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S3-109: Talking Improving Contracts to Cover whatever winter throws at you
905 Plays1 month ago
The guys sit down with Mike Santolucito, Robert Thyng, and Shawn DiVencenzo to discuss the busy winter for most northeastern states, and how that busy winter shows us the areas of our contracts that we need to adjust or improve going forward
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Overview
00:00:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Here we go, Snow Jobs Nation, back again, bringing you episode 109 of the Snow Jobs Podcast main show, powered by Top Gun Backblades. As always, I'm Steve. You know who's with me.
00:00:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
The Rick James of Snow Management, Mr. Jeremy Lindstrom, Glacier Snow. What's up, brother?
00:01:05
RICK JAMES
Just another day, another day here.
00:01:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Doing it.
00:01:09
RICK JAMES
Yeah, something like that.
00:01:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Doing it.
Recording Challenges in Winter
00:01:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
We were just talking about this, what, two weeks ago with Luke Eggerbrotten on the dirtbags, how ah during the winter it's sometimes tough to do everything we do and get episodes recorded.
00:01:11
RICK JAMES
Bored.
00:01:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
So here we are at 9 p.m.
00:01:22
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:01:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sunday night getting tomorrow's episode done.
00:01:27
RICK JAMES
Seems to be standard issue lately.
00:01:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's, ah yeah, it's it's been a winter. But how's everything out there? Good?
00:01:34
RICK JAMES
Yeah, pretty good. There's not much happening. been pretty
00:01:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
No?
00:01:37
RICK JAMES
Pretty slow.
00:01:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
No snow?
00:01:38
RICK JAMES
Pretty slow. No snow.
00:01:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, well. It's not over yet.
00:01:43
RICK JAMES
Maybe next year.
00:01:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nah, it's not over yet. Still got March.
00:01:46
RICK JAMES
It's over.
00:01:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nah, the weathermen, they'll they'll come through for you.
00:01:49
RICK JAMES
see if he off i looked I just looked at the inaccurate weather and it shows like no snow. sign like It's the weather, man. They're never wrong.
00:01:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
I see your reports.
00:01:58
RICK JAMES
Are they?
00:01:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Don't you get the.10 to 1 inch warning every day?
00:02:02
RICK JAMES
Pretty much, yeah.
00:02:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
the
00:02:06
RICK JAMES
I don't look at it anymore.
00:02:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah oh well. How was your week last week? Good?
00:02:13
RICK JAMES
Once again, uneventful.
00:02:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right.
00:02:14
RICK JAMES
It was pretty boring. Nothing going on. I talked to Jordan.
00:02:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:02:23
RICK JAMES
I'm going to have to go down to Storm Academy.
00:02:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Hell yeah.
00:02:27
RICK JAMES
and play around there some snow but freak the weather's gonna be too warm to even do that start starting to warm up it's like gonna be the 30s 40s here this week all week so 19.8 killing it
00:02:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, is it really?
00:02:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
What are you at inches wise this year?
00:02:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, as bad as that sounds for Fargo, that's still better than our friends in Minnesota, right?
00:02:49
RICK JAMES
ah ah dustin i thought he said were at 13 or 14 that could be wrong but that came last night
00:02:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't know. i don't know if they're that high. that's That seems high.
00:02:58
RICK JAMES
When it comes in two tenths at a time, it's hard to get a lot done, you know?
00:03:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, that's tough. That's tough, man. Two really bad winners in a row for Minnesota. That's... I don't even want to think about it.
00:03:09
RICK JAMES
And us. Don't fucking leave us, though. Poor Minnesota.
00:03:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, mean...
00:03:12
RICK JAMES
Poor North Dakota, too.
00:03:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
What'd you have last year? What'd you have last year?
00:03:16
RICK JAMES
Thirteen-something. Yeah, it was like almost fourteen.
00:03:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
That was it last year, 13?
00:03:20
RICK JAMES
and something like that. Yeah.
00:03:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
And this year, you're what, 20? What's true
00:03:24
RICK JAMES
Nineteen point eight. The National Weather Service says
00:03:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
weather say? Oh, shit. true weather site
00:03:31
RICK JAMES
you I don't know. i have to look it um
00:03:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh okay ah ah oh shit All right. Well, what are we doing tonight?
Impact of Weather on Contracts
00:03:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
So it's been a really busy yeah been a really busy winter event-wise, ah both plowings and saltings in the Northeast. And when you have these busy winters that may push the limits of what you had estimated for you like your seasonal contracts, even your per-push contracts, you may start to see glaring holes in your ah in your terms and your pricing ah that you're going to try and deal with and adjust for the next contract cycle.
00:04:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. And then there's other guys that maybe thought of everything, and they had all their bases covered, and they're in great shape after a winter like this, at least in the Northeast. Northeast is up with a number of events, maybe not everywhere, up inches average-wise over the yearly averages.
00:04:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
But events-wise, i know a lot of guys that are like way up on the number of events they normally do, which is great. um But even the guys are super proactive and always thinking about worst case scenarios when it comes to contracts. ah They can find areas to fine tune or tweak after a winter like this, because this is where you see this kind of winter where you're doing you know more events than normal.
00:04:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
This is where you see the holes. This is where you see the problem areas in your contracts and stuff. So I think that's what we're going to what we're going to be talking about with the boys tonight. average winners don't really illuminate holes in your contract that may be there. So it's ah it's really the busy winners that tend to show you where you're lacking.
00:05:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
So we got a bunch of fellow Northeasterners with us tonight. I can't freaking talk. I apologize. And we're going to talk about this winner we're having so far, how they're doing, what kind of winner they're dealing with, and get into what they've seen as far as their contracts go and if ah if they've found any areas that they can make improvements or adjustments going forward.
00:05:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah So to help us tonight, we have the always popular Mike Sanalicito representing Outdoor Pride. He's back with us. And the always entertaining Sean DiVincenzo of Native Snow in New Jersey.
00:05:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
And to yell at Sean and call him a moron, we have Robert Thing of RD Outdoor up in Maine.
00:05:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah What do you got, Jay?
00:05:46
RICK JAMES
Okay, I'm looking at inaccurate weather.
00:05:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah? Yeah.
00:05:48
RICK JAMES
Breaking news. They got us for 2.2 inches on March 4th. So I'm going to lock that in right now.
00:05:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Lock it.
00:05:54
RICK JAMES
I'm going to Southern Bills.
00:05:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Lock it in. Lock it in. Start billing.
00:06:00
RICK JAMES
Fuck.
00:06:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
a
00:06:01
RICK JAMES
That just came out of nowhere. That's breaking news.
00:06:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. then
00:06:04
RICK JAMES
Sorry to break in like that. just got excited.
00:06:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, all good, brother. All good. That's, I mean, that's hot news.
00:06:08
RICK JAMES
Oh, shit.
00:06:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's right off the press.
00:06:10
RICK JAMES
Hot news. It's right off.
00:06:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
That is way above your.10 to one inch.
00:06:12
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:06:15
RICK JAMES
oh I'm sure it's going to hold. It's going to hold. Look
00:06:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
It'll triple. it'll It'll go up. You watch. Yeah.
00:06:21
RICK JAMES
at that. Prairie effects, no?
00:06:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. The corn effect. Oh, man. So tonight, like I said, tonight we got we now we'll have four states from the Northeast represented tonight or today, whatever you want to whenever you listen to this.
00:06:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
And i will we'll discuss this winter what we've learned, if anything, we can do better contract-wise going forward. All right. But before we get into it with the boys, let's hear from Team Top Gun, and we'll come back to a quick week review for you.
00:07:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
We're back.
Upcoming Events and Announcements
00:07:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, guys, quick week on review here. Just some housekeeping stuff. April 26, like we've been talking about, that is Storks Snow Alliance Day in Pennsylvania. All right, believe the tickets go on sale. I believe this Wednesday. We'll confirm that on our socials for you early this week ah when we talk to Gene.
00:07:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
um Make sure that ticket window's up and open for you to get it. Do not wait. Get your tickets as soon as they are available to be gotten. All right, get them done. It will sell out.
00:07:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's a firm number of people that are able to attend and they have the night before party sponsored by case construction equipment. That's ah that's going to be a great time. ah That is a great event. It is a hardcore snow dude event.
00:08:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
It was a great time last year. We met a lot of great guys, lot of great people in snow. Um, Just, a I mean, a lot of just, it was a great day of networking, meeting guys and stuff.
00:08:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
And this year we'll have, ah this year we'll have Arctic there.
00:08:17
RICK JAMES
I'll have backup this
00:08:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
arctics Arctic's going this year. Yep. So, even more fun.
00:08:24
RICK JAMES
time.
00:08:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
We'll have Arctic and Metal Plus in the same place.
00:08:28
RICK JAMES
i'll have backup this time I have backup.
00:08:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
There we go. Yeah, we'll get back up. ah But, yeah, it's a fantastic day of learning for for everybody that attends. Everybody that you know attended last year had nothing but great things to say, and Storks is continuing to ah make that event better and better each year. So make sure you get your tickets, and now we'll see you there because we will be there.
00:08:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Don't know what we're doing yet. Probably ah at least a live recording of another episode. We'll probably do that. um But, yeah, we'll do whatever we can to help ah promote that day and make it a success.
Excitement for New Releases
00:09:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
What else? ah We dropped the trailer for episode three, which is East Coast facilities of the storm chasing with the snow jobs. That came down Friday on our socials.
00:09:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
um That's awesome. East Coast facilities. that's a It was a great looking trailer. Maddie and Matt knocked it out of the park.
00:09:18
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:09:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Ghost dog killing it again. Can't wait to see these things.
00:09:24
RICK JAMES
Did you see a special appearance in there?
00:09:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
The what? I did.
00:09:27
RICK JAMES
Did you see it?
00:09:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
i I saw the blacked out Jeremy Lindstrom putting on a safety vest.
00:09:28
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:09:31
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:09:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:09:32
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:09:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
OSHA was watching.
00:09:34
RICK JAMES
Well, that's probably as far as it went.
00:09:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
But
00:09:36
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:09:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
um yeah, that that trailer dropped. Storm chasing with the snow jobs. We're getting more and more excited as it gets closer to dropping the full episodes. ah That is coming quick. but Did we put a date on the first one?
00:09:52
RICK JAMES
Um, not a firm date, but we're thinking, um,
00:09:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Not a firm date.
