Applying for a roadside mowing contract requires considerable experience, a knowledge/understanding of those contracts, the right equipment for the job, and a good working relationship between the governmental agency and the tractor mowing services company.

Let’s look at each of those qualifications for government mowing jobs.

Experience:  Not only are we talking about years of mowing experience, but we are specifically talking about years of experience with roadside mowing.  Roadside mowing calls for specific skills which can only be attained through years of practice.  It can be dangerous work.  It is, most definitely, precise work.  And without the necessary experience, it will be very costly work.

A knowledge/understanding of contracts:  One look at a governmental contract for roadside mowing will tell you that “faking it” is not an option.  These acreage mowing contracts are detailed and specific.  They categorize jobs according to general mowing, large machine mowing, slope mowing, intermediate machine mowing, and small machine mowing.  They dictate the frequency of mowing, the mowing cycles, the equipment required, the methods of operation, the limitations of operation, and the quality expected.  They cover the maintenance of traffic within the mowing area. Without a complete knowledge of these terms, one should not even bother bidding on such a contract.

The right equipment:  Roadside mowing contracts quite often require equipment for right of way mowing, equipment for         bush hog mowing for heavy jobs, and small job equipment.  That equipment must be able to mow at the same height consistently.  There must be no streaking or scalping.  There must be no accumulation or piling of cutting.  There must be a smooth flowing transition between mowing of different widths.

A good working relationship:  If, on the off-chance, one wins a bid to do roadside mowing for a municipality, future contracts depend on establishing a good relationship with the governmental workers.  Deliver on promises, meet deadline, and do quality work. That is how subsequent bids will be secured.

On top of all that, liability and safety must be considered, as well as the ability to meet deadlines consistently.

These are not jobs for the weak-of-heart or the unreliable, nor are they jobs one learns on the fly.

The best advice one can give to a mowing company who is about to bid on a roadside mowing contract:  Make sure you are qualified or don’t bother bidding.

One company in the Fort Worth area which is qualified is Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services.  Servicing a seventy-five mile radius around Fort Worth, Keith’s has been there, done that, and continues to secure the trust of all agencies it works with.  That kind of track record only comes from experience!

ABOUT KEITH’S TRACTOR MOWING SERVICES

Keith’s Tractor and Mowing Service is owned and operated by Keith Sturgeon, a life-long resident of Dallas Fort Worth. He has been a successful business person in Fort Worth for more than 20 years. Customers enjoy working with Keith because of his friendly customer service and his outstanding quality of work. Specializing in large acreage mowing, government contracts, vacant lot mowing and channel mowing in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services is the gold standard in acreage mowing.

Acquiring “right of way” mowing contracts requires more than just the proper equipment. An experienced knowledge of mowing requirements and specifications is also crucial in obtaining those contracts.

Let’s take a look at one such highway mowing contract in a southern state.  Those bidding on this right of way mowing contract were required to understand the following points:

• Acceptable mowing – the height of the vegetation must be six inches maximum height and the mowing must be neat and acceptable in appearance.
• Back slope – the area from the bottom of the roadway ditch to the top of that same ditch
• Mowing Cycle – a continuous mowing effort until designated area is completely mowed
• Mowing Height – Six inch maximum height uniformly cut
• Right-of-Way – within the boundaries of access control
• Roadside Obstacles – obstacles within the roadside infrastructure to include sign posts, light posts, guardrails, headwalls, bridges, abutments, mailboxes, etc.
• Roadway – the entire portion of the designated roadside
• Roadway Ditch – the depressed area parallel to the highway or roadway
• Slope Mower – a tractor with articulated arm mower attached
• Slope Mower Mowing – used for mowing sloped area deemed unsafe for wheel equipment
• Trimming – the reduction of vegetation in a designated area

All of these activities must be performed according to the specifications of each municipality, meaning a                        commercial tractor mowing service must have a working knowledge of all government biddings processes within their area of expertise. Failure to meet just one requirement can result in the loss of the contract and a poor reputation.

Contractors must certify in writing that they posses these abilities.  They must also have proof of liability insurance, and all operators must  be trained and certified to operate the specific mowing equipment needed for a given job.

