Are you considering bidding for pipeline mowing contracts?  A word of caution before you do:  know what you are getting into and be sure you can deliver what is required.

We are Keith’s Tractor Mowing, serving the Greater Fort Worth area.  We know a thing or two about pipeline mowing, and in this article we will share a couple things you should be aware of.

Clearing a right-of-way

It seems pretty basic, doesn’t it?  Pipeline mowing is, basically, clearing a path which will allow for good visibility and access for the pipeline.  It hardly seems like a big deal when you say it like that, but saying it  like that does not account for mountainous terrain, swampy terrain, stump-filled terrain, or terrain laden with boulders.  Suddenly, faced with those obstacles, clearing a path for a pipeline doesn’t sound easy at all.

Bottom line:  if you don’t have the expertise to handle mowing in any conditions on any terrain, don’t bother to bid on a pipeline mowing contract.

Do you have adequate insurance?

You better have! There are all manner of obstacles and dangerous situations involved in right-of-way clearing.  At Keith’s Tractor Mowing we carry $1,000,000 general liability insurance. That is an adequate amount and should protect us from any situation we face while doing the job.

Do you have the equipment necessary for right of way mowing contracts?  What you need is heavy equipment, and if you don’t have it you are sunk before you start.   At Keith’s Tractor Mowing we have a  John Deere 4320 and a Toro 5910, and still there are times we will have to rent other equipment to handle the obstacles we face on a pipeline contract.  Do you have the equipment? Can you afford the repairs to that equipment should something go wrong?  This isn’t like repairing a push mower. This is like paying thousands of dollars should you damage your tractor.  Are you sure you can handle it?

Pricing a pipeline contract

Pricing is always based upon the time it will take to complete a job, the traveling distance to a job site, and the anticipated wear-and-tear on your equipment.  What we can tell you from experience is that most mowing companies, just starting out in this business, will underbid and actually lose money on their first pipeline job.

Be realistic! Cover your costs and pay yourself.  Don’t try to underbid the world. That’s a fool’s game and you will lose it each and every time.  If you don’t win the bid you fight the next fight tomorrow. It’s not the end of the world to lose a bid.  It happens more often than not in this industry.

About Keith’s Tractor Mowing

We are a trusted name in commercial mowing in the Fort Worth area, and that trust comes from experience.  Lot mowing, acreage mowing, field mowing, government mowing contracts, we have seen it all over the years, done it all, and made a living doing it.  That kind of longevity and assurance only comes from expertise.  People in the Fort Worth area know they can trust Keith’s Tractor Mowing, and that kind of trust goes a long way in today’s business world.