Knowing snowplow productivity per hour can make or break winter season. Accurate productivity estimates can help schedule routes, price jobs correctly and avoid overcommitting crews.
BOSS Snowplow gives the equipment and configurations to maximize lot clearing time and route planning efficiency.
Estimate Your Snowplow Lot Clearing Productivity
Step One: Measure Lot or Route Size
For routes with multiple stops, add up the total acreage across all properties.
Step Two: Determine Plow's Effective Pass Width
Effective pass width is the actual width of snow cleared in a single pass after accounting for the blade angle, which is often narrower than the plow's advertised width.
Step Three: Estimate Average Plowing Speed
For light snow (2 in. or less), most contractors plow at 8-14 mph. Heavier accumulations of 4-6 in. typically slow down to 5-10 mph. Beyond 6 in., speeds often drop to 3-7 mph. Parking lots with islands, light poles and curbs require slower speeds than open roads or lots.
Step Four: Calculate Passes Required Per Lot
To find the number of passes, divide the lot width by the effective pass width. Round up to the nearest whole number since partial passes still take a full trip.
Here's a simple formula: Number of passes = Lot width ÷ Effective pass width
For a 200-ft.-wide lot using an 85-in. (approximately 7-ft.) effective pass width, a user would need about 29 passes to cover the full area. Each pass takes time, so this number directly affects hourly productivity.
Step Five: Account for Turn Time, Stacking
Straight-line plowing is only part of the job. At the end of each pass, raise the blade, turn around, lower the blade, and position for the next run. This typically adds 15-30 seconds per turn. Snow stacking at lot edges adds more time. Pushing snow to the perimeter and building piles can take 5-15 minutes per lot, depending on accumulation and available stacking space.
Step Six: Factor Spreader Refill Cycles
Ice control is part of most snow removal contracts. Spreader capacity and application rate determine how often a contractor will need to refill during a route. BOSS hopper spreaders like the VBX+ hold varying amounts depending on the model. A typical application rate of 300-500 lbs of salt per acre means a 2-cubic-yard spreader can cover roughly 8-12 acres before needing a refill.
Step Seven: Calculate Total Productivity Rate
Now combine all the variables into a productivity formula. A snowplow productivity formula estimates acres cleared per hour by combining effective plow width, travel speed and an efficiency factor to account for real-world operating conditions.
Pro Tip: Multiply by an efficiency factor. An efficiency factor is a percentage used to adjust theoretical productivity calculations to account for turning, obstacles, travel time, snow stacking and operator delays. Start with an efficiency factor between 60 percent to 80 percent.
How to apply an efficiency factor: A 7-ft. effective width at 10 mph yields a theoretical rate of about 8.5 acres per hour. With a 0.7 efficiency factor, productivity drops to approximately 6 acres per hour.
Accurate snowplow productivity estimates help contractors bid confidently, schedule crews more effectively and maximize profitability throughout the winter season.
(This article is reprinted courtesy of BOSS Snowplow.)