00:09:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
We're dropping a mega trailer at Storks, right?
00:10:01
RICK JAMES
I think that's what we are trying to do.
00:10:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, we're dropping a mega trailer of all, and ah a long-ass trailer of all six episodes cut up. So ah we'll be dropping that at Storks. So if you haven't gotten a ticket for Storks, there there's another reason to go.
00:10:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Get the first look.
00:10:15
RICK JAMES
Yeah, make your, yeah, that'd be fun. So,
00:10:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep, be a good time. ah So yeah, Storm Chasing with the Snow Jobs. It's done filming. They're editing now hundreds and hundreds of hours of footage.
00:10:28
RICK JAMES
Well, if we get this big storm merge forth, maybe they'll come film another. You never know.
00:10:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
You want to like bookends first and last? If you're not first, you're last. Or if you're first, you are last again.
00:10:37
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yes.
00:10:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, Ricky Bobby.
00:10:39
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:10:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
We got you. That'll be cool.
00:10:42
RICK JAMES
You never get enough camera time.
00:10:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
That'll be cool.
00:10:44
RICK JAMES
You never get enough camera time.
00:10:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. That's it.
00:10:46
RICK JAMES
Eric James needs his camera time.
00:10:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Rick James, he did you have the coat and hat on in your episode at all?
00:10:48
RICK JAMES
did
00:10:52
RICK JAMES
I did not.
00:10:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Dude, what a letdown. that's That's sad.
00:10:55
RICK JAMES
I was professional, Steve. I was professional.
00:10:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very sad. That is professional.
00:11:00
RICK JAMES
But does the endgame here will will put ah end the end game.
00:11:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's persona.
00:11:05
RICK JAMES
So...
00:11:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh shit all right um let's see what else we got this week so jeremy and i did an episode of the dirtbags podcast a couple weeks ago to celebrate their third anniversary of that show uh always a great time talking to luke eggerbrotten uh so if you guys run out of snow jobs episodes to listen to head over to dirtbags podcast on spotify and you can give that one a listen and uh help them with their show
00:11:27
RICK JAMES
I did. i let i let Luke down this weekend. I was supposed to do that polar plunge with him yesterday when I got wrapped up help on another buddy so I couldn't get to it.
00:11:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
You didn't want to do it. You didn't want to go. You didn't want to jump in a cold lake.
00:11:39
RICK JAMES
I don't care.
00:11:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
You're going jump in a cold lake?
00:11:40
RICK JAMES
I don't care about that. oh Yeah, I'm not worried about it.
00:11:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right.
00:11:44
RICK JAMES
He was cold for while. ah just I just got tied up helping a buddy.
00:11:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:11:49
RICK JAMES
But all the snow hole needed some help.
00:11:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
All good.
00:11:51
RICK JAMES
so
00:11:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Ah, Bobo. Well, he's helped you out a bunch this year, right? He came back for a bunch of guest appearances.
00:11:55
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm. He came back. Yeah, he came back. So I figured i got to help him.
00:12:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Got to do it. One hand washes the other.
00:12:03
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:12:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
What else? Speaking of more episodes, yes, we are back. We are finally able to get a little breathing room. We are recording the next installment of Arctic Army Roll Call this week. All right, that's going to feature Blake Strait and Nick Stewart, the engineering tag team just...
00:12:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Brainnasium behind the Razorback and a lot of the other awesome products that have the Arctic name on them. ah So we're excited to hear from those two. And just we want to we don't know what they're what they're going to talk about.
00:12:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
So it's ah it's basically going to be push record and see what they want to get into.
00:12:35
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Wow.
00:12:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
So ah be excited for that. And that'll be dropping sometime. Not this coming week, the week after, ah because we are recording that, I believe, on Friday with ah with Nick and Blake.
00:12:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
What else? Snow Job Nation store, as always, open and stocked. Get your gear. All right. Like and subscribe on whatever platform you listen to us on. um Keep giving us those five-star reviews on Apple and Spotify. They're going up, up, up. So love seeing that.
00:13:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's great. And don't don't be afraid to comment.
00:13:08
RICK JAMES
I
00:13:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
if ah If you feel like dropping a couple lines of what you like about the show, that makes it into our our media kit. So, you know, that always helps us out. We'll do that. um What else? You got anything else, Jay?
00:13:23
RICK JAMES
don't think that you said everything that I know of.
00:13:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cool. All right. Well, then let's hear from our partners, and we'll be right back. Get into it with the boys.
Regional Snowfall Updates
00:14:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, we're back. Gotta get used to those new commercials.
00:14:41
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:14:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, let's welcome in the boys. Mike, Robert, Shawnee, what is up, boys? How are we?
00:14:49
Robert
Doing good, you?
00:14:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Not too bad.
00:14:52
Native Snow
What's going on?
00:14:54
Mike Santolucito
How we doing?
00:14:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
um sean Sean's tired. Sean's tired. Mike looks wide awake, as always.
00:14:57
RICK JAMES
sholing Yeah.
00:14:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Robert's still sick. So it should be good.
00:15:02
Robert
Unfortunately.
00:15:02
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:15:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Robert, did you get your glass yet?
00:15:04
RICK JAMES
Should be good.
00:15:06
Robert
i did not. What you talking about?
00:15:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
You didn't get the Jordan from Jimmy? The glass for the $3,400?
00:15:11
Robert
Oh, no.
00:15:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
No. All
00:15:14
Robert
No, I didn't.
00:15:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
no right.
00:15:16
Robert
I haven't called. I kind of don't want to know how much that's going to cost, to be honest.
00:15:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's not that bad. It's like, which panel did you break?
00:15:22
Robert
Really?
00:15:25
Robert
The entry side door? The whole thing?
00:15:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
so It's not that bad. It's maybe $450. $400. It's horrible.
00:15:35
Robert
That's not bad, I guess.
00:15:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred bucks ah horrible
00:15:38
Robert
I have it on my list to call him this week.
00:15:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, it's not horrible.
00:15:44
RICK JAMES
Yeah, put on dog sled to get it up to Maine though. It's gonna cost extra.
00:15:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah So how let's go around the room. How has everybody's winter been? Both you know inches and ah and events. Let's start with Robert. How you been doing before we lose you? Because you're all pixelated with that main dial-up internet.
00:16:04
Robert
Really? um Well, we're at our average already. We're about 52 inches. um But the kicker is we've had about 20 different events.
00:16:18
Robert
You guys not hear me or something?
00:16:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cool. All right. and what Yeah, we can hear you.
00:16:22
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:16:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Can you hear me?
00:16:24
Robert
Yeah.
00:16:24
Mike Santolucito
It was in and out for a second. It was funny.
00:16:26
RICK JAMES
It was in and out.
00:16:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, cool.
00:16:27
RICK JAMES
it was He sounded like a robot. That's all right.
00:16:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
How many events do you normally average, Robert?
00:16:34
Robert
I want to say around like 1415. Yes.
00:16:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. So you're up in events and you're average with snowfall.
00:16:43
Robert
yes
00:16:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cool.
00:16:46
Robert
lot of a lot of.
00:16:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
right. What about you, Sean? Oh, go ahead, Rob.
00:16:50
Robert
No, I was just going to say a lot of one one to three inch events this year.
00:16:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. Us too. Us too. What about you, Sean?
00:17:01
Native Snow
Um, oh, can you guys hear me?
00:17:02
RICK JAMES
Wake up. Yeah.
00:17:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Wake up, dude. Yeah.
00:17:05
Native Snow
No, I'm there.
00:17:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Ah.
00:17:06
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:17:06
Native Snow
my computer's freaking out. i don't know if it you guys, me. don't know what's going on.
00:17:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
hu
00:17:12
Native Snow
All right.
00:17:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sunday night recordings.
00:17:12
Native Snow
um
00:17:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Can't, he can't make this shit up.
00:17:14
Native Snow
Yep. but
00:17:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah ah i will fuck you up.
00:17:19
Native Snow
Yeah, we're, uh, we're,
00:17:19
RICK JAMES
and
00:17:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
You fuck this up.
00:17:21
Native Snow
We are below, we're still below average um across the board on snow, but we're definitely above average on events, especially the last couple of years. We had ton of salt things this year. It seems like every other day since pretty much January we've been out.
00:17:39
Native Snow
think we had a two-week stretch where it was warm, and then kind of picked back up, and it's been extremely cold, and we keep getting these little half-inch snowstorms, quarter-inch snowstorms.
00:17:52
Native Snow
They coat everything because it's 16 degrees and we go out and salt. I've been
00:17:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:17:58
RICK JAMES
Saltzady.
00:17:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
What did you guys... ah So before this year, leave this year out of it, what what was your average number of events the last three years? You know?
00:18:08
Native Snow
salting a i know last year
00:18:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like ballpark?
00:18:10
Native Snow
I know last year we had like five, maybe seven events. The year prior, maybe eight or nine events. ah key And yeah, definitely.
00:18:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
So you're probably about double right now, event-wise?
00:18:24
Native Snow
Yeah.
00:18:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm. What about you, Mike?.....................
00:18:30
Mike Santolucito
Yeah, I mean, we're we're not at the the average for our snowfall. Between New Hampshire is at like 35 right now, and like go Central Mass for 22 in most of our brackets, but definitely up there for above average with events, mostly with the salting and the treatments we've had to do.
00:18:49
Mike Santolucito
Plowing events, from one site I'm counting right now, I'm only at like 16 for the year. So not not horrible, but I'm scrolling through a million salting applications on this one site right now. So it's been ah but an active year.
00:19:03
Mike Santolucito
Guys are enjoying it.
00:19:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good. What do you guys normally average for plowings?
00:19:09
Mike Santolucito
As far as events, we're usually in like the mid-20s, mid to high twenty s
00:19:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:19:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:19:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:19:17
Mike Santolucito
That's if we get our 65-inch average for the year.
00:19:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
So our stats for last year were nine plowings and two of those were like nothings. The rest were big bangers, 10 plus.
00:19:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Um, But this year, we are on event number 23, all total, between saltings and plowings.
00:19:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
So ive we've dropped blades, if this is correct, we've dropped blades 16 times. Where last year we only dropped blades nine times.
00:19:53
Mike Santolucito
Thanks.
00:19:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
So, I mean, we're almost double plowings. But we have not. Last year we had a one and a half inch. We had a four inch. And then our next lowest total was a ten.
