As many of us have already experienced colder temperatures and snow falling, road and highway maintenance has become a top priority in many states across the country. Some of us are hit harder than others by winter storms and each state have their own plans and preparations put in place to help make road and travel conditions safer for everyone.
It’s also the time of year where many state and local government agencies are issuing bid opportunities for equipment and services related to winter maintenance to ensure these operations can be completed all winter long. If your business provides these types of services, it’s the perfect time to start bidding on these opportunities as there are many being issued this winter season.
Winter Maintenance Statistics
Many states spend millions of dollars each year on snow and ice equipment and services including plow trucks, snow blowers, road salt, salt storage facilities and more. To see how much has been spent on winter operations, Clear Roads has compiled annual data from different state’s transportation departments. According to the data gathered by Clear Roads for winter 2020-2021, shown in the charts below, New York and Pennsylvania have applied the most salt (in tons) out of all the states that provided data. Looking at Figure 1 you can see the top ten states that applied the most salt in the winter of 2020-2021.
Many states have applied hundreds of thousands of tons of dry salt to roads, sidewalks, parking lots, and highways last winter and will likely do the same again this winter. A big part of how they buy salt and get vendors to provide salting trucks is by issuing bidding opportunities for these items on a yearly basis.
Another interesting statistic to look at is how much states have spent on snow and ice related measures. Below you’ll find Clear Roads data for the top ten states that spent the most in the winter of 2020-2021(keep in mind that not all states have provided this data).
As shown in Figure 2, many states spend millions of dollars a year on equipment and services throughout the wintertime. Pennsylvania and Ohio have spent the most out of the states who’ve provided data. If your business works within any of these locations along with various others across the U.S. it’s best to keep an eye out for these types of winter maintenance bidding opportunities. Keep in mind that most of these winter related bids are published months prior to the actual service time, this means that you’ll most likely find these opportunities in the spring or summer in order for these states to be prepared for their winter season.
If you’re interested in finding out about different states winter operation plans, many have information on their state site or their DOT site. For example, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has laid out a brief overview of what they typically need to handle their winter weather, stating that they dispatch approximately 950 maintenance trucks, remove snow from 23,000 total lane miles of state highways, plow the equivalent of 6 million lane miles each year, and spend approximately $69 million annually on snow removal alone.[i] This shows just how much of a need there is for businesses who can provide these types of services.
How to Find these Bidding Opportunities
The best way to find winter maintenance opportunities is to search by specific keywords that are common for winter services. You can also save these searches to your bidding profile to find these types of bidding opportunities more easily, at any time. Here are some examples of keywords to search by to find these matching bids:
Another important tip for finding these opportunities is to set up your category codes. Registered vendors on bidnet direct can receive daily notifications with bid opportunities from our participating buyers and other agencies that match with what your business provides. To receive these matching bids, you’ll need to select the proper NIGP category codes for winter services that relate to what your business offers. Here are some examples of NIGP codes that you can add to your profile:
- 76558 Snow Blowers, Vehicle or Equipment Mounted
- 19246 Ice and Snow Removal Chemicals
- 92976 Spreaders (Salt and Sand), Maintenance and Repair
- 92971 Snow Melter Maintenance and Repair
- 76006 Blades and Edges: Dozer, Grader, Scraper, Snowplow, etc.
By adding specific keywords and category codes to your bidding profile you’ll be able to narrow down your search and find open bids that are a perfect fit for your business.
The wintertime is full of opportunities for your business to get involved in. Every year many states across the country continue to spend millions of dollars on snow and ice removal measures, which will result in many government opportunities for your business. Stay vigilant and start bidding on these projects now if you can successfully provide the products or services being requested. You could very well score some big contracts and help make the roads and sidewalks a safer place for all.
Andrea Cortina | bidnet direct
[i] Colorado Department of Transportation. “Winter Operations.” ,codot.gov, 29. Dec. 21
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