Snow removal for warehouses and industrial sites

Docks and truck courts

The loading dock is the heart of an industrial building in winter. Snow in the dock wells, on the approach, and in the truck court where trailers turn stops freight. Priorities:

• Truck court and dock approaches, cleared wide enough for trailers to swing.
• Dock wells, which often need hand work or small equipment, because snow falls and drifts into them.
• Dock edges and plates, kept free of ice for forklift and foot traffic.

Coordinate timing with the shipping schedule. A contractor who knows your first inbound truck arrives at 5 a.m. can plan around it.

Shift changes set the clock

A 24-hour operation might need the employee lot clear at 6 a.m., 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. Give the contractor your shift times, and expect return visits during long storms so each shift arrives to cleared pavement.

Employee lots and walkways

Most winter injuries on industrial sites are slips between the car and the door, especially at shift change in the dark. Clear and treat:

• Walkways from the lot to every employee entrance.
• Steps, ramps and landings.
• The crosswalks through truck traffic.

Fire lanes and exits

Fire lanes, hydrants and emergency exits need to stay clear, including exit doors on the sides and back of the building, where snow drifts and nobody looks until an inspection.

Volume and stacking

Large lots produce enormous volumes of snow. Pickup plows move it; loaders stack it, and trucks haul it when stacking runs out. Mark stacking zones that keep sight lines open at truck-court intersections, and plan hauling before the lot fills. See where to put snow in a parking lot.

Matching the contractor to the site

A route-based plow company is built to clear many properties in one night. A large distribution campus that needs loaders, a dedicated crew on site for the whole storm, and hauling is a different operation. Ask any contractor what equipment and staffing they would dedicate to your site, and whether it comes at the expense of their route.

Our commercial routes include smaller industrial and flex buildings. Large campuses that need loaders and around-the-clock staffing are a different kind of operation, and we say so plainly rather than take on work we would do badly.

Records

Industrial sites carry heavy foot and vehicle traffic, which means claims. Timestamped service records, treatment logs and your own inspections are essential. See snow logs.