When it comes to selecting a power sweeping service, one size does NOT necessarily fit all. There are several factors that you should consider when searching for a sweeping contractor. Below you will find some recommendations, along with some critical questions to ask to help select the sweeping contractor that is best for your situation.
Different jobs have different requirements. Before you begin your search for a sweeping company identify and understand the job type and requirements. For example, do you need road sweeper trucks for:
● Routine parking lot sweeping
● Street sweeping or highway sweeping
● Construction site sweeping or milling clean-up jobs
● Community (HOA) street sweeping
● Industrial roadway sweeping
● Warehouse sweeping
● Fugitive dust control
You may also want to ask yourself:
● Do you need regular sweeping (i.e., scheduled maintenance) or a one-time cleanup (i.e., construction cleanup)?
● Are there environmental concerns related to your job? (i.e., stormwater run-off or fugitive dust control)
● Do any local regulations or special considerations apply to your job? (i.e., noise ordnances, scheduling restrictions)
● What are your insurance requirements?
● Do you require contractors to adhere to your standards for past safety history?
● What is your response time requirement?
Each type of job requires specialized equipment, training, and levels of experience. By starting with your job type and specific requirements, you’ll be better off when it comes to interviewing and selecting your sweeping contractor.
Your contractor must have the right type and quantity of street cleaning trucks and equipment to meet your job site requirements.
Different jobs will require different types of road cleaning trucks and equipment.
● Some machines are designed to pick up light material such as trash (e.g., cigarette butts, paper, sand).
● Others are built to pick up heavy material and large debris.
● Some are best to sweep fine material while leave minimal residual dust.
● Others sweep without creating any dust
● Some can vacuum up liquids.
● None will remove stains (e.g., oil spills) that are imbedded into pavement.
It’s also a good idea to ask how many street cleaning trucks they own. For example, do they have backup road sweeping trucks or machines in case one breaks down? Or will your job be delayed while they wait for repairs?
What if you don’t know anything about power sweepers? Seek out information and advice from leading contractors in your market and compare the timeliness of their response and the scope of their capabilities and experience.
Also, discover the names of major manufacturers. For example, our Partners use modern street cleaning trucks and equipment from manufacturers like ELGIN, Schwarze, ODRA, and other major sweeping manufacturers. Talk to their local dealers for information and recommendations.
Also ask the contractor questions to find out the age of their equipment and strength of their in-house maintenance team.
Having the right equipment is important, but more important is having trained professionals that know how to operate that equipment correctly and safely. During your interviews, be sure to ask about the sweeping contractor’s hiring and training processes. Verify that they hire legally and pay appropriate wages. You’ll also want to inquire about their certifications and average length of service for their operators.
Most reputable companies in the power sweeping industry will hold certifications from the North American Power Sweeping Association (NAPSA), the industries predominant contractor association.
Certified Sweeping Companies have been trained to the NAPSA professional standard for Power Sweeping Contractors. To become (and remain) a Certified Sweeping Company, a sweeping contractor must have at least one Certified Sweeping Manager (CSM) and one Certified Sweeper Operator (CSO), while re-certifying every three years. You can learn more about NAPSA’s certification requirements here. Make sure you are familiar with the qualifications of the contractor who will be working on your property before you make your final selection.
As part of your due diligence, you’ll want to ask for testimonials and check out their reviews. Ensure that the testimonials and reviews are relevant to your job(s). For example, glowing testimonials about their parking lot sweeping don’t necessarily apply to their ability to keep your construction site clean.
You’ll also want to find out how long they’ve been in business. Many of our Partners have been in business for 15+ years if you’d like to use that for a guide.
The top power sweeping service contractors not only invest in training their people and equipment but also invest in the latest technology. For example, many of our Partners can verify service using mobile fleet management and workforce software utilizing GPS vehicle tracking. Companies invest in these types of technologies to ensure you consistently receive quality, reliable service. This type of investment also indicates they care about their people, equipment, and continuous improvement of their operations.
Be sure your sweeping service contractor is properly licensed and carries the appropriate insurance policies with the proper coverage, according to your requirements.
You can use this interactive map to locate a contractor near you. Or call 1-800-SWEEPER today.
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