North American Sweeper - April 2024

IN THE NEWS p.16

5 TIPS FOR SPRING STREET SWEEPING p. 18

SOLVING STREET SWEEPER PROBLEMS ONE SWEEP AT A TIME p. 20

SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS p. 24

SEASONAL IMPACTS ON PAVEMENT SWEEPING BUSINESSES p. 28 INSIDE

Jayme

Elise

Michael

SENSATIONAL GROWTH OF SOUTH FLORIDA MILLING FORT MYERS, FL

Asphalt is 100% recyclable and is the most recycled material in the country. Expert milling services like South Florida Milling (SFM) use state-of-the-art equipment and processes that maximize efficiency in resurfacing and preserving recyclable material. Pavement sweeping is an integral part of this important road and parking lot reconditioning process. Daniel Banks, Owner of South Florida Milling and his right-hand man, Junior Brown, recently shared with NAS how SFM operates and grows its milling, cleanup and sweeping business.

STATE-OF-THE-ART MILLING PROCESS BY SOUTH FLORIDA MILLING

Today’s best milling operations do not use old equipment and methods from decades ago. Through advancements in technology, only the precise amount of existing roadway is removed during the milling processes performed by teams of specialists like those at South Florida Milling. SFM uses the latest high-tech machinery to “grind” away old pavement and recycle the removed material on the spot to allow for the application of a fresh asphalt layer directly on top of the milled surface.

This is all accomplished without any alteration to the existing elevation of the roadway. The advanced milling process produces a safer and smoother driving surface by ideally matching the height of existing curbs, drains, and other features. It also speeds up the construction timeline, which avoids excessive inconvenience for the public.

Combining highly skilled, experienced professional equipment operators with the most reliable, highest quality of milling and sweeping equipment enables SFM to provide an incomparably meticulous process with optimum quality outcomes and maximum yield of recyclable asphalt material.

SMALL START OF SOMETHING BIG IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Daniel Banks immigrated to the United States in 2005. He was the General Mgr of a milling company for eight years. Banks then bought in to Southern Striping Solutions (SSS), with

South Florida Milling is the Florida’s leading asphalt milling contractor. Dan’s impressive team of professionals each have a minimum of 10 years of experience in processes for milling asphalt pavement, cleanup (sweeping), and full removal.

the sole purpose of starting up a milling service division. In 2014, the company started asphalt milling and cleanup operations. SSS still provides striping services, but the major percentage of the business is milling and cleanup.

South Florida Milling is the Florida’s leading asphalt milling contractor. Dan’s impressive team of professionals each have a minimum of 10 years of experience in processes for milling asphalt pavement, cleanup (sweeping), and full removal. The company invests in the industry’s best equipment for road milling, full removal, profiling, leveling, and the all-important cleanup (pavement sweeping) process. The company has grown at an extraordinary

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rate under Dan Banks’ leadership. Today, the organization consists of Southern Striping Solutions, Collier Paving & Concrete, South Georgia Milling & Cleanup Services (SGM), South Georgia Paving (SGP), South Carolina Milling & Cleanup Services (SCM) and of course, South Florida Milling. SFM which is led by Jay Perry serves Naples, Fort Myers, Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, and other Florida markets, while SGM/SGP, led by William Higgins serves the Metro Atlanta, Savannah and other Georgia markets and SCM, led by Eric Kizziar covers the South Carolina markets. Dan notes, “We have the same equipment and services everywhere.”

Each of the nine locations has its own management, administrative support, drivers,

“We also have a team that travels between locations to handle heavier mechanical repairs and replacements that the local crew may not be set up to do...”

technicians, truck mechanics, etc. “We also have a team that travels between locations to handle heavier mechanical repairs and replacements that the local crew may not be set up to do. We have 130 employees. Any member of our team can walk to a unit anywhere we operate and begin working

seamlessly. Our general administrative, sales, and systems support offices are in Fort Myers.”

WHAT MAKES THE SFM PROCESS SO ADVANCED?

South Florida Milling uses a new technology for pavement milling.

It’s an advanced field computer system integrated