Winter has shown up in full force this year! Our winter is actually a true winter—with multiple snowstorms and freezing temperatures. Of course, these harsh conditions can play havoc with developers’ plans and can really slow down the installation of underground utilities.

 

So, how does DSC keep things moving during these winter conditions?

 

While some contractors lay off their employees during the winter, we strive for our guys to get as many hours in as possible. If we can work, we do. On the days when the weather does not permit us to work “in the field” we find plenty of other ways to keep busy.

 

Even on the worst weather days, when it is not safe to travel to the office in the morning, we monitor the conditions and, when it becomes safe for our guys to travel, we have them come into the office for training, maintenance, and other tasks that keep us prepared and ready to go when the weather improves. 

 

Here’s what we do when the weather prevents us from working at our job sites:

 

  • Training – Winter is the perfect opportunity for our teams to complete all the trainings required to do what they do. Whether it is safety training in which all employees must participate, fusing training, or operator qualifications, each and every member of our team is required to stay up to date on their trainings and the downtime in winter provides the perfect opportunity for everyone to keep their trainings and certifications current. Many of our guys do multiple jobs and, thus, require a range of trainings and certifications. With the winter raging outside, they have plenty of time to do what’s necessary to meet their annual requirements.

 

  • Preparing for our Busy Season/Maintenance – Winter downtime also gives us an opportunity to gear up and get things back into shape for the summer. During the busy season, maintenance is done as needed (to keep our equipment running and our teams safe), but there isn’t time to do much more. During the winter, we are busy updating hoses, tires and cut edges, and doing other maintenance work to get our equipment into tip top shape before we shift back into high gear in the spring and summer. For example, we had three track hoes on an uptown job all summer. The winter allows us to bring these excavating machines into the shop for a complete top to bottom work up, fixing any issues and getting them into top condition again for the summer.

 

  • Bidding – Preparing for the busy season starts with bidding jobs to ensure we have a full slate of projects on the docket for spring and summer. Our office personnel are currently bidding for new jobs to keep us working at full capacity. 

 

There is no doubt that the winter weather puts a damper on the underground utility projects that we do at DSC. However, there are plenty of things to keep our teams busy during this “downtime.” It is the perfect opportunity for everyone to complete required training, prepare our equipment for the season ahead, and procure work for the coming year. Rest assured that we are still hard at work making sure we are ready to go when the weather clears!