CAI-NJ Mar. 2019 (w)

of New Jersey. This has been the Achilles heal for many local snow removal contractors. The second challenge is not unique to any industry. Qualified staffing is a key factor for every business. There is, however, one aspect of hir- ing, training, and retaining qualified field employees for the snow removal industry that is completely different from other industries. Field workers are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Although not always pleasant, it isn’t cold weather or long hours that com- plicate the matter. It is simply the spo- radic nature of winter events. There are no prescheduled or planned shifts. Field workers such as sidewalk crews, machine operators and plow drivers cannot rely on consistent snow events for 40 hours of work each week; or sometimes the contrary occurs, and they are faced with 100 hours of work in a week. Therefore, for many, ground troop positions are part-time or extra money positions for people already working in other fields. Numerous equipment manufactur- ers and innovators specific to the snow removal industry have been creative in their attempts to reduce the number of field workers required to complete tasks. Over the past twenty years many equipment manufacturers have done such with great success, enabling snow removal companies to prosper and experience unprecedent- ed growth. Countless machines and implementations that reduce fatigue, increase operator comfort, improve productivity, and reduce the number of required employees are created every year. More specifically, side- walk clearing, and de-icing equip-

ment has been a major focus by a great number of manufacturers. One company in particular has taken today’s technologies and made a tremendous leap forward. A com- pany called Left Hand Robotics is successfully filling the void of finding qualified employees to clear and de-ice sidewalks. Pre-programmed routes and computer-based controls

enable operator-less machines to clear sidewalks without being late, tired, stuck in traffic, cold, wet, etc. This innovation will likely transition into other industries in the very near future. As new technologies spread, the landscape of the snow removal industry will continue to evolve creating more professional organizations, thus greatly improving the customer experience. n

37

M A R C H , 2 0 1 9