How to Snowplow with a Truck | Snow Plowing 101
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- In this tutorial, we will go over the basics of operating a snow plow on a truck. We are operating a Western V-Plow to do this snow removal. We will be going over the basics of controls, safety and best plowing practices. Have a question/comment? Feel free to leave them below!
A special thank you to Precision Landscaping & Construction, Inc. for allowing us to use their plow. Check them out here:
precisionlandscape-inc.com/
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First time plower here. I was on a hand crew for six years and finally got promoted. When I got that first call at 1 am and started plowing, I was shocked. I got the hang of it eventually but it was tough the first few hours. Watching these videos is nice so thanks.
This video is the best I've seen so far. Host is easy to follow and a great instructor. Of course nothing is a replacement for realworld experience, but I'd recommend this video to anyone just entering into this field of work.
Awesome to hear...thank you for the comment!
@@HeavyMetalLearning I agree, I'm scrolling through trying to find some good beginner videos fast. Like the no nonsense approach, and the instructor explaining what variations you may come across. Just watched an Iowa DOT video. Although excellent in thoroughness, it was not the environmental I will be in!.
Thanks! I learned several new snowplowing tips - Excellent Instructor ! 🙂
Learning on the fly in the a.m. 😂
Thanks for the tips!
how many people here know full in well how to plow but come to these videos anyway because why not right?
Can always learn something!
Yep! I just like plowing, trucks, skid steers or wheel loaders. It’s mesmerizing. ruclips.net/video/Zyw1bLB6GWA/видео.html
Im here to find a video to show friends who will soon hate me, cause i just got them a job 😂
Just haven't done it this year.. yet. Until tonight
@Mikesbike right? Im watching refresher videos while its building up lol
Entry level was exactly what I wanted. Thanks so much for this!
Awesome video, thanks! I got hired onto our city's on-call snow crew in New Hampshire. They provided good training however didn't have the plows hooked up to their trucks yet, so the button control part , etc was more theory. These videos helped alleviate some of the anxiety since my next time out will be on my own actually plowing. They understand it will take a few days on the job to really get the hang of it, but still don't want to be a burden as the new guy and slow the others down. Can't wait to check out your other videos. Now curious about salt/sand spreading and how to 'cap off' or remove tall drifts, as they gave me a list of residents (elderly/handicapped etc), who can't have the driveways blocked.
First-time snow plowing. good video
I'm not an expert but we do professional snow plowing, and I wanted to add something to what you said about "pushing through" the pile at the end of the run. What you said was good and I've "pushed through" before with positive results but one time I had too much speed when I shoved the plow into a tall pile and sheared off both of the hydraulic lines on the plow. It's also very possible to shove snow too far off a depression and get the heavy front end stuck off the plowed area. I've learned to keep it in a low gear at a moderate rpm and try to carefully push, always leaving a pile in front of the plow, especially on the downhill side of the project.
Also, in some cases, it's nice having two trucks working closely together in case one gets stuck, breaks down, or runs out of fuel.
If feasible, be thinking about how to push snow everywhere you go. Can the snow get pushed to both sides easily for a while? Is it large enough you can do that without wasting time turning around? Is there a loop that can be made to eliminate reversing? When reversing is the best option, that's fine but sometimes alternative strategies can help improve efficiency.
If you are plowing rural roads (especially dirt roads), keep some speed up when it's safe in case you go into the ditch, and try to immediately power back out of it unless it's unsafe. Slowing down or stopping will almost ensure getting stuck in many cases. Limit speed when nearing steep roads and when clearing the downhill side of the road, because applying brakes reduces or eliminates effective control of the vehicle. Also, use the plow to help shove the truck if you are approaching a dangerous situation. Shoving the snow the wrong way to avoid a problem is better than driving off the road or into an obstacle. Always move snow to the downhill side of the road when possible to reduce the need for bigger equipment later. If you drive too slow or don't plan well, the snow will not be moved far enough off the road, and a Cat or other piece of equipment may need to be employed. Also, when plowing gravel/dirt roads, if it is cold enough to do this, don't plow all the way down to the road. It's okay to see brown here and there but a good mostly frozen snow pack will protect the road over the winter, and keep you from moving the road's surface off to the side of the road.
Last thing: don't forget to start reading up on mechanics; you are about to need some mechanical knowledge or a really cheap local mechanic. That just comes with the territory.
This is all EXCELLENT advice....thank you very much for sharing!
Thanks!
You bet!
