B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 221; Flight Crew Type 2646
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General Maintenance Action; General Work Refused
Human Factors; Procedure
We landed in ZZZZ and held for 45 mins waiting on a gate. Once our gate opened; the ground crew tried to marshall us to the wrong gate. Once ops got them to the proper gate; we started our parking process. It was a very tight spot and almost all of the line were covered with snow. [Another airline] left a cargo can elevator parked on our right side that was very close but our wing walker and guide man were giving us go signals. I proceeded very slowly towards the gate knowing it was a tight fit. I had given instructions for the First Officer to say stop if he was uncomfortable with what he saw as I could not see the equipment any longer. The wing walker responsible for the right wing dropped his wands and ran towards the guide man. I stopped the plane just as my FO (First Officer) said stop. Not once did I get a stop signal from any ground personnel. There we sat for about 45 minutes. [The other airline] arrived to try to start the elevator; but it wouldn't start (common for diesel engines in -10 temps). They finally found another gate for the company plane behind us and pushed us back and took us to [a different] gate. I get the harsh temps; blowing snow and 25 knot wind environment is trying for the ground folks; but the communication between ops and ramp personnel is limited at best and the lack of basic ground handling skills is still very apparent.
B737 Captain reported unsafe gate parking process due to non-standard marshaling crew; ramp conditions and vehicles illegally parked.