00:20:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
This year our biggest total was a nine. So we haven't gotten a double-digit storm yet. We've gotten a shit ton, like Sean said, half an inch that sticks to everything because we've been so cold, which is great. I mean, I'm not complaining. A cold winter is great.
00:20:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
But I think a lot of guys in the Northeast forgot what it was like when you have frozen ground and ha and below freezing temperatures all you know for a long period of time because we haven't seen it in a long time.
00:20:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
Where we've had, you know, my kids have had ice in the front yard for shit the entire winter since before Christmas without fail. So we haven't had that in forever.
00:20:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, last year we'd have a snowstorm and it'll be 40 degrees the next day. It'd be 36 while it's snowing. So I can't remember the last time we plowed this many events that below 20 degrees, you know, in the low teens.
00:20:59
Mike Santolucito
ah I can't remember the last time we've had snow still on the ground, and know, a week, two weeks, three weeks going without melting down to the grass.
00:21:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
we Yeah, we've had snowpack since Christmas.
00:21:10
Mike Santolucito
Yeah.
00:21:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Crazy.
00:21:12
Mike Santolucito
I mean, granted that ice storm pretty much encapsulated everything at this point.
00:21:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
I can't.
00:21:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
It did.
00:21:15
Mike Santolucito
It's not going anywhere for a while.
00:21:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
The glare coming off everything on a sunny day after that ice storm was incredible.
00:21:22
Mike Santolucito
Mm-hmm.
00:21:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Should we talk about that ice storm? Did everybody get as bad as ah as us? we We kind of got shafted huge on that one. Sean saying no. Robert, you're saying no. Robert, you got all snow out of that? You didn't get any changeover?
00:21:36
Robert
We got a little changeover, but it was nothing that even made a difference.
00:21:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
How much snow did you get?
00:21:44
Robert
About 10 and a half inches, I think.
00:21:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh all right. So you made out good on that one. Fucker.
00:21:52
Native Snow
We had straight rain.
00:21:52
Mike Santolucito
Yeah, you guys up north, you did you did pretty well.
00:21:52
Robert
our biggest storm this year.
00:21:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
We got screwed.
00:21:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
What was that? Mike.
00:21:58
Mike Santolucito
So you guys up north, you guys did pretty well. i don't even think you guys got the the freezing rain, if maybe for an hour, but from what I heard, everybody got a little bit of sleet and a bunch of snow.
00:22:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sean, you got, you got straight rain the whole time.
00:22:13
Robert
Thank you.
00:22:13
Native Snow
Yeah, that night that you guys were all out getting fucked.
00:22:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Did that now with with the ground below freezing, was that was the rain pulling the frost out of the ground or no?
00:22:17
Native Snow
I was getting rain.
00:22:23
Native Snow
No, everything was good.
00:22:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
No? Lucky fucker.
00:22:26
Native Snow
It was like 40.
00:22:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jeremy, do you guys you guys get mixing events out there?
00:22:27
Native Snow
It was like degrees here.
00:22:31
RICK JAMES
ah Rarely. I mean, we do you maybe one a year.
00:22:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
You do.
00:22:36
RICK JAMES
But yeah, sometimes more.
00:22:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
What do you get, like sleet or freezing rain? what do you What do you end up getting usually?
00:22:42
RICK JAMES
I mean, it's probably usually sleet. But we've had some freeze rain events where ices everything over and we got a salt lake.
00:22:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. Okay.
00:22:49
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I mean, it's been a few years since we had like a rain event where it turned everything into ice. But yeah, we'll get them rarely. But yeah, they're always fun.
00:22:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Has anybody gotten this grapple, grapple shit?
00:23:02
RICK JAMES
not this year got it before yeah we've
00:23:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
the The snow pellets. It's not sleet. It's actual like mini snowballs that are coming down.
00:23:10
RICK JAMES
been
00:23:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
They're round, perfectly round.
00:23:12
Native Snow
yeah Oh, yeah.
00:23:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
You got it, Sean?
00:23:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, I didn't know what the fuck.
00:23:16
Native Snow
Covers up nice. Yeah,
00:23:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm like, I don't know what this is. And I called Nick. I'm like, I don't know what the hell we got right now, but it's falling from the sky and it's accumulating. It's like little tiny snowballs. Looks like like tiny mothballs.
00:23:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
He's like, oh, that's growl pole.
00:23:28
Native Snow
it accumulates nice.
00:23:29
Mike Santolucito
It looks like, it looks like Palladale.
00:23:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, exactly.
00:23:32
Native Snow
It's it.
00:23:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
It does. it does look like somebody ripped open a 50 pound bag over you.
00:23:34
Native Snow
and Steve, yeah the storm that we got that accumulated really quick. It was like, came down. I thought it was raining. Now I went outside. I was like, what's going on here? And then all of a sudden the ground was covered within five minutes.
00:23:49
Native Snow
was like, all right, I guess we're going plowing.
00:23:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, it covers up quick.
00:23:52
Native Snow
Yeah.
00:23:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, so we were supposed to get 3 to 4 out of that. The timeline was 3 p.m. start, between 3 and 4 start, switch over from snow to sleet between midnight and 2, and then to freezing rain between 2 and 4,
00:24:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
And then, I don't know, plain rain till 8 a.m.
Challenges of Harsh Winter Conditions
00:24:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah So we had a plan in place that we were going to go out at 8 p.m., figuring about an inch and a half it would have fallen at that time.
00:24:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
We were going to clean our zeros off. And then we were going to let it build up. We discussed it with our customers. We're like, we're going to leave, you know, and in that whatever falls after 8 p.m., we're going to leave that snow there and let the the sleet and the freezing rain sit on top of it.
00:24:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
And we'll plow it all off. It'll be much safer for traction than black pavement with ice on it. So that's what we're going to do. So the boys went out, ate, ate, what's that?
00:24:48
RICK JAMES
ah yeah you figure out How do that? How were you planning that?
00:24:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
What do you mean?
00:24:55
RICK JAMES
How were you getting a plan to do that? Who told you that?
00:24:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh the weathermen. The weathermen.
00:25:00
RICK JAMES
Oh, I was leading you.
00:25:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:25:01
RICK JAMES
I was leading you.
00:25:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. So the weathermen gave us the the time cycle and they were in agreement. they weren They were really in agreement on the snow till midnight um and then change over to sleep.
00:25:12
Robert
Thank you.
00:25:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
So then the guys went out.
00:25:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
They cleared all the zeros at 8 p.m. They were done by maybe 9 and 9.05. It went from snow straight to pouring ass rain.
00:25:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
that started the ice cycle and we were fucked the whole night long. It never sleeted. It never went back to snow. It just stayed driving cold ass rain.
00:25:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
And now we were committed because those lots were black pavement. They were down, you know, they were, they were plowed off. So you were just salting round the clock because the weathermen were off by four or five hours on their timeline. It was, it was really bad. Yeah.
00:26:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
You bite me.
00:26:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
I told Nick, I'm like, you cost me about five grand in extra salt, dude. Like, come on. That was so bad. that was the but But they were all, there must've been something they were all seeing because they were all saying the same thing.
00:26:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
So they were all wrong, equally, equally wrong. But yeah, that, that cost us a lot of money.
00:26:22
RICK JAMES
You weren't upset at all that day.
00:26:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
That timeline being off by that much cost us a lot of money.
00:26:28
RICK JAMES
Yeah, you weren't upset at all that day.
00:26:28
Mike Santolucito
Yeah, that sucked.
00:26:29
RICK JAMES
You were pretty calm.
00:26:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah, I wasn't. i was mellow. ah Oh, that was a funny. that was ah If anybody was on the group call with us.
00:26:39
RICK JAMES
You were like, ah, you win some, you lose some. Nick, that's okay.
00:26:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, yeah, that's what i was saying. I'm like,
00:26:48
RICK JAMES
Yeah, you'll get her next to Nick. It's fine.
00:26:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
I was. Oh, my God. it was I was I was fit to be tied. I was just I was losing it. That was not cool. I mean, it couldn't have ended. It literally could not have switched over at any worse time.
00:27:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Literally, as they scraped up the black pavement, that's when it changed over.
00:27:04
Mike Santolucito
Thank you.
00:27:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
And we were dealing with ice that overnight we were backing the salt trucks up the roads with the salters on just to get any traction.
00:27:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, that's how bad it was. Everything was iced over. We couldn't, you know, we you couldn't do a damn thing with it because the rain kept, the the salt only bought you like a half an hour to 40 minutes.
00:27:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
And then the rain washed it away. And it was then it pulled up the ice again.
00:27:35
Mike Santolucito
Yep. Never ending battle.
00:27:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, that was horrible. And everybody got it. Like, i mean, i know Doyle got it in ah in Connecticut. he He had more sleet than freezing rain, though. I would have rather had the sleet. At least the sleet's plowable.
00:27:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
You just you could scrape that off the ice that you can't do anything with the ice except salt.
00:27:50
Mike Santolucito
Hmm.
00:27:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
It it was just ah and there yeah the rain was just nonstop. It was torrential rain pulling the ice up. Yeah. So that wasn't fun. That was a lot of money. We we we we dropped a lot of product.
00:28:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
So we were not real happy that night. But, you know, you win some, you lose some. you know The jet stream ah Jetstream was off, I guess, on that one.
00:28:17
Robert
Thank you.
00:28:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
but ah Robert saw all snow out of that. Sean got rain, so he didn't get anything. Mike, you guys you guys get iced up bad, too?
00:28:28
Mike Santolucito
Oh, yeah, we got fucked. We got absolutely hosed. I have four hours of driving rain that we had and then, know, tapered off, do what it usually does glazes everything over.
00:28:41
Mike Santolucito
and just got to the point where even even the sand sites, we just looked at it like, but what are we gonna do? Like, at least we could just build let it build up and scrape it off. But ah people are still trying to come in.
00:28:52
Mike Santolucito
i think there was a story that I read On one of the local news stations that the Mass State Police responded to over 400 accidents from that one storm.
00:29:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, I believe it.
00:29:04
Mike Santolucito
Like that, that's, that's busy for those guys.
00:29:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
I believe it.
00:29:07
Mike Santolucito
So that didn't even keep people off the roads. Every news channel was telling them how bad it was going to be. And everybody still just got up, went to work, went to school like like nothing happened. I couldn't believe that.
00:29:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Dude, I dropped my plow like twice like an anchor. just to stop, try and stop. Cause know, you, your tires weren't doing anything in either direction. Once you had momentum, you weren't stopping.