Those aforementioned requirements were for one jurisdiction in one state.  The requirements change with each jurisdiction, meaning that a mowing service must have an intimate knowledge of various local governments.

Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services covers a seventy-five mile area in and around the Fort Worth Area.  Within that are is the DFW Metroplex including Kennedale, Arlington, Irving, Fort Worth, Haltom City, and many other towns and cities, each with their own requirements for right of way mowing contracts.

When the best is required, trust government mowing contracts to the best in tractor mowing services.   There are many commercial mowing companies out there, but few can meet the stringent needs of city and county governments.  There are many companies which can cut grass, but few with the ability and knowledge necessary for government mowing contracts.  Keith’s has that knowledge and experience.

ABOUT KEITH’S TRACTOR MOWING SERVICES

Keith’s Tractor and Mowing Service is owned and operated by Keith Sturgeon, a life-long resident of Dallas Fort Worth. He has been a successful business person in Fort Worth for more than 20 years. Customers enjoy working with Keith because of his friendly customer service and his outstanding quality of work. Specializing in large acreage mowing, government contracts, vacant lot mowing and channel mowing in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

Pipeline mowing contracts only go to the most experienced commercial tractor mowing companies. They are simply too important to do otherwise.  When billions of dollars are at stake, as they are in all pipeline undertakings involving vast acreage mowing, only the best mowing companies will ever sign a pipeline mowing contract.

Pipeline construction is increasing in the United States.  It is difficult to go for a drive without seeing oil and gas transportation infrastructure for pipelines as companies rush to keep up with the demand for fuel and the developments in North America (most recently in shale) and in Canada (oil sand deposits).

Large pipeline projects require the necessity to clear a path for those pipelines, clearing unwanted trees, knocking down heavy brush, and eliminating intrusive vegetation along the pipeline route.

In the mowing business it is called Right-of-way (R.O.W.) vegetation clearing.  It enables access to all of the pipeline (miles and miles of pipeline), and it allows enables visibility for proper pipeline management. It is also a safety issue, keeping growth off the top of the pipeline and causing damage to the pipeline.

On paper, R.O.W. projects are fairly simple:  remove unwanted trees and brush to allow the pipeline to become visible, accessible, and visually attractive.  The reality of such pipeline mowing, however, is anything but simple.  This type of mowing requires traversing uneven ground, swampy ground, and stubborn growth on uneven ground.  It is not for the weak-of-heart and it is not for the inexperienced.

Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services understands the complexity of pipeline mowing.

Owner Keith Sturgeon explains:  “You have to be able to adjust to the needs of the job.  You have to have the right equipment, equipment which is efficient, safe, and easily maneuverable over rough land, bush hog mowing for heavy jobs.  In our line of work, safety is the number one concern, so using the right equipment is of utmost importance.  There are pipeline jobs where the equipment operator is all by himself, out of sight, and if an accident were to occur in a situation like that, it could be life-threatening.  So we cross all of our t’s and dot all of our I’s before we even begin a job.  We walk the property in question, we decide on equipment, we map out a plan, and then we execute.”

And execute, and execute, and execute . . . success breeds success in the pipeline mowing business, and word-of-mouth advertising is vitally important.  Pipeline managers learn early on which mowing company can be trusted to deliver time and time again, and in Tarrant County, Texas, that company is Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services.

ABOUT KEITH’S TRACTOR MOWING SERVICES

Keith’s Tractor and Mowing Service is owned and operated by Keith Sturgeon, a life-long resident of Dallas Fort Worth. He has been a successful business person in Fort Worth for more than 20 years. Customers enjoy working with Keith because of his friendly customer service and his outstanding quality of work. Specializing in large acreage mowing, government contracts, vacant lot mowing and channel mowing in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

Not every commercial mowing company can acquire a highway mowing contract.

Only the best need apply!

Highway mowing contracts are issued by the state, and acquiring a state government mowing contract requires experience, not only in acreage mowing, but specifically in highway mowing.  Learning how to formulate a bid, learning how to usher that bid through the bidding process, and learning how to do that all properly requires an attention to detail many commercial mowing companies do not possess.  A highway mowing contract can be won, or lost, depending on that attention to detail.

