll send you a picture of us to put behind you.
01:38:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, it's the greatest Todd.
01:38:47
RICK JAMES
I
01:38:48
Todd Dickerson
Yeah.
01:38:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
You're so funny, dude.
01:38:49
Todd Dickerson
Perfect. Perfect.
01:38:50
Dave Triple J
Well, I better get out there and not create another campaign so I can keep by sending you these alerts and getting people to vote for us to be on the next show.
01:38:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well,
01:38:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think you got it, dude.
01:38:57
RICK JAMES
want to stop. last
01:38:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't know how you wouldn't have it if you don't get one of the spots.
01:38:59
Todd Dickerson
I'm afraid to give them my cell phone number.
01:39:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, my God. I don't know. i think I think it's rigged if you don't get one because I swear everyone is literally everything that goes off is bing, triple J, bing, triple J.
01:39:05
RICK JAMES
ye I think,
01:39:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm like, Jesus, full court press.
01:39:14
Dave Triple J
we came up with a couple of good contests. The only thing I'm little bit worried about now is who might win that contest and what kind of person I might get in our box with us that night.
01:39:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, and there you go. mean, you never know. You never know.
01:39:26
Dave Triple J
It started as something small, but it's taken off.
01:39:26
RICK JAMES
Me and Steve are out to come up there.
01:39:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Everybody's tagging everybody else. Like what is it? Tag three other people, right?
01:39:34
Dave Triple J
That's right.
01:39:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh my God. um And I got to say the followers, the ones we're picking up from triple J's tagging, they're all females. You got a lot of female snow people out there.
01:39:45
Dave Triple J
No, we're just that good looking over here.
01:39:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
I guess, I guess lot of fans of triple J best looking company in Canada.
01:39:47
RICK JAMES
ha
01:39:47
Dave Triple J
yeah yeah
01:39:50
RICK JAMES
ah
01:39:50
Dave Triple J
yeah That's it.
01:39:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh shit. All right, boys. Well, thank you very much. And Dave, best of luck and Todd as well on the storm chasing season two voting. And we'll talk to you guys again soon. All right.
01:40:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, Jay, you got anything else?
01:40:04
Todd Dickerson
Thanks, boys.
01:40:05
Todd Dickerson
Appreciate it. Dave, nice to meet you.
01:40:05
Dave Triple J
Sounds good.
01:40:08
RICK JAMES
We're good.
01:40:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right.
01:40:10
Dave Triple J
Nice to meet you, to Todd.
01:40:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well then we'll.
01:40:11
Dave Triple J
Thank you, guys.
01:40:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
No problem. No problem. So we'll wrap it there, guys. That's going to do it for episode 140 of the Snow Jaws podcast main show. As we said, thanks to Dave and Todd for the time. a lot of great information from both of them.
01:40:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
They are extremely successful in in both of their own endeavors. So it's we're lucky to have them. Lucky to hear what they have to offer. ah That is it, guys. Everybody have a great week. All right. Be safe out there.
01:40:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
Get your snow bids finalized. Get them accepted. And, i you know, it's coming. It's definitely coming. Like I said, it's 29 degrees and hard frost here this morning. So have a great week.
01:40:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Keep pushing.
01:40:54
Todd Dickerson
Thank you.