A couple of nights ago I went out late to get fast food but everything was closed due to a snow storm (Illinois). I didn't get any food but I pulled a snowplow out of a deep snow drift (parking lot driveway) with my FX4. Not sure exactly how long he had been stuck but he was pretty happy I stopped. I used a strap with a large ring shackle on my front recovery hook/ring. That was a lot more fun than pulling a Civic or random minivan off of a snowy driveway approach.😁
awesome, I'm moving to a snowy region and thinking about doing this for work. looks up my alley.
Thanks for the knowledge!
Great lesson; thank you!
Good video. I want one of those vplows for my new ford ranger!
Really good instructor
Hey buddy I like that video and I am glad they let you borrow that truck
Thanks!
Well explained good job
Thank you for the comment!
Yeah very well explained. Like the way you actually explained not to have spill off and lining up your truck to half of the push line to not have spill have is very well. I like the way you talk about it very good work. Just a little tip I didn’t know if you said it or not. But if plowing. Truck not to drive over the snow because the weight of the truck compacts it and it’s harder to scrape it all up and it could possibly just compact it for freezing so yeah.
This is the easiest plowing one can do... Powder snow in an open parking lot.
Try plowing snow in CT where most storms are a combination of snow/sleet/rain/ice... And try plowing in that tight private driveway with tight turns and virtually no turn around space at the garage... Or a steep switchback driveway with drop offs on each side. Plowing isn't all about the snow... It's about NOT damaging property or destroying the truck!
Agreed...and I think we’ve all been there. Always best to start in easy conditions. Got to walk before you can run.
Training 101 video.
He literally said it was an entry level video get fucked also CT sucks
@@ploppercon nice... I guess gays rule easy!
Wow, what do you know, his video, made for new people, describes the easiest type of plowing. Imagine that. Dick
Great video, I would add you should do a video with the half V method, make a pass winged one way than on the next pass do a half V then back to winged really helps stop spill over and lets you do bigger passes per time
Im also in MN - Fun to see these videos. I will be doing Plowing for the first time with year. I already purchased my Boss plow, but I need to get it setup on my 2020 F350. I sure hope I can learn this! lol
How’d it go? It’s my first year learning snow plowing, which is something I’ve been waiting to do since I was young. Any major tips for a newbie?
@@cesarordonez1000 Had a good first year.
Just always be watching your surroundings, be careful of the frozen snow banks. Think before pushing... Thanks for asking
Very Helpful Thank You
You're welcome!
I want to open my own snow plow company and this video was very informative thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Wonderful walk through, awesome demonstration and great learning expirence @HeavyMetalLearning.
I myself am over here in Michigan, and we do get our fair share of snow, so knowing How its removed, and How To remove it is essential. I do have one question..
How are the sensors for the plow (the hydroelectrics and such) connect to the controls inside the cab of the truck?
What do you do if there are rows of cars parked on each side and you're trying to clear the lane between? Windrow toward the cars ( blocking them in , ) or windrow to center and get a bobcat ( I don't have a v plow )
I use to plow the parking lot at a auto shop I worked for. After doing it a few times I told my boss I’m not interested in doing it anymore. He thought it was ok for me to only do it once in the morning before we opened. The last time I did it there was damn near 2ft of snow I told him I’m charging you triple or I’m not doing it lol. Even though he was the manager of an auto repair shop he couldn’t understand how bad your beating up ur truck moving that kinda snow.
Didn’t mention which angle is best when driving and not plowing and also when parked to drop the plow
1st step, if you have access to a hiniker dealer, get a hiniker plow. They are far easier to operate vs most others thanks to their simple remote design. Thanks to the joystick remote design, it also means faster operation of the plow so you'll be in and out of sites faster. I've run western, boss and hiniker plows. All our trucks are now converted to hiniker plows because of the remote and how clean the hiniker plows can make a property. The only short coming of hiniker is how they mount compared to boss and headlight bulbs seeming to need constant replacement every other few months.
Thanks for the comment!
How are their scoop plows?
@@ZoroZ333 Just started using scoop plows this season. Works great for clearing larger sites. Just need to be mindful of how much snow your pushing, don't want to burn up a tranny. We can still back drag driveways, just can't get as close to the garage doors as a straight or vplow can. When wind rowing, the scoop plows don't seem to dump near as much snow on the high side (side you're pulling snow from) as a straight or vplow does. Overall, love the scoop plows! I'd recommend avoiding a scoop plow that is longer than 9 feet. According to our dealer, our competitors tried them and dropped them the following season because they lost transmissions due to the sheer weight of snow being moved on each push.
Bonus, the vplow remote works on the scoop plows!
Thanks for the video. My question is if the wind is blowing not favorable to you why not simply plow in the opposite direction? Of course I realize you have to have a spot to collect your snow, but let's say that is possible. What do you think?