00:29:29
Mike Santolucito
Yeah.
00:29:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
You had to, you had to think about how you were going to stop. What am I going to hit gently here to stop this? ah And the state was ah like I said, the salt was only buying you about a half an hour before,
00:29:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
um before it was washed away and you were icing again. So it was tough.
00:29:48
Mike Santolucito
yeah
00:29:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
It was definitely tough. Yeah.
00:29:50
Mike Santolucito
Some of the areas that I was driving down the state actually this time did really well. They had everything pretty clean down to payment. They were treating nonstop. But as soon as that rain hit, it was all bets were off.
00:30:02
Mike Santolucito
Like every storm before then, it was like they were non-existent.
00:30:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, the rain sucked.
00:30:05
Mike Santolucito
The state just was either out or they were just short trucks, short subs. The highways were terrible. This time it was clean. The snow was pushed. And then that freezing rain came in and just ruined it like a hundredfold for everybody.
00:30:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. So and here's here's where we're going with that that storm there. So we had all those extra saltings now because the weathermen were a little off on their timeline.
00:30:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
to Have we noticed anything with a storm like that or a winter like we've had with all these additional events? Has anybody noticed any glaring holes in their contracts? any Any areas they need to improve on or amend the next contract cycle?
00:30:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Have you got anything? Who wants to start?
00:30:49
Robert
Yeah, I think um for us, no, you Mike.
00:30:50
Mike Santolucito
Not glaring. I think just...
00:30:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh.
00:30:55
Mike Santolucito
Go ahead, Rob.
00:30:56
Robert
No, um I was just going to say for some of the subcontractors that we have um years years prior, it's it's always worked for having all seasonal seasonal um contracts. But I think this year we're going to have to start looking at more kind of per Porsche hourly for stuff we have a subcontractor routes on.
00:31:16
Robert
Just for how many extra events we've had, all the extra hours and and everything along those lines. So I'm gonna start working through that and seeing how we can kind of make make that a little better.
00:31:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
70-30. Shoot for like a 70-30 season a little per push.
00:31:34
Robert
Yeah, I think so.
00:31:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
That seems to be... It always seems to be the benchmark where most people say is the happy medium. You guys agree with that?
00:31:47
Native Snow
Yeah, absolutely.
00:31:47
Robert
Yes.
00:31:48
Native Snow
Uh-oh.
00:31:48
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:31:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Jesus.
00:31:50
Robert
Yes.
00:31:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah You guys listening can't see, but we got a little message board on ah um the recording platform here, so I think Zencaster will actually clean that up so you won't hear the pixelated voice. of But that's funny. That was a good one there, Jeremy.
00:32:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
That a great answer, R2-D2. Oh,
00:32:14
RICK JAMES
the
00:32:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
shit. Sean, what about you, man? did you ah Have you had anything with this winner ah that you found that, shit, I got to redo that? That's not working out to be in my best interest?
00:32:27
Native Snow
Yeah, a couple things, but the main thing that we found is we have a lot of labor this year with the sidewalks being covered and the roadways being, you know, just saltable.
00:32:51
Native Snow
That's worked for me in the past here because we usually have 35 degree snow storms. It doesn't really matter. Two or three inches falls. We get to the side. Sometimes the sidewalk doesn't even accumulate anything and we're, and we're plowing roadways or vice versa.
00:33:05
Native Snow
It doesn't really, you know, it doesn't matter. But um this year with the quarter inch of snow, we've been really taking a bath on having labor out there and not being able to individually charge for it.
00:33:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:33:16
Native Snow
Um, So I haven't really been able to make up the margins on that, and it's actually killing me. ah So that's one of our main things. And I talked to a lot of guys, and some people have it that way, and then they're like, you should just charge for your tier.
00:33:32
Native Snow
But as an honest person, I'm like, well, how do I charge? If I'm charging them, just call $500 for the job, but I'm only accounting for $100 that sidewalks. How am I charging them $500 to do their sidewalk?
00:33:46
Native Snow
And how do you break that down to a customer when I've never had to do that in the past? It's a little bit, to me, is is messed up, as ah like morally, I guess. Business perspective, I should just probably charge them.
00:33:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:33:57
Native Snow
But the person in me can't do that.
00:33:58
RICK JAMES
How do they do it out there?
00:34:01
Native Snow
was that?
00:34:01
RICK JAMES
you know how like you knowt like your competition does it out there or anything? Yeah.
00:34:05
Native Snow
Yeah, everybody does a little bit different. I've seen guys do it like me. I've seen guys do it break down. starting to think breakdown was easier. It was easier for me with the billing, you know, back in the day when I first started, but I think I have to definitely change it up because we haven't experienced a winter like this in a long time, probably before I was in business.
00:34:15
RICK JAMES
you know
00:34:24
Native Snow
And um definitely seen that as a growing pain this year.
00:34:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
These are on seasonals or per pushes that you're having this issue, Sean?
00:34:32
Native Snow
No, per push, per push.
00:34:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Per push.
00:34:35
Native Snow
Seasonal is just a seasonal number, yeah.
00:34:39
Native Snow
But...
00:34:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
So you're giving them a price for, okay I'm plowing and salting your lot and handling your sidewalks, everything for this one price.
00:34:44
Native Snow
Yeah, no, salting is separate. but So, like, I'll do salt application, roadways and walkways, one sum.
00:34:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:34:54
Native Snow
Walkways and plowing, one sum.
00:34:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
And then, okay.
00:34:57
Native Snow
And then if you're not plowing, how are you charging them, and how do I break it down? I can't charge them, say, $100 for this. but They're like, well, what what is this for? You know? It's not broken down.
00:35:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
How is it? Well, how is it written in your car? Is it a one price for walkways and plowing?
00:35:13
Native Snow
Yeah, altogether. Yeah.
00:35:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. So even if you didn't have to plow, you still had to shovel walkways. So you could argue that, okay, I was charging you 500 for walkways and plowing. We didn't have to plow, but we still had to do walkways.
00:35:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that's going to be say 200 or whatever, whatever you need to charge for that.
00:35:29
Native Snow
Yeah.
00:35:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
You can still break that. I don't think that's disingenuous, honestly. if you have if If that's actually the line item, walkways and plowing, I think you could probably explain that to the customer.
00:35:39
Native Snow
Yeah.
00:35:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Hey, we didn't have to plow, but you know we were able to salt off, so you're saving a little money with just the salt application and not paying for a full plowing, but we did have to shovel your walkways. That stuck to the concrete, so we're going to have to you know we're gonna we're gonna charge you this dollar amount for that.
00:35:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
i don't i mean Anybody else see? Am I crazy? or
00:36:02
Mike Santolucito
No, no, that's, that's good.
00:36:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think that works.
00:36:07
Native Snow
All right, well.
00:36:08
RICK JAMES
What, Sean, like when you're salting out there, is it always just like a one rate? Or you have different rates you do? Like, I mean, because we, we, well each event here, we'll set, we'll set out all the salters to like a lane mile, what we want to put down per pound lane mile. Do you guys just do like, same as not every, every event gets about the same or what?
00:36:30
Native Snow
Yeah, it's all ah per application. So if it's 100 bucks, it's 100 bucks every single time.
00:36:36
RICK JAMES
Wait.
00:36:36
Native Snow
while you charge differently per pound that you put down.
00:36:40
RICK JAMES
No, we just start per pound, but if it's colder, we, you know, we're up the rate when I'm, you know, we just up the rate is what I'm saying in our cell phone.
00:36:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
They have the right. Yeah.
00:36:48
RICK JAMES
We can, we can up the rate to whatever we want to put per lane mile. So I didn't, I didn't know if you had it broke down into that or what your deal was those.
00:36:52
Native Snow
Yeah.
00:36:56
Native Snow
No. Trying to price it out to be like on the heavier side of an application.
00:37:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:37:02
Native Snow
oh You know, when I'm doing a core application and then if we if we use less, we use less.
00:37:03
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:37:05
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:37:07
Native Snow
If we use more, we use more. Yeah.
00:37:10
RICK JAMES
yeah And it averages out.
00:37:12
Native Snow
Yeah.
00:37:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
I would try that, though, Sean. if that If that's really how the line item is written, plowing and walkways, I would i would i would swing something like that with the billing and explain to them, you know maybe give them a phone call or something and say, hey, you're about to get this bill.
00:37:19
Native Snow
yeah
00:37:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
You're going to see plowing and walkways on there, but we're just charging you for the walkways that we had to shovel because you still had to take an action. It's not like you did nothing under that header. You actually went out and did it. So I don't i don't think that's disingenuous or or outside the the realm of your contract where somebody could actually take issue with that. You actually did have to shovel the walkways with however many guys for however many hours. You need to get compensated for that.
00:37:55
Native Snow
yeah
00:37:55
RICK JAMES
Especially when the shot himself is showing. I saw a couple of those videos.
00:37:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
I saw those videos.
00:38:00
RICK JAMES
He's another animal.
00:38:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Saw Zaddy out there wielding the shovel.
00:38:03
RICK JAMES
Just, he was happy.
00:38:04
Native Snow
I'm out there every single storm doing something stupid.
00:38:05
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:38:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
that was ah yeah That was a good video.
00:38:10
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:38:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
That was a good video. But yeah, i would try I would talk to them. I mean, if they they know that they're having a they're in the middle of a bad winter, you've given them good service, you got you got to be able to account for your time spent on that. I don't think that's outside the realm of that line item.
00:38:28
Mike Santolucito
No, and they should understand that. I mean, everything, everything that they do has a cost. Everything we do has a cost. Why are we going to shovel your walkways for free?
00:38:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure.
00:38:34
Mike Santolucito
Just because it it didn't hit your bracket.
00:38:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
Bingo. will Or just because it didn't build up enough on your pavement that you couldn't handle it with salt.
00:38:40
Mike Santolucito
but Yeah.
00:38:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
So i I would try that. I definitely would. ah So what about you, Mike? any ah Anything for you that you guys saw or have seen this this winter so far that you need to adjust or but think about?
00:38:59
Mike Santolucito
Yeah. I mean, we've thought about a few things just with how infrequent the snow plowing has been the last few years with like how the the variable brackets are set up, whether it's a one to three, or we have a very hairline amount of clients that are zero to three. Those are nice. Cause I would be hard pressed to say anybody can successfully curb to curb, burn off a half inch or more of snow if you don't hit that one inch. So You're plowing at that point.
