The internet newsletter of the snow
removal industry.
Guest Writer Columns...
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WHEN THE SNOW
DROPS…WHO IS ANSWERING YOUR PHONES?
Whether you handle commercial or
residential clients, you want your customers to be provided with
paramount service. MAP Communications, Inc. is a nationwide
answering message service and call center which
offers customized call handling solutions to businesses
large and small. In today’s world, it is vital you take advantage of
every opportunity that comes your way.
It is imperative that your calls are answered- Quickly, Correctly, Professionally.
If you are frustrated with the
mistakes and the outdated tools that your current service
provides, or if you haven't yet established a service, you owe it
to yourself and your business to take a closer look at MAP.
Messages can be routed to: text to
pagers, cell phones, Nextel, PDA’s, other wireless devices, email, fax
machine, or, we can call you on your cell or home phone, the choice is
completely up to you!
Examples of customized solutions for
the snow removal industry include:
Providing a separate “call in” line for employees to
report status of route assignments.
Status reports can be reviewed in real time 24/7 via MAP
website.
Offering outcall notification to employees ensuring “all
hands are on duty”. Management can be alerted of “no shows” allowing you to
get ahead of an avalanche!
Having started business in 1991, MAP
operates two dynamic call centers, the largest being our corporate
headquarters which can be viewed on our website
www.mapcommunications.com.
We are an employee-owned company which
means that each of our employees is also an owner. Ownership within our
own company gives all employees a vested interest in delivering
excellence in both the services that we provide, as well as the
customer service relationship we build with each and every customer.
Over the years MAP Communications has
invested heavily into our systems and processes to ensure that we are
an answering service industry leader. This investment has positioned
MAP to be able to offer you services and features that other answering
service providers only dream about!
We offer a free week to try our
services. We can prove to you that we not only help you stay on
top of your business but we can capture the calls that you could be
missing.
For a special promotion for all snowplownews.com
readers, please contact Mindy Adams @1-800-627-2962.
Say “Put my plow on the MAP” to take advantage of a
special offer!
If you don’t service your clients, someone else will!
Snow
Services Changes Its Name To Snow Movers
New Name,
Logo and Marketing Materials Highlight the Firm’s Management
Techniques,
Equipment and Commitment to Environmental Integrity--
Severna Park, MD., September 26, 2006 – After 27
years of providing snow removal services to commercial properties in
the Washington – Baltimore region, Snow Services today announced it
will change its name to Snow Movers. Coinciding with the name change is
the unveiling of a new logo and regional branding campaign designed to
educate new and existing clients about the firm’s proven snow and ice
management techniques, high quality equipment and commitment to
environmental integrity.
As it has done since its founding in 1979,
Snow Movers will continue to provide full-service snow and ice
management to office parks, industrial warehouses, medical facilities,
retail centers, apartment complexes and residential communities in the Washington – Baltimore region. While the high
quality of snow and ice management services will not change, the
company’s new name and branding campaign will highlight the firm’s
competitive differentiators
Expert ManagementTechniques
Snow Movers is singularly focused on snow and ice management and
leverages nearly three decades of experience in building and executing
customized snow and ice management plans for commercial property owners
and managers with geographically assigned account teams.
High Quality Equipment – Snow Movers uses a fleet of
large containment plows, up to sixteen feet in length, with heavy wheel
loaders that can clean snow from parking lots quickly and
economically. Additionally, the wide blade and non-motorized
design of Snow Movers’ walk-behind snow pushers used by its sidewalk
crews, make them more cost effective than snow blowers or hand shovels.
Environmental Integrity – Snow
Movers applies environmentally-friendly practices to its snow and ice
management services to minimize use of chlorides and chemical runoffs.
In addition to the name change, Snow Movers’ branding campaign
will also include a new logo, Web site, brochure and public relations
program to raise awareness for the company and its services among
commercial property owners and managers in the Washington
– Baltimore
region.
Rodney Anderson, President of Snow Movers said: “Our name
change and regional branding campaign represents an important milestone
in the company’s history. Since 1979, we’ve been committed to providing
commercial clients in the Washington
– Baltimore
region with reliable snow and ice management services. The new name,
logo and branding campaign provide an exciting opportunity to reconnect
with existing customers and introduce ourselves to new ones.”
About Snow Movers
Since 1979,
Snow Movers (www.snowmovers.net) provides
snow and ice management to office parks, industrial warehouses, medical
facilities, retail centers, apartment complexes and residential
communities. Managed by certified snow professionals, Snow Movers
safeguards more than 200 locations in the Baltimore
and Washington
metropolitan areas from winter hazards and is the biggest primarily
specialized snow service company in this region.
# # #
Snow
Plow News is “The Internet Newsletter of the Snow
Removal Equipment Industry”. The Sponsors and Advertisers
of Snow Plow News are
the manufacturers and distributors of the best snow removal equipment in
the world. We offer snow blowers, used snow plows,
used snow
blowers,
sand
spreaders, and snow plows
from makers such as R.P.M.,
Tenco, Meyers, Western, Snoway, Stewart and Stevenson and more. We also
offer
direct links to manufactures/distributors such as Sno-Way, Trecan,
Bonnell, Plows Unlimited, Machinability,
Avalanche, R.C.S.SnowPro, Karrier
and more. Contact us about advertising your
product or listing your used equipment on
this site.
