When southeastern Wisconsin starts to wake up, people do not want to be inconvenienced by snow and ice. For 22 years, Aron Rodman of Extra Mile Snow Plowing, LLC in West Bend, WI, has been waging war on winter. "I make sure we run new equipment that is extremely efficient so that the exceptional people we hire can do exceptional work," said Rodman

Cleaner scrape means less salt

His latest new equipment is the WESTERN® PILE DRIVER™ pusher plow with TRACE™ edge technology. This line of pusher plows come in 8′, 10′ and 12′ widths for use with skid steers, tractors and wheel loaders. The TRACE edge is made up of 2′ sections that work independently to contour to the plowable surface. This allows for a cleaner scrape. For Extra Mile, the PILE DRIVER’s efficient plowing has drastically reduced the amount of salt that is needed after plowing. This allows the salt trucks to stay out longer before needing to return to the pile for a refill.

Maximize equipment and labor

After incorporating the WESTERN PILE DRIVER into his operation, Rodman has found that a skid loader with a pusher is the equivalent of two trucks. A large payloader with a pusher plow is the equivalent of three skid steers or six trucks. For Extra Mile, this efficiency has allowed them to virtually eliminate work trucks from their fleet and focus on skid steers and payloaders. Using larger vehicles and pusher plows allows Rodman to maximize the output of each of his operators. In an environment where labor is hard to find, Extra Mile can capitalize on its exceptional staff and maximize their output.

With a complete line of snow and ice removal equipment, WESTERN dealers can provide sales and support for a wide range of equipment. This allows Extra Mile to limit the number of dealers and contacts they must maintain for their fleet. "I am thrilled that we can use the same manufacturer for our truck plows, salters, skid loader plows and payloader plows," said Rodman.

Fewer parts, fewer breakdowns

Another benefit that Rodman has seen with the PILE DRIVER pusher plows is their reliability. The pusher plows employ fewer moving parts than the work truck plows, providing fewer opportunities for failure. This ensures more uptime, keeping the Extra Mile crews out in the field clearing snow. In addition, the WESTERN pushers utilize the vehicle’s attachment system for easy and fast installation. The operation of the plow is integrated into the machine controls for easy use.

The WESTERN PILE DRIVER comes in a variety of widths and sizes to complement the vehicle with which it will work. Widths up to 12′ and heights from 30″ to 42″ allow the operation to determine the best combination. Rodman likes that he can choose a wide plow with a shorter height to reduce the weight of the plow on the front of the machine.

The side-leveling skid plates for the PILE DRIVER provide a benefit to the operator.


"With other manufacturers, you must be very specific and careful about plowing at the exact angle," said Rodman. "With the PILE DRIVER, there is a much greater tolerance for the angle you have the plow set down at." For added longevity, the side plates have a bolt-on, reversible ski that allows the ski to work longer before needing to be replaced.

Mention of products and their attributes does not constitute an endorsement by Snow Business, SIMA, its agents or staff.