00:39:24
Mike Santolucito
You're probably plowing if it's cold enough and then a quarter inch just so can get down a bare pavement and treat it off nice. So a lot of the contracts we're going look at for next year that are going to be up for renewal.
00:39:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
know
00:39:35
Mike Santolucito
We're going to look at adding something in there for zero to three just to account for that because it's just, we have to, at the end of the day, the guys are going to make that call on site to plow it off, to make it a better product for them to burn it off.
00:39:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:39:49
Native Snow
Thank
00:39:49
Mike Santolucito
So If they're going make that call, we got to make sure that we get compensation for that. But I'm also billing clients per hour for some stuff like with the ice checks and site monitoring, like if it's turning into a rain event and we're sticking around because it's glazing over and, you know, the temperature in the forecast says, oh, it's going to warm up to 38, 40 degrees and You know, after that, it's going to be 40 during the day. Well, it's still going to be icy.
00:40:15
Mike Santolucito
Once that rain hits, we have to keep treating no matter what.
00:40:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:40:17
Mike Santolucito
We got to stay on site no matter what.
00:40:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, hell yeah
00:40:19
Mike Santolucito
People going to be calling, hey, this corner of the parking lot is slippery. This walkway is getting slippery. So... I've been doing a ton of hourly billing this year and clients so far have been pretty receptive to it. They haven't given us a lot of pushback, mostly because they've heard from other sites that they manage the amount of put ah the amount of complaints that they've gotten from other vendors that come in, they saw they leave, it gets glazed over again. They're like, well, and we've had three slip and falls in this building.
00:40:47
Mike Santolucito
Outdoor Pride's had none. Their guys haven't left the site. So yeah, I'm going to take that bill. any day over a tenant that I'm trying to maybe extend the lease another 10 years, 15 years from saying, oh, well, you guys, you don't hire, you know, great vendors to do your, your high risk, high liability work on the outside. So we're probably gonna try and move our operations somewhere else.
00:41:08
Mike Santolucito
Not that that is a driving factor for a lot of these tenants, but it's definitely, you know, they care about their people's safety, they'll think about that when leasing time comes up.
00:41:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:41:18
Mike Santolucito
So that zero to three bracket and that hourly ice check and monitoring we've, we've been trying to work on and tweak a little bit, but I've also been thinking, I've been talking with our area manager a little bit about it is why don't we have a freezing rain clause or just a bracket before the zero to three, one to three for freezing rain.
00:41:41
Mike Santolucito
It's going to be just hourly because we don't know how bad it's going to be, how long it's going to last.
00:41:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
00:41:45
Mike Santolucito
I mean, the weather will say one thing, but the exact opposite always happens. Let's be honest.
00:41:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:41:50
Mike Santolucito
So We got to make sure that they understand the dangers of freezing rain, both on their property and on our guys being out there, what we're able to do with it, how we're going to be able to treat it off, you know what products we're going to use in place of bag products. you know Everybody at this point knows it's easier to use rock salt on any surface than it is to use a bag product if you're trying to fight off ah freezing rain on your walkways and then using that rock salt in your parking lots too.
00:42:22
Mike Santolucito
It's going to be It's cheaper to use that obviously for all of us, you know, versus the bag product sticks around a lot longer, but it gives the client coming in better grit, better traction, and they can see it hanging out on the ground still a little bit.
00:42:37
Mike Santolucito
So just showing them like the different things we have to run into the different variables that we're kind of stuck with that we have to deal with just be like, Hey, that this is kind of what it is. We don't know how bad this is going to be, but we,
00:42:48
Mike Santolucito
we have to factor it in as hourly. There's no tier we can make up for it.
00:42:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:42:53
Mike Santolucito
that We have no idea what we're getting in pricing.
00:42:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:42:55
RICK JAMES
Yep. That makes total sense.
00:42:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, we We did that. Like i told I told you that before the show, I dug out that the contract just because I couldn't remember what my own verbiage was from like five, six years ago when we had a lot of freezing rain events and we put it in there.
00:43:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
And ah we basically have the freezing rain or frozen mixed precipitation for an extended duration, which anything lasting more than four hours, we are charging for one salting every three to four hours.
00:43:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah for the duration of the event um in addition to your pre-treat and your post-treat.
00:43:25
Mike Santolucito
Yeah.
00:43:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that we put in there. But even that, I found that It doesn't I mean, it helps. But what I need to tweak is I need to put in there something about like the big salt shortage, you know, because now the last load we got was up, I don't know, 400, 500 bucks for the load.
00:43:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
So I don't want to eat that. So we need to put a clause in there that says once the governor puts that state of emergency salt, blah, blah, memo out that allows these guys to gouge,
Salt Shortages and Pricing Issues
00:44:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
then you know we can put something in there to take you know to get a little more money back from the client that we're putting it out for.
00:44:07
Mike Santolucito
Yeah.
00:44:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
um because
00:44:15
Mike Santolucito
Yeah.
00:44:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah we can' i mean that It's never happened, though. like I can't remember the last time that New York State declared a salt emergency.
00:44:23
Mike Santolucito
No.
00:44:24
RICK JAMES
There's no salt shortage.
00:44:24
Mike Santolucito
They always say that we're down to the line and then it's, then the season's over.
00:44:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, there's no shortage. It's bullshit.
00:44:27
RICK JAMES
There's no shortage in there.
00:44:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's... so yeah Yeah, it's all bullshit, but we know we you know we know what they're doing.
00:44:30
Mike Santolucito
Yeah. It's always a season.
00:44:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
We know why they're doing it, but it's still there and it's still real to our bank accounts. So we need to put something in there that as soon as there's something that at the state level that's put out that says salt shortage, blah, blah, blah, legal legalized gouging, that we can say, okay, your contract called for this number, ah line item for salt.
00:44:38
Mike Santolucito
ye
00:44:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
We need to upcharge you the difference of what we're paying for that.
00:44:58
Robert
you
00:44:58
Mike Santolucito
Well, it's like what you guys were talking about in the in the chat earlier.
00:44:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
um
00:45:01
Mike Santolucito
It's like we have the same thing for fuel surcharges. i mean, you got to account for it.
00:45:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, 100%. And we should. Any commodity, any commodity we use, whether it's fuel, salt, we should we should have that in there just to be safe. Some kind of clause that says, hey, if if everybody goes legalized gouging on us, we can we can hit the surcharge.
00:45:14
Mike Santolucito
No.
00:45:20
RICK JAMES
They're just seeing what they can get away with. They're just seeing what they can get away with and what and what they can what they can get you guys to what you're going to pay for it.
00:45:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, that's all. You're right, Jay.
00:45:28
RICK JAMES
So, that you know, they they're going to increase their price, actually you know.
00:45:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure.
00:45:31
RICK JAMES
Slide it up. Slide it up.
00:45:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Supply and the demand.
00:45:32
RICK JAMES
They'll pay it.
00:45:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Supply and demand. they're not They're not pulling this shit on a mile winner, right?
00:45:35
RICK JAMES
There's plenty of supply. there's There's plenty of supply.
00:45:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, tons.
00:45:38
Mike Santolucito
no
00:45:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Tons of supply. It's all BS. It's 100% BS.
00:45:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's literally, you know, you don't see them doing this in a mile winter, you know, but now because the demand is up, this is the time to do it. Like, hey, we had three low demand winners in a row. We need to make some money back because we're below projections. So now demand's high.
00:46:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
We'll declare a shortage so we can charge, you know, 20% more per yard and we'll, you know, we'll make our nut. yeah I know that's going on. I mean, anybody think it's not in the world we live in today?
00:46:12
Mike Santolucito
no
00:46:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, I don't want to be so fucking cynical, but let's be fucking real.
00:46:15
Robert
it's not.
00:46:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's what's going on. I mean, it's the same with gasoline.
00:46:21
Native Snow
could
00:46:22
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:46:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
You know, you you think it's a coincidence that all the refineries go down for maintenance during the high peak travel seasons?
00:46:25
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:46:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's so they can the barrel, the cost of a barrel goes up, you know, it makes that hundred dollar mark.
00:46:31
RICK JAMES
No.
00:46:37
RICK JAMES
He's going to buy cheaper barrels.
00:46:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. Buy wood barrels. Yeah. ah We'll get old whiskey barrels and put gasoline in it. I'm sure it'll be fine.
00:46:47
RICK JAMES
Really fine.
00:46:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Jay, what about you guys? I mean, in a winter like this where you're low, have you seen any you seen anything that you you guys think you might have to tweak or anything on your contracts?
00:46:59
RICK JAMES
No, I mean, we've had a little winter, but it's been the same kind of winter, you know, dry snow for us. And we saw it and we've salted plenty. We always sell plenty, and but we have a good amount seasonals.
00:47:10
RICK JAMES
And if they're not seasonally charged by the pound. So, so that's how fire brine.
00:47:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Are you using a lot of angry brine? The fire brine?
00:47:17
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Fire brine been, ah yeah, we're using it.
00:47:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Is it working?
00:47:23
RICK JAMES
I doubt it. don't know.
00:47:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
It doesn't work in Fargo. I've been told.
00:47:27
RICK JAMES
ah Make it make sense to me while we're caught up. Yeah, it just doesn't make sense to me.
00:47:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:47:35
RICK JAMES
But it's working great for Putsy. He likes he likes it
00:47:38
Mike Santolucito
How hot does that get? Like, if you had to guess, with that torpedo heater on that pump, how hot do you think that mixture is getting?
00:47:45
RICK JAMES
Oh, it looks like a flame.
00:47:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
is is
00:47:48
RICK JAMES
so I have no idea.
00:47:48
Mike Santolucito
Like enough to do anything to the salt?
00:47:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Is the pump in danger of freezing?
00:47:49
RICK JAMES
no it it does it it does' No, it does nothing. I don't understand it. nobody I want somebody to make it make sense to me. It does not make sense.
00:47:57
Mike Santolucito
No, I'm just thinking about like the chemical composition of it. Is that actually going to hurt it more than it does help it? It's not helping it. We all know that, but.
00:48:05
RICK JAMES
Yeah. That's
00:48:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
i don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Anybody's ever done a study on on daily agitated brine. you know You don't know.
00:48:14
RICK JAMES
Oh, ah y'll are we all trying to make me angry tonight or what?