Great video. Shout out to Sherwin-Williams haha
lol...yup...love those guys!!
I love your videos what your option on plowing with a 1/2 ton just for a season or two just to make sure it's for you
Enjoyed your video on snowplowing 101. You said you were going to do some advanced snowplowing techniques etc but never did one. In fact its been 2 years since you did a video? I think all you need to do is put some time in analytics to get more views and then you will get a much higher view count and subs! I'm just getting into snowplowing with a f-550 and a Meyer straight blade with a centralized hydraulic system. I could use some tips as only snow clearing i have done is with a bobcat and a construction bucket lmao
You look like Hank from Breaking Bad omg twin
Do one on how to determine prices, how and what to put into a contract, and if someone is doing this on their own with just one truck. How many contracts should they try to make? Then how to determine the order of which to do first.
Thank you. This seems like a very profitable seasonal small business.
YES! That would be super helpful indeed
OKAY SO THAT'S HOW TO OPERATE A PLOW ON A TRUCK ***PSA** lower your headphone volume is you don't want to do deaf @11:18!!!!! but still a great video! thanks!
thanks for the comment
Hey, guys had an idear for a video for ya, loading and tying down equipment, tracked, wheeled Lowboys tilt decks etc, most truck drivers I've met are barely capable of driving the truck let alone loading the machines... and they are responsible for securing the load, but also lots of operators like to "help" but don't always know how to attach chains/binders etc Anyhow I do a little of both driving and operating, expert at neither
Yeah, we’ve heard that before and would love to do some videos on that. We’ll see what we can do...thanks for the comment!
Check out my channel I do Vlogs, How to videos, And much more! ruclips.net/channel/UC83aL0Gn4owUawBdw-QIkBA
I have my boss v plow joystick on the left so I can control the plow on the go and be lifting the plow going into the snow bank and getting it quickly into reverse. So I'm only stopped long enough for the trans to shift. Time is money. I've always mounted my controls on the left and steer and shift with my right. It takes some engineering to mount the joystick/ controls on the left but I much prefer it that way and I can go to beat heck.
And yup, you haven't plowed snow till you've plugged the truck real good into the snow pile! lol
Where do you mount it on the left? On the door? Interesting concept but just trouble figuring out how you would set it up. That’s why I prefer a handheld controller so I can shift at same time.
@@HeavyMetalLearning yup currently mounted to the door but close to the dash on the truck I have right now. It's a little harder to get at the light switch but doable.
I'm trying to figure how to mount it with a homemade bracket connected under the dash or kickpanel parking brake area, because I did break a wire having it move with the door last year.
But I guess that's me, I like fabbing stuff up.
Darn dash's are mostly plastic so it's hard to mount stuff to them.
I have an older F-250 with a steel 8'2" Boss V
@@429thunderjet2 interesting...that's awesome!
@@HeavyMetalLearning it's going to make it a little harder to get in and out of the truck with it mounted left side of steering wheel. Was nice mounted on the door because it will swing out of the way with the door.
I might have to rethink that! lol
What gear do you plow in L S D
Could a mid-size truck handle snow plowing?
I’ve got a joy sitck, can’t stand the hand helds. I do roads though so I’m not moving it around all the time
Yeah, I would imagine they probably would be better if driving further in a single direction. Thanks for the comment!
I lived in northern Michigan and plowed snow for about 15 years and I like the t handle also
Joy sticks are the best!
Safety first. So I also hold my cell phone in the other hand in a way so I can still control my left hand functions just like the control in my right hand. Oh yes, the yellow jackets are for safety,---everybody else's. I think I will stay away from them. Thanks for the visibility. hahaha
I started off with a 1500. My first year was scary because the plow scraping the ground made me think it was damaging something wether it was the plow, concrete, or my truck. I was also nervous to go above 5mph as i hit a rough area on a driveway which caused my truck to come to a complete stop. Any opinions on these issues? I probably just need to man up lol
Fake it til you make it. Comfortability comes w. Time
@bh1567 you are absolutely right. I now plow with a f250 and it's easy peasy.
First; put your plow down and make sure you can see your blade guides...GM Trucks, historically, seat the driver and passenger low in the cab, and tell you they've added head room, unlike Ford and Ram.
If you can't see your blade guides, order or buy 36" guides at your Trucks plow installer. My department bought two 2020 GM C 3500 w/ Western V Plow installed...GM has goosed the hood height and suspension enough you can see the 24" Blade guides when the plow is down...You can't see those guides, is when you make a huge mess. You can even buy LED illuminated Guide tips is you're pushing powder.
