Shovels

Shovels as a Worksite Essential

In municipal and utility work, the shovel is a fundamental tool. Its role spans from small jobs like trenching and clearing debris to major excavation and infrastructure projects. Shovels come in two main types: hand tools for precise tasks in tight spaces, and power shovels for moving massive amounts of material. You’ll see them used for digging utility trenches, repairing roads, landscaping, removing snow, and moving bulk materials. A modern shovel is built to last, combining a strong design with comfortable handling and modern features to keep workers safe, productive, and reliable. This makes them absolutely vital for maintaining our infrastructure.

Hand Shovels

The hand shovel is the backbone of daily municipal and utility work. Crews depend on these tools for digging, trenching, moving loose materials, and clearing away snow or debris. Usually built with tough blades and handles of wood, fibreglass, or metal, each shovel is made to handle harsh conditions while being safe and easy for the worker to use.

Key types of hand shovels you'll find in the field include:

Round Point Blade Shovel– With its sharp, pointed tip, this shovel is perfect for digging into hard, compacted ground. It's the go-to tool for breaking new ground.
Square Blade Shovel– This multipurpose tool, with its flat edge, is better suited for scooping and moving materials like soil, sand, or gravel from a flat surface.
Scoop Shovel– Featuring wide, deep sides, the scoop shovel is designed to move large volumes of light, loose material like mulch, grain, or coal with each pass.
Trenching Shovels – Their long, narrow blades are ideal for creating clean trenches when installing pipes or underground lines.

Power Shovels

When a project is too big for manual labour, power shovels take over. These massive machines use powerful cable or hydraulic systems to dig, lift, and move heavy materials with impressive speed and accuracy.

Power shovels are widely used for:

Excavating earth and rock for foundations and road construction
Loading loose materials like dirt and stone into transport trucks
Digging in challenging areas like gravel pits or clay deposits
Removing large boulders or the top layers of soil and rock during major projects

Explore Shovels at Our Canadian Warehouse

Truper Tru Pro Square Blade Shovel

The Truper Tru Pro Square Blade Shovel is a professional-grade tool built for durability, strength, and efficiency in landscaping, construction, and gardening tasks. Featuring a 29-inch fibreglass D-grip handle with a resin insert for 400-pound strength, it offers superior balance and control while resisting splintering with a protective sleeve. Its heavy-duty 14-gauge steel blade and rivetless steel collar ensure long-lasting toughness, even in demanding conditions.

Truper Tru Pro Round Point Shovel

The Truper Tru Pro Round Point Shovel is a premium round point blade shovel built for contractors facing tough jobs. Its 29-inch pro-grade fibreglass handle is reinforced to handle over 400 pounds of force, offering incredible balance and durability. A protective sleeve prevents splintering, and the tough, 14-gauge steel blade can handle anything you throw at it. The strong collar connecting the blade and handle uses a secure, rivet-free design for lasting stability.

Truper Tru Pro Garden Spade Shovel

The Truper Tru Pro Garden Spade Shovel is a heavy-duty, contractor-grade tool built for durability, strength, and comfort in both gardening and landscaping. It features a 29-inch ergonomic fibreglass D-grip handle reinforced with a resin insert for 400-pound strength, a protective sleeve to prevent splintering, and a rivetless crimped-steel collar for added stability. Its 14-gauge steel blade ensures maximum toughness for demanding tasks, making it ideal for professionals and gardeners.

FAQs

1. What types of shovels are most commonly used in utility and municipal maintenance?

Crews use a few main types of shovels regularly. The round-point blade shovel is essential for digging in tough soil. For moving material, a square-blade shovel works best. For moving large amounts of lightweight material, crews turn to a scoop shovel. You will also see specialty tools like trenching and snow shovels to meet specific needs.

2. How do municipalities ensure shovels can withstand daily heavy-duty use?

They choose industrial-grade shovels built with heat-treated steel blades, strong collars, and durable hardwood or fibreglass handles. This ensures each shovel can resist breaking and hold up to constant, demanding use.

3. What safety considerations should utility workers keep in mind when using a shovel?

Workers should always wear gloves to avoid blisters and use correct lifting form to prevent back strain. It's also critical to be aware of any buried utility lines and to check the shovel regularly for any cracks or splinters that could be unsafe.

4. How does a shovel support emergency response in public works?

During emergencies like floods or major snowstorms, a simple hand shovel is invaluable. It allows crews to quickly clear blocked drains, dig channels, or remove debris in areas where large machinery can’t go.

5. What role does comfortable design play in selecting a hand shovel for municipal crews?

Comfortable and efficient designs are key. Features like D-grip handles, lightweight shafts, and angled blades help reduce worker fatigue and make the repetitive work of shovelling safer and less tiring.