00:48:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
but
00:48:19
RICK JAMES
Are we trying to, trying to, the stupidity?
00:48:20
Native Snow
Yeah.
00:48:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:48:23
RICK JAMES
of
00:48:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah but
00:48:32
RICK JAMES
ah
00:48:34
Native Snow
ah
00:48:35
RICK JAMES
Not my department.
00:48:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh
00:48:36
RICK JAMES
Oh, this is not my department. I just laugh about it. so ah yeah I mean,
00:48:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Oh, shit. Oh, man. Yep. God.
00:48:44
RICK JAMES
Jordan tried to explain and he can't even get through so and he's the king of Brian so
00:48:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Brian King.
00:48:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
um What else? There was something on our seasonals that I got to like. We're pretty seventy thirty so we're we're we're where we needed to be. um Seasonal versus per push. We're doing real well on that ratio.
00:49:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
The one thing I think I have to tweak on the seasonals is I have to put a salt. cap as far as number of saltings. Cause when we go our seasonals, how we bid them is we take our average number of events, which is plowing and saltings for a five year period.
00:49:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
And I think, so this last round that would have been three to five year deals is operating somewhere in the 16 to 18 event range for saltings and plowings, and we we factor in a pre-treat, a treat during, and a post-treat.
00:49:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
So basically three saltings per storm. We've had four storms in the last three weeks that we've done five rounds of salt, you know, six rounds of salt on them. So I think that I have to put a cap on the...
00:49:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
on the seasonals where we maybe add 20% to those saltings and maybe cap it there. i don't know, but we, I got to look at it after the season's over and figured it out, figure it out in a hurry.
00:50:05
Mike Santolucito
It's not a bad idea.
00:50:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Got to do something, but you know, cause you have a winner like this. Like I said, this is, these are the winners that you find the holes you find the where the buckets leaking. Um, Yes, trademark fire, Brian.
00:50:20
RICK JAMES
guess I need to trademark it.
00:50:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah You could sell it right next to Turbo Melt. Fire.
00:50:26
RICK JAMES
Dude, we're doing but doing were doing that do we're doing a t-shirt with Firebrand, that's for pretty sure.
00:50:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Definitely do it.
00:50:32
RICK JAMES
With a Nipco heater on a pump.
00:50:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, shit.
00:50:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
But yeah, on an average winter, you don't really notice any areas of bleeding, you know, but on on good winters like this where you're up in events and and ah up on saltings, up on plowings, you start to notice where you're hemorrhaging from a little bit here and there and where you're getting the little trickles.
00:50:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
So you got to close the holes. So we'll figure it out. But yeah, I mean, it's not it's not like it's glaring or anything. we're we're still We're still right where we need to be, right where we're where we're supposed to be. But it's like you start putting it down and you're like, man, you know, I basically, I don't like leaving any money that we should be entitled to on the table.
00:51:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
So if we only budgeted for them to get three saltings on that event and we did six, I want to figure out a way to get fairly compensated for those extra three.
00:51:23
RICK JAMES
Yeah, of course.
00:51:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
jesus I got to shut this chat board down during the episode.
00:51:32
Mike Santolucito
Why?
00:51:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Pretty entertaining. ah
00:51:35
RICK JAMES
Oh,
00:51:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Special cocktail fire, Brian. That's it. Oh, man.
00:51:39
RICK JAMES
everybody like oh there you go.
00:51:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
That'll be the drink of the night. I'll talk to Gene. Make it so.
00:51:42
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:51:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh.
00:51:45
RICK JAMES
Fireball and something.
00:51:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
So we got a ah listener question that came in, and this is coming from Avalanche Snow Plowing in Ohio. They sent in, when are you guys going to start attacking renewals after this winter, or when do you feel ah the best time is to start going after renewals?
Strategies for Contract Renewals
00:52:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
um I'm going like the day we are definitely done with snow. I'm going to go why they're fresh in their memory that we just had a mega winner. ah Let's fucking lock in pricing. Now let's get your renewed, you know, while it's fresh in their mind that we were on their site 23 freaking times, you know, this year or whatever it's going to be.
00:52:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
What about you guys?
00:52:29
Mike Santolucito
Couldn't agree more. Get to him now.
00:52:31
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:52:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:52:32
RICK JAMES
think again and good get Like you said, you got to get to it when it's fresh. I mean, I don't know. Well, you know how it is signing contracts. A lot of guys don't want to deal them until fall or, you know, the but if you can least put in your mind right away and at least get to signed up now, maybe maybe get a few guys signed right away instead of waiting, but you never know.
00:52:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:52:50
Mike Santolucito
I mean, you'll probably get a little bit of pushback because they don't know what their budget's going to be for the winter cause they're not in that mode yet, though.
00:52:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Depends on the type of sites, too, that you're dealing with.
00:52:58
Mike Santolucito
Exactly, yeah.
00:53:02
RICK JAMES
Yeah, maybe just, you know, probably not the big big ones, probably, you know, that always drag their feet.
00:53:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:53:07
RICK JAMES
You're probably not going to be able touch them, but smaller ones, counts that, you know, they might want to budget it a little bit easier, so
00:53:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, all absolutely. the the the smaller yeah The smaller sites, they're definitely, especially after a winter like this, if they were, if they were say, per push after this winter, they're definitely looking, let's ah do an all-inclusive. What do those numbers look like?
00:53:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
like They're definitely looking to do it.
00:53:30
Native Snow
Yeah.
00:53:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:53:33
RICK JAMES
Didn't you have a few this year that were seasonals and they're wishing they, or they didn't want to go seasonal and now they're wishing they did?
00:53:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
so
00:53:34
Native Snow
yeah
00:53:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
I have two. the Yes, I have two that I said, listen, I think this is i think we we're due. yeah know, I think we're we're due for a banger.
00:53:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
um i don't know if we're going to get a ton of Nor'easters, but I think we're going to have a busy winter. I think we're going cold winter by everything the weather guys are saying. You know, ah just they're talking about the jet stream a lot, you know.
00:54:10
RICK JAMES
Great chance.
00:54:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
but ah You know who controls that? God.
00:54:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
But ah yeah, i forget what I was saying now. But yeah, no, the yeah they were right. And I told them, like, two guys I told a couple years ago before we had that 90-inch winner where we had the two mega nor'easters.
00:54:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
We got the one nor'easter right in December, and they were like, yeah, thanks for the information. We're going to stick with per push. you know Thank you, though. And i think their bill for December, we got that 30-inch nor'easter, I think 28 inches right before Christmas on the 18th of December.
00:54:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Their bill for December for that one storm was like two-thirds of what there what their seasonal would have been for that year before the ceiling.
00:55:02
Mike Santolucito
How doing?
00:55:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, they were.
00:55:04
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:55:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
and but They were cool, dude. They were totally cool. They're still with me today. They, you know, they said, I called. I remember calling and saying, you know, ah Billy, I just want to warn you. I'm sending out a bill tomorrow and you're not going to like it. He goes, dude, it was my call.
00:55:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
It is what it is, man. I'll pay it. You tried to warn me. It was great. But i I think, what do you guys think about if it was a light winter for you?
00:55:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like the parts of the country that got a lighter winter. When's the right time to go after renewals? I still say the same. Start as early as possible, right?
00:55:37
Mike Santolucito
Mm-hmm.
00:55:37
RICK JAMES
and Oh yeah, same time.
00:55:39
Robert
Yeah.
00:55:39
RICK JAMES
you can get out there really, that's always the best.
00:55:40
Native Snow
ah I agree the same. and think on some of my per push customers, I'm going to wait a little bit because we had a lot of events this year and I'm sure they're not going like that, especially some of the smaller ones.
00:55:51
Native Snow
ah Some of them are already complaining too much salting or whatever, but mean they're like, we got no snow, but you salted a lot. Well, it's, it's icy, man.
00:55:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Yeah.
00:55:59
Native Snow
I don't like, so those customers I'll probably wait a little bit on.
00:56:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:56:02
Native Snow
I think it really depends on the customer on when you want to send a renewal to, especially if you've got a lot of per push, you might want to wait, let it, let it fall out of their memory bank a little bit. um seasonal customers, they might like it right now.
00:56:15
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it's a...
00:56:17
Native Snow
you know People that were thinking about switching to seasonal, it would be a good time to offer that to them right now too.
00:56:24
Mike Santolucito
I don't know, Sean, with the per push ones you were just talking about it, yeah, you could let the waters kind of mellow out a little bit, but if they feel like there are some operational things that they weren't really thrilled with, then that's a great time to just start that conversation and figure out what it is they're looking for.
00:56:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
No.
00:56:40
Mike Santolucito
I mean, Steve, you said it the last time, like, you can have whatever you want on these snow contracts. It's just whatever you're willing to pay for. And if they if they feel like they're getting too much of this or too much of that,
00:56:53
Mike Santolucito
then you leave the ball on their court and say, well, here's the scenario that I was up against. What would you have preferred me do?
00:56:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:56:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. We'll do whatever you want. There's just like, you know, we'll do whatever you want as long as we can do it safely and keep your site safe.
00:57:01
RICK JAMES
Right. The cost.
00:57:02
Native Snow
Thank you.
00:57:05
RICK JAMES
ah
00:57:05
Mike Santolucito
Yeah.
00:57:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
And there's a dollar amount associated with anything you want. The one thing I will say, and I'm going to throw it out there, why I always want to, whether it's per push or seasonal, bad winner, good winner, I want to go as early as possible and get with them and try and get it locked down.
00:57:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
you have a You have a great winner right here where we are. As far as events, guys should be making a ton of money. Guys are going disappearing left and right.
00:57:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah My salt supplier said he's never seen so many credit cards get denied. like I got a load last week because he says, Hey, this is my last load. I'm giving it to you.
00:57:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
I said, why, why am I so special? He goes, cause your credit card always goes fucking through.
00:57:47
Native Snow
Thank you.
00:57:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm like, really? You haven't a lot. He goes, you would not believe how many credit cards are getting denied. I don't understand that shit. Like, I don't know why that's happening. So if you're seeing a lot of guys disappearing, here's the problem with a really good
Competitive Landscape Post-Winter
00:58:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
winner.
00:58:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
You were going to have a whole new crop of guys saying, Hey, wow, I could really make money getting in snow. I should get in snow. You're going to be dealing with a whole new stretch of low ballers that don't know what they should be charging.
00:58:13
Mike Santolucito
Yeah.
