EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

WAYS MACHINES CAN HELP

Landscapers With Workforce Shortages

If you feel like you’re unable to hire workers to get the job done, you’re not alone. The 2021 Green Industry Benchmark Report found that attracting and retaining employees is still the most frequently cited issue in the green industry, with more than 70% of landscapers reporting difficulties in finding employees in their industry.

While the industry comes together to find solutions to attract and retain employees, an easy and immediate step you can take to compensate for a lack of workers is to make sure you are maximizing use of your equipment.

Tip 1: Easy Operation Means Simple Productivity

With a smaller crew, each job is an all-hands-on-deck endeavor. This means that each employee needs to be knowledgeable about and confident in operating every piece of equipment. A variety of factors play into making a machine easy to operate. The first is knowing that crew members can access convenient training tools, whether online, in a classroom or on the jobsite. This can help ensure safety while leveraging equipment features. It also can help get new employees trained and to the jobsite quickly.

The second factor is making sure that your equipment has features that help operators safely, quickly and efficiently complete any job. An example of this is a stand-on skid steer. The hop-on/ hop-off ability of a stand-on machine is very beneficial for smaller crews.

Tip 2: Power Equals Efficiency

Powerful equipment is key when there is less manpower on the jobsite. Machines with more power can fill the gaps by lifting loads that would otherwise require three or four workers. Machines that can pick up and transport more weight reduce the time spent loading or unloading materials from trucks, ultimately helping crews move more quickly through a project.

Ditch Witch

With smaller crews and growing demand, many landscapers are taking on two or three different jobs in a day, so machines with more power will keep crews efficient, leading to higher profits.

Tip 3: Versatility is a Crew’s Best Friend

Versatile machines are growing in popularity with landscapers. A versatile machine offers landscapers the ability to take on multiple different jobs with one machine by using its different attachments. Plus, having just one machine on-site reduces transportation headaches and keeps jobsites from being congested.

For example, an operator can take one machine on a job, load, dig or move material with a backhoe attachment, swap out to a trenching attachment to dig an irrigation line and then attach a bucket to remove dirt and then restore the ground with a box rake attachment.

Demand for landscape work is expected to stay strong despite the unknown longevity of the labor shortage. This means landscape professionals will need equipment that is easy to learn, safe to operate and innately efficient, while delivering the power and versatility needed to get multiple jobs done, even with a small crew.

Brant Kukuk Product Manager Ditch Witch