Finally: Take your time
You say you plow in 4 high. And that's 1' of snow. Do you ever use 4 low. I own a Silverado and know that 4 low is extremely low. And slow too.
Enjoyed your video.
I have never used 4 low. I guess potentially if it was like a foot of snow and was having trouble in 4 high, but again can’t say I’ve ever encountered it. Maybe someone else will comment with their experience.
I occasionally have used four low when the snow gets deep and or heavy wet. I run one of my older scan tools plugged into the OBD II port on my truck to monitor the trans temp, because my truck doesn't have a factory gauge. When it starts climbing much over 220° F or so I will stop and hold it at high idle for a bit or go for a short drive on the road till it comes down. Heat is what kills transmissions in plow trucks, that and getting stuck. Trans & t cases have the highest failure rate on plow trucks, I have fixed lots of them over the years. Also if your truck doesn't have a transmission temperature gauge it's a good idea to add one so you can keep an eye on it. Normal operating temp will be right around 200° F, 230-240 + will boil and burn up the fluid, then bad things start to happen! Boiling adds air bubbles to the hydraulic/trans fluid and makes them spongy, not good.
Also synthetic fluids help too, synthetics can take heat and lubricate better. If your truck is older it probably didn't come with a synthetic fluid, the newer ones do so.
And don't forget about the transfer case fluid it needs periodic changes with synthetic as well as the transmission.
I use AMSOIL synthetics exclusively, they are not cheap, but are top of the line premium synthetics, luv the stuff. If you would care to check them out go here.
www.amsoil.com/c/transmission-fluid/19/?zo=1064126
PS. A preferred customer membership is a good way to save some bucks
I run my current truck in 4 low, but it is a Jeep from the 80's and 4 high is a viscous coupler that can be damaged in a plowing situation. If you have a truck with an auto 4x4 setting do not use that for plowing either. My previous truck had a 4 speed with a super low 1st gear it did well in 4 high starting in low, and shifting to 2nd depending on the length of the run I was pushing and how heavy the snow was, light snow on a long run I would sometimes take 3rd gear but not often.
What year is your truck and what model is the plow? Any special mods required for plow weight and any issues with the front end?
I’ll have to get back to you on this one because we shot this last year. And not my personal truck.
Looks like a 1500 (half ton). If so, if could report back what model the plow is too would be helpful. I'm looking at the new Western Enforcer for my '18 Silverado 1500.
u did not mention that in mas. u need a cdl!!!
Here’s a good question. How do I get hired snow plowing with minimal experience if no one is willing to hire me because of not much experience?
start as a shoveler, say that your interest is snow plowing. If you can work in the conditions and are a good worker you are more likely to get the position you want next year, or during the current year, say you want to practice operating the plow on off days in an open parking lot. Express that you want to learn and pick up on the things the snowplow operator does.
Yes...Braxton has great advice!
If your confident in your abilities dont tell how much experience you have unless they ask and make sure you walk the property before you plow to find your borders so you don't damage anything I've been plowing 48 years sometime I make a video of it when there's a lot of snow or wet heavy snow
@@garrettmcdougall3360 hey man, is snow plowing easy? You think I can get the hang of it in one day?
For residential , so just driveways of houses
When you're plowing its important to watch out for rock- minerals. They're minerals.
Ya but pisses me off, up is the button on bottom, like a plane joy stick. I get used to it but still confusing.
Nice cap.
Yeah....we need to start selling them.
FUN GAME ALERT count how many times he says "ugh" Or ugh don't...
Sponsored By Sherwin Williams Paints LOL 9:02
My dads snow plow truck was flipped and it was not him driving
I can drive with one hand 😂😂
No snow in Serbia, Europe, but I still like the video!
You are lucky then...ha
A buddy that was a good video I am glad that they they let you use that truck text me back if you want to your videos are need to see text me back buddy if you want
Thanks for the comment!
Its pretty much just common sense
Never use 4 wheel low plowing
good call
This is more 001
You have an extended cab. You should tell the viewers to run with a single cab.
That might be the problem with my next truck, I have a short 2 door SUV, looking at switching to a Suburban, I have had 2 regular cab long bed pickups so the Suburban might not be bad compared to those.
why is this the case exactly?
@@Wrtvrxgvcf55 a shorter wheel base truck fits in tighter spots and takes less room to turn around.
It's harder to find a regular cab truck nowadays
9o
Hhg
And this is how you don’t do it lol ruclips.net/video/Zyw1bLB6GWA/видео.html
Holy crap...that was funny!
Worst part of running a plow is being on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week throughout the season. At the mercy of the storm. When she says go, she means go. Fuck you and your sleep. 🤣