Highway mowing contracts require bonding.  Mowing at the proper height along a highway is crucial.  Mowing in a safe manner so that debris is not tossed onto the roadway is a matter of safety, and that degree of safety is literally a matter of life and death on the highways.  One highway accident or, God forbid, a highway fatality, is one too many for any state issuing a highway mowing contract, so only the best commercial mowing companies are even considered for those jobs.

And the best commercial mowing companies use the best equipment.  Whether the mowing consists of grass or the mowing needs the use of bush hog mowing for heavy jobs, it is vitally important that the mowing company has the proper equipment to do the job properly and in a timely manner.

And speaking of time, highway mowing contracts require that the job be done within a specified period of time, and not all commercial mowers have the ability to tackle miles of roadway mowing within a specified time period.

Contrary to what many people believe, the state does not issue these contracts to the lowest bidder.  Those jobs are much too important to be determined solely on price points.  This is truly a situation where quality wins out over price.

And so it all boils down to trust.  Can the state trust the commercial mower to do the job required and do it in a timely manner?  When looked at it that way, it is easy to understand that most states only contract out to a small handful of commercial mowing services.  It is just too important a job to trust to an unproven company.

To those commercial tractor mowing services just starting out in this business, we offer this word of advice from a company which has been there and done that:  learn the trade well, and build up trust.  Word-of-mouth advertising is crucial in this business.  The cream will rise to the top eventually, and people will take notice . . . even state officials who issue highway mowing contracts.

ABOUT KEITH’S TRACTOR MOWING SERVICES

Keith’s Tractor and Mowing Service is owned and operated by Keith Sturgeon, a life-long resident of Dallas Fort Worth. He has been a successful business person in Fort Worth for more than 20 years. Customers enjoy working with Keith because of his friendly customer service and his outstanding quality of work. Specializing in large acreage mowing, government contracts, vacant lot mowing and channel mowing in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

Most competent tractor mowing companies can secure private mowing jobs; not all, however, can secure government mowing contracts, for a variety of reasons.

It’s a “whole new ballgame” when talking about government mowing contracts.  There is a bidding process which must be strictly followed.  There is a code of conduct which must be adhered to.  And to complicate matters, the bidding process and code of conduct changes with each municipality.  In other words, what is true in Fort Worth is not necessarily true in Haslet, and what works in Arlington will not necessarily be accepted in Haltom City.  Considering the fact that Tarrant County is the third largest county in Texas, and sixteenth largest in the United States, we are talking about a wide range of conduct codes and bidding processes.

A vast knowledge of it all is necessary for any acreage mowing company, and not all commercial tractor mowing services have that knowledge or the skill set required to get the job done for each town or city.

But Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services does!

Pasture mowing in the Fort Worth area requires certain skills.  Bush Hog mowing for heavy jobs requires different skills, as does the mowing of airport grounds.  And then we have government contracts, dealing with regulations, meeting strict deadlines, and a general understanding of the entire process.  This is not an area you want to trust to a new mowing service.  This is not an area you want to trust to a company with a sketchy track record.  This is a mowing job you only want to trust to the best in the business in the Fort Worth area, and that claim, the best, is hard-earned with experience.

How else do you explain the fact that Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services is trusted by a wide-range of government supervisors in Irving, Kennedale, Fort Worth, Saginaw, Haltom City, Grapevine, Colleyville, and many others?

It’s all about experience and friendly, trusted service.

Keith’s relies upon only the best tractor mowing equipment, capable of mowing stately lawns and also capable of mowing down the toughest of overgrown and out-of-control vacant lots.  Keith’s relies upon years of experience, and Keith’s relies upon a reputation which is second to none in the Fort Worth area, covering a seventy-five mile radius in and around Tarrant County.

Who are you going to call for your government mowing contract, a company just starting out with little or no experience, or Keith’s with years of quality work and a reputation for attention to detail?

The choice appears to be obvious!

ABOUT KEITH’S TRACTOR MOWING SERVICES

Keith’s Tractor and Mowing Service is owned and operated by Keith Sturgeon, a life-long resident of Dallas Fort Worth. He has been a successful business person in Fort Worth for more than 20 years. Customers enjoy working with Keith because of his friendly customer service and his outstanding quality of work. Specializing in large acreage mowing, government contracts, vacant lot mowing and channel mowing in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.