00:58:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
And that's going to be your competition. So get them locked up early. you know get i that That's just my feeling.
00:58:23
Mike Santolucito
Yeah.
00:58:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
i don't I don't like to leave things to be underbid.
00:58:29
Mike Santolucito
yeah And, Shar, I could be completely wrong, man. Seriously. i just... I like getting in front of clients.
00:58:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
We probably are. We probably all are.
00:58:35
Mike Santolucito
I like getting in front of clients with that stuff.
00:58:36
Native Snow
We're all wrong.
00:58:37
Mike Santolucito
I like learning what they prefer. Cause then when they get the bill or something does happen on site, it, if it's something that they caused by what they asked for, then I sleep good at night.
00:58:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:58:50
RICK JAMES
Depends on, like Sean says, depends on, probably depends on the client, you know, how you want to, mean, obviously you'd like to get everything signed as soon as you can, but it also depends on, you know, who you're dealing with.
00:58:53
Mike Santolucito
Yep.
00:58:59
RICK JAMES
so you know, before you go in there, you know, it's going to either go good or bad or they ain't going to care or whatever.
00:59:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, absolutely right.
00:59:05
RICK JAMES
So it's just your client relationship. So.
00:59:07
Native Snow
Thank you.
00:59:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeahp I like having the conversation with them. at Like, what do you guys want? Like, what are you, what is your thought process here? What have you liked? Like, we'll do it. We'll do an end of contract review where we just say, Hey, listen, every year we do it with, with most of the bigger sites.
00:59:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
What did you like about it? What didn't you like about it? You'll always like the HOAs you'll always get. Well, we had one complaint that you use too much salt on the driveway and the walkway of this person.
00:59:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, is that person also the one that complains every day to you about the sky being blue and water being wet? And yes, it is. Okay, so you throw that out. You don't listen to them.
00:59:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
And we're very lucky. Our boards are very much so... in the the thought process where you guys are the professionals. We're not going to tell you how to do this.
00:59:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
You tell us what you need from us, what what is the right way to do it, and you guys have done a great job. We're not going to pretend to tell you how to do s snow. So we're very lucky in that respect with with the complexes that we have.
01:00:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
But, um yeah, I mean, find out what their needs are. what What do you like about what we're doing? What don't you like about what we're doing? We got a complaint. not really complaint, a concern that we were clearing snow at two 30 in the morning.
01:00:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
And, know, well, it gets a lot when all those machines are running around with their backup beepers and stuff. It's hard to sleep at two 30 in the morning. Great. You know, we understand that here's the problem.
01:00:33
RICK JAMES
Don't care.
01:00:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
2.30 in the morning, the temperature was going to drop 21 degrees in an hour and a half at 3.30. If we didn't have it cleared by 3 a.m., it was going to be an ice skating rink out there, whatever was still on the ground. That's why we worked through the night, because they do have it in there that...
01:00:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
They don't want final clearing of all driveways, walkways, everything. They don't want that done till the morning. They want a good night's sleep in this one ah like luxury complex. ah But if we have a reason, they never they never argue with us. They never try and tell us our job.
01:01:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
They always defer to our professionalism. And they say, why? you know This was what we got an email about this 2.30 in the morning. you know the The machine's Why? Well, here's why.
01:01:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Here's the weather report. Here's what we were dealing with to make your site and keep your site safe.
01:01:23
Mike Santolucito
Yeah.
01:01:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
um could we Could we tell everybody stay in their house until 11 a.m.? m No. are they going to They're not going to listen to that, so this is the alternative. We get it all cleared before everybody starts getting up and going to work, because otherwise you're going to get slip falls, and we're not doing that.
01:01:41
Mike Santolucito
yeah
01:01:41
RICK JAMES
I mean, some these some of these places you go to, like we've said over and over, they love to tell you how to do your job. So when you go to them and say, how would you, like you said, Mike, how would you have done that? Since you love to tell me how to do my job, tell me how you would have done that storm differently or whatever.
01:01:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:01:56
RICK JAMES
But I guarantee you're not even your crickets when you actually ask them that.
01:02:01
Robert
you
01:02:01
Mike Santolucito
Yeah.
01:02:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
And there's also nothing wrong with like the old Mike Sanalicito adage of a better served by others. If you know, if it's not, if it's not working for you anymore for one reason or another, there's nothing wrong with saying goodbye.
01:02:07
Mike Santolucito
Bye.
01:02:16
Mike Santolucito
I have a site that we took on this year that is the exact opposite. And they have it like written with the neighbors next door of when we can start doing our job and when we have to shut down no matter what the well.
01:02:30
Mike Santolucito
Blizzard conditions are the only circumstance that we're allowed to run all night, but we've had numerous complaints. even It's a 5 a.m. start, so guys are in there, five on the dot.
01:02:41
Mike Santolucito
We still get comp complaints from the neighbors. Oh, why are the guys here? It's too early. We're all trying to sleep. but Granted, but we have a lot of new guys, the brand new client with 13 different properties in one to two towns next to each other that we have to do.
01:02:56
Mike Santolucito
So the guys are getting used to that end of it there are some buildings we can do 24 7 the hospitals there are some outpatient centers and overflow parking lots that are next to these neighbors that we kind of have to we have to baby a little bit but yeah we thankfully have not the timelines of all of our storms have not hurt our operation enough that there's been a slip and fall or haven't been able to open anything up or treat it or you know at least do our job but
01:03:19
Robert
Thank you.
01:03:21
Mike Santolucito
man, it is just, it's maddening when a client puts that kind of ball in somebody else's court and it hurts your operation.
01:03:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm glad I'm not the only one that has nighttime, ah you know, attempts to restrict nighttime operation.
01:03:34
Mike Santolucito
Yep. And they asked me like, oh, you should come to the next neighborhood meeting. These guys would all love to meet you. I'm like, I'd love to educate them. I'd love to tell them how miserable it is.
01:03:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
You should.
01:03:43
Mike Santolucito
I have to listen to you and my guys have to stay here all these hours later because they can't just get in and get out when the storm's already over. Storm ends at 1030 at night. I can't be in there until 5 a.m. m Christ, come on.
01:03:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. Yeah. that and that's And that's one of the reasons why my guys just will not go for that. like They're just like, word we can be done here by midnight. like Let's just fucking bang this shit out and go the hell home.
01:04:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
And we'll have our normal one guy on you know on breakfast patrol. that's ah That's it. Done. But yeah, they don't they don't want certain things. And I get it. I get it. This is where they live.
01:04:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
This is their home. i get that.
01:04:20
Mike Santolucito
Mm hmm.
01:04:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
But at the same time, if you...
01:04:23
Mike Santolucito
They what they were moving next to.
01:04:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:04:25
Mike Santolucito
You saw where you were living. It's next to a commercial complex. How do you think that gets cleared? Yeah.
01:04:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:04:34
RICK JAMES
fairies.
01:04:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Snow fairies. Absolutely.
01:04:36
RICK JAMES
Snow fairies do it.
01:04:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
Isn't that where what everybody does?
01:04:38
Mike Santolucito
ah
01:04:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
but Doesn't everybody have the snow fairies?
01:04:38
RICK JAMES
Snow fairies.
01:04:39
Mike Santolucito
I'm going to get too bad. I can't think about anymore.
01:04:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, let's hit some commercials and we'll keep going with this. We'll be right back.
01:05:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, we're back. So, I mean, we can keep we can beat this all night long. It's just I think the the easiest way to just to tell everybody out there is everybody's got their own contracts. They've got their own company structure. theyve got their own way of doing stuff.
01:05:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
All we're talking about is how you limit the bleeding. Because everybody bleeds. Everybody leaks here and there. like you know You're never going to cover every little thing. I don't care how proactive you are. You're always going to find places that you can improve your contracts and your efficiencies.
01:06:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
But that's all it's about. You don't have to listen to any of the ways we're talking about, but this is, ah I mean, if if we're all feeling it and what's that?
01:06:15
RICK JAMES
It just makes them think a little bit about different things that they don't possibly thought of.
01:06:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:06:21
RICK JAMES
So that's what this show is all about. so
01:06:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely. hundred percent. If any of this stuff works for you, great. If it doesn't, nothing wrong with that, but I guarantee that you can find places to improve your contracts. Everybody can. i mean, there are guys still out there writing shit on napkins.
01:06:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, you should see some of the competitors that when we go
01:06:39
Robert
you
Innovations in Snow Equipment
01:06:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
in and drop the proposals and actually get to see the other proposals and how they're written.
01:06:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, it's one sheet of paper, like, ten lines with a couple prices on it. It's like, this is a contract? Or this is, like, their this is their proposal sheet or this is their contract?
01:06:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, that's their contract. They want us to sign at the bottom. Like, holy crap. it's ah It's wild what's out there. Anybody got anything else?
01:07:12
Native Snow
No.
01:07:13
RICK JAMES
I know.
01:07:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Anything else you've noticed from this winter so far that you're going to change?
01:07:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nope.
01:07:21
RICK JAMES
More snow.
01:07:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Got a lot of shaking heads.
01:07:24
RICK JAMES
More snow.
01:07:26
Mike Santolucito
More snow.
01:07:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Robert, how's the 3400 working before you shattered the glass?
01:07:27
RICK JAMES
More
01:07:31
Robert
Pretty good. guys they get The guys love it.
01:07:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:07:34
Robert
Yeah. They're in a t-shirt riding around all storm i mean in that thing for 15, 16 hours and there's no no complaints. I mean, yeah, it does.
01:07:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
That heater cranks.
01:07:44
Mike Santolucito
That thing gets hot. It's
01:07:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:07:46
Robert
i mean, it it blows you right out of there.
01:07:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh I miss that thing. I wish my guys used it more.
01:07:48
Mike Santolucito
like a sauna.
01:07:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
That Kubota diesel, you can't kill it. ah I miss that machine. I wish my guys used it more, but I'm glad it's ah i'm glad it's in good hands up there.
01:07:58
Robert
mean, I don't really
01:08:01
Robert
Yeah, i've only used it I've only used it a handful of times just to salt a couple walkways here or there, but it's I like it. it's It's a fun little machine. I mean, I'm a bigger guy, so not that I'm going to sit in it for 16 hours, but you know it's definitely ah's definitely a very nice very nice sidewalk machine.
01:08:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, 10-4. You use the broom or the V-Blade more?