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"Learning
Through Unitentional Stupidity..."
chapter
one volume one
By Keri K Edgman
Manning
Co-Editor Snow Plow
News
When
I was just a young lass…back
in 1997 I bought my first vehicle earlier that year in July; a 1977
Ford F-150
four wheel drive truck. I always wanted my first car to be a truck. It
just so
happens that me and that truck are made for each other - the same year
and
month of birth.
It
was November or December of that year and I was driving to work. It was
snowing
and I was driving from a 4100’ elevation in downtown Sierra City to a
5400’
elevation at the lakes basin area. As I was leaving Sierra City I could
see
that the snow was starting to stick to the pavement. The signs were
flipped
“25MPH 4wd Snow Tires OK Carry Chains.” I was speeding to say the
least. I was
going 50MPH and was still cutting pretty good tracks I thought “wow
this snow
driving stuff ain’t so hard.” Three and a half miles up the road is a
bridge
that puts the highway over a creek (common in this area) - Salmon Creek
bridge.
As I was starting to cross the bridge, you guessed it I started to
slide. (Note
to self: there is a reason why “bridge may be icy at anytime” signs
exist.”) As
a new snow driver I tried correcting by turning away from the skid, and
started
to slide the other way. I corrected away again, sliding some more up
hill over
the bridge I went into a full spin. I circled around 540 degrees,
that’s one
and a half times to the lay man. It
did
not happen fast. It was
one of the scariest slow motion E-Ticket rides I had ever experienced.
Of
course, when I realized that here was a distinct chance that I could
slide off
into the creek I hit the brakes. At this point I don’t know if there
was other
forces of nature, but I suspect that there was, and I stopped. I would
guess
that this all happened in about 7 seconds. When I got out to see what
my actual
positioning was I found what really stopped me. A little tiny tree. THANK
GOODNESS FOR LITTLE TINY TREES! I then locked in my manual
hubs and put
my transfer case into gear. I backed out and fortunately there wasn’t
any
traffic coming, because I ended up in the opposite lane going downhill,
not up.
I drove back down town to Sierra City to find a turn out that was
plowed. It
was three miles down the road. I then found a turn out that I could
easily
maneuver in and turned heading up hill again. This time- in four wheel
drive
and at the speed limit. When I got to work I was late and when I told
my story
I was shaken and had to take a few minutes to collect myself. I have
never done
that again. Once was enough.
Now
when I am going to be driving on snowy and icy conditions that I even
suspect I
might need four wheel drive, I drive with my hubs locked. Sure it may
use more
fuel, but it may save that seven seconds that it would take to pull
over get
out, lock the hubs and engage the transfer case. When you are sliding
sideways
and your tail end is trying to make its way past the nose of your
vehicle you
may not have seven seconds. (Not everyone has the luxury of push button
four
wheel drive.) I take comfort in knowing that if I need four wheel drive
right
now, I can take my foot off of the gas, shift the transfer case and get
back
the traction I was losing. (Which I later learned that is what you are
supposed
to do when you are driving on snow and ice.) It is the difference
between
having it and crossing your fingers that you have a little tiny tree
near by or
a snow bank to stop your skid. As I always say "Better Safe
then Dead". This is
why I “Lock and Load”. Four wheel drive is my friend. As for the truck,
I still
have it, and no harm came to it or the operator either during the time
of the
event. (Or during the making of this story.) This has been a true story
as writen by the one who lived through it.
**Tell
us about the lessons you have "learned through unintentional stupidity"
in your first time snow driving experiences.E-mail me: keri@plowsunlimited.com**
Drive
Safe. Bundle Up. Plow On.
The
Autocar in color is a Factory Photo from 1983. It has since been
retired, but served with Bloomfield, CT for many years. PT270, 8 speed,
Jake, and full locking axles, it couldn't be stopped, but was a bitch
in cul de sacs.
City
of Stamford, circa late 70s. Those are C-101 Diamond Reo's stretched as
far as the eye can see. Gold Comet gas engines, 5 speed main with 3 way
auxiliary transmission. You needed all those gears with a full load!
Very hard to fit in if you were more than 5'10" or so, note the rounded
cab, and they had BIG steering wheels with bench seats. One Tough
Truck. These were rebuilt many times before retirement.
Last
is a picture of what happens if you are not careful with your loader
operator.
Dave
Gofstein CHSSA
My
name is Bill Sachse. I am in north west Pennsylvania and have been
involved with snow removal for over twenty-nine years while working at
PaDoT. Recently I have been in contact with a couple of other fellows
in the North East interested in old plow equipment. The other fellows
are Walters truck enthusiasts. The reason I'm writing you is that I
have a moderate collection of old (30s and 40s) snow removal photos and
would like to share them. I have no experience in setting up a website
but wondered if there was room in yours.
(Above)
I have
attached a photo of a power v-plow the highway department bought at
some time. It has paddles to throw the snow off the face of the plow.
Maybe your readers would enjoy this picture.
(Below)
The
v-plow was used in Erie County Pennsylvania,
probably in the 1930s. The truck appears to be a Walters, judging by
the radiator emblem. I have a few more photos of this including one in
action. I would love to hear from anyone with any information on this
plow. Let me know about sharing more photos.
For
more information on any of our products, services, or to advertise with
us please call Tom
Edgman or the staff at 877 214 7569 or simply click
here
to e-mail us.
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For
more information on any of our products and services, or to advertise
with us please call,
877 214 7569
Or send a note to:
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