01:08:22
Robert
Just the plow. I haven't even put the broom of the blower on it.
01:08:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, the broom is but was
01:08:30
Mike Santolucito
Yeah, you'll like that, bro.
01:08:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
The blower, if you get big snow, the that blower will eat. That will eat a lot of snow. Just ah don't ram the piles. You'll snap the belt.
01:08:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
But yeah, I'm glad you're getting use out of it. It's cool. it's ah It's a cool little machine. I wish they still made them. I really do. that That was, I think, a mistake on Ventrax part, eliminating that 3400.
01:08:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Those were great.
01:08:54
Mike Santolucito
They'll bring it back.
01:08:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
The cab forwards.
01:08:55
Mike Santolucito
I bet you they'll bring it back.
01:08:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't know if they will, man.
01:08:57
RICK JAMES
Unless he got his truck.
01:08:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
and theyre they
01:08:59
RICK JAMES
He got his truck running.
01:09:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's that?
01:09:01
RICK JAMES
Another thing big in Rob is we got his truck going. He got the old storm truck running.
01:09:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah. Got all the squirrels out of the engine block, and the it's up and running.
01:09:10
Robert
Squirrels and the mice. Squirrels and mice, the possums. ah
01:09:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
that That's awesome.
01:09:15
Robert
Everything's inside that thing. It's running. Running and driving.
01:09:19
RICK JAMES
Hey. It can plow snow. It can plow snow.
01:09:22
Robert
But.
01:09:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great, man. That's great. Good for you. that was a long process, right?
01:09:27
RICK JAMES
I want to see a video of that. I want to see a video that, if you can notice, know that thing better be out. Better be using it. I want see it.
01:09:33
Robert
I know I gotta, I gotta put, I gotta to mount the plow on it and try to figure out how it works. There's a lot of levers and wires and hoses and
01:09:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
What? it's and It's got a metal plus for it.
01:09:42
RICK JAMES
is
01:09:44
Robert
yeah. Yeah. It's, I don't know what size it is. I think it's the 1600.
01:09:47
RICK JAMES
Yeah, we'd get the 1600, isn't
01:09:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
And how big a tank? How big a brine tank?
01:09:50
Robert
Yeah. Ship it down.
01:09:52
RICK JAMES
it?
01:09:53
Robert
yep
01:09:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jeremy will send you 1,600 gallons of fire brine.
01:09:58
Native Snow
yeah
01:09:59
RICK JAMES
Whoa, yeah, buddy.
01:10:00
Robert
ship it down
01:10:01
RICK JAMES
We'll start a forest fire.
01:10:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
You'll be good to go. Burning down Maine.
01:10:05
RICK JAMES
Start a forest fire up in Maine.
01:10:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah ah ah burning down main
01:10:08
RICK JAMES
Must start with Canadian fires early, huh? Just let her go across.
01:10:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Have you ever seen asphalt melt?
01:10:12
Native Snow
Thank you.
01:10:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Makes asphalt go back to a liquidified state.
01:10:16
RICK JAMES
ah
01:10:19
Robert
Thank you.
01:10:20
RICK JAMES
you know You know Dusty from the call, right? Dusty, he's got his end up with weird hot snow last time.
01:10:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:10:25
RICK JAMES
Yeah. I told well, I'll just put some firebrand in here so the snow doesn't stick. So not I'm not responsible if the trailer melts.
01:10:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Done.
01:10:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
It melts the metal.
01:10:35
RICK JAMES
be on the chair If it melts in metal, I'm not responsible.
01:10:39
Native Snow
yeah
01:10:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, Jesus Christ. It's so funny. I'm glad you got it running, Robert. You got to get some videos out of that beast.
01:10:49
Robert
Yeah, hopefully we get more snow. We don't have anything.
01:10:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Is that going on a route or going on a site?
01:10:51
RICK JAMES
Oh.
01:10:54
Robert
Nah, that's just going to be me driving it around.
01:10:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. Like a parade thing?
01:10:59
Robert
it's ah Yeah.
01:11:01
Native Snow
Yeah, pretty much.
01:11:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Pretty much.
01:11:03
Robert
It's a CDL. it's a It's a Class B vehicle, so.
01:11:05
RICK JAMES
He likes those old jokes.
01:11:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. Cool.
01:11:12
RICK JAMES
what We got a little other good news this week there, Steve-O.
01:11:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
What do
01:11:17
RICK JAMES
What do we have?
01:11:18
Mike Santolucito
What do you got?
01:11:18
RICK JAMES
We have Arctic Razorbacks are in towns. so theyre
01:11:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
you got? we did get we did get our Razorback.
01:11:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
When did it come? Unannounced on...
01:11:30
RICK JAMES
Thursday. Thursday.
01:11:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
no not for me i want to say for me it was when was i in the fire when was i at work uh trying to think friday got ours on friday because i was i was at work and i had to scramble and get one of my guys down there that was actually out on on dawn patrol i had to get him over there because they called and said oh the tractor trailer's here and
01:11:34
RICK JAMES
I thought yours came Thursday.
01:11:40
RICK JAMES
Andy's came on Monday. so
01:11:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Is there anybody to offload this thing? I'm like, shit. And he was like 25 minutes away. So got him back over there. But yeah, the Razorback is here. We, I think tomorrow night they're attempting to install.
01:12:10
Mike Santolucito
Nice.
01:12:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
So yeah, we'll see.
01:12:12
RICK JAMES
It's on the bullet.
01:12:13
Mike Santolucito
Definitely no snow.
01:12:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. If we get any more, I have a feeling that, you know, it always goes the same way. Whenever you have a new piece of equipment that you really want to put to work, like the The jet stream will just, ah you know, they'll shut it down.
01:12:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
God!
01:12:42
RICK JAMES
You'll miss it by a you'll miss it by half a degree.
01:12:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Busted, buddy.
01:12:45
Robert
you
01:12:45
Native Snow
Steve, what'd you get, the retrofit that fits like Western, or did you get their version?
01:12:45
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah.
01:12:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:12:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's their full kit that goes on my existing Western bolt, you know, just the bolt on mount, nothing else from Western.
01:12:56
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:13:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's just the bolt on mount.
01:13:00
RICK JAMES
you Goes right to the.
01:13:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Goes right to that. So basically, I think you run a ah main power and couple cable, couple wires to the headlights.
01:13:09
Native Snow
It's just one wire, right?
01:13:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's what they said. I don't know. My guys were looking through the manual and stuff, and they were they had some questions. So we'll we'll get that over and ah get it on. But yeah, I mean, look, Steve Smythe and Jeremy got to mess with that in Chicago, and they they were both like very, very smiley when when they were on the video call.
01:13:31
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah.
01:13:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
They were like, holy shit.
01:13:34
RICK JAMES
you know
01:13:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
So Arctic Steve was happy.
01:13:35
RICK JAMES
You know, you got a snow wing, too. You got snow wing, too. Yeah,
01:13:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep, yep, we did get a snow wing. um Just ah to mess around with a little bit, I was asking to see if if we could put it side-by-side with the Metal Plus. ah They sent us the big boy, sent us the 1014.
01:13:52
RICK JAMES
yeah. yeah
01:13:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
So, yeah, so gotta see if I can't get that on and do a side-by-side, see what scrapes better like we don't already know what the fuck scrapes better. You know, that's, I don't think that, what?
01:14:03
RICK JAMES
ProTec?
01:14:06
RICK JAMES
ProTec, as Zuber would say?
01:14:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
protac rubber edge protac the best the best did anybody hear snow wolf got bought out
01:14:09
RICK JAMES
That's what Zuber says, ProTec. Got them on, they got
01:14:17
Native Snow
I did not.
01:14:17
Robert
but Any that.
01:14:17
RICK JAMES
him.
01:14:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
i heard that somewhere i can't remember where private equity yeah i gotta i gotta i gotta to confirm that speaking of plow companies but but yeah we got the uh
01:14:21
RICK JAMES
Probably that could be what I heard, but.
01:14:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Got the Arctic care package there. So that I look forward to that. And I know I'm not going to get to scraping an ounce of sn snow with that Razorback, even because I want to so badly. And, know, we won't get shit the rest of the year now. After the winter we've had, now we won't get anything for the rest of the time out.
01:14:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Man, we could have put that thing through its paces the last two months. That's for sure. But it looks badass. It really does. the The headlights are super slim.
01:15:04
RICK JAMES
Yeah,
01:15:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
But da there it looks great. at the we did I did look at the ah the guts, and that's all sealed in that stainless steel with the gasket and stuff. That looks look very well thought out. So, yeah, I'm excited.
01:15:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Check her
Reflections and Closing Remarks
01:15:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
out.
01:15:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jeremy, you think I can get that 1014 snow wing on SV280? s v two eighty
01:15:30
RICK JAMES
why not?
01:15:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't know. It's like right at the, right at the, uh, just below the tip load. think it's 2,300 pounds.
01:15:36
RICK JAMES
You'll be fine. Yeah.
01:15:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
I know.
01:15:40
RICK JAMES
Send it. I always send it.
01:15:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. We're going to give it a shot. We're definitely going to give it shot, but should be good. All right, boys. Anybody got anything else? Cause I'm tired.
01:15:51
RICK JAMES
That's it.
01:15:51
Robert
i'm good
01:15:52
RICK JAMES
Send it.
01:15:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mike, good?
01:15:55
Mike Santolucito
We're solid.
01:15:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
No other nuggets of wisdom.
01:15:59
Mike Santolucito
Oh, not tonight. I'm pretty tired.
01:16:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
I hear you. All right. Well, these are the, uh, these are the winter episodes. We're almost out and we can actually put some time and thought into these, but, uh, I think we, uh, I think there was a lot of good stuff tonight.
01:16:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think, uh, talking about the contracts and stuff and and what we, uh, what we figured out for ourselves with a bad winter. So hopefully that helps some guys out there. If it doesn't, hopefully you're at least entertained, but, uh,
01:16:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
That is going to do it. Then we'll wrap it there, guys. That'll do it for episode one Oh nine, one Oh nine in the books. All right. Thank the boys as always for giving us the time. I know this is late. Everybody's tired.
01:16:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
You know, we've been doing it. All the East coast guys have been doing it. Sleep is at a premium the last, uh, last month really. um So thank you, boys. Appreciate it. As for everybody else.
01:16:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. That's it. Everybody have a great week. All right. Be safe out there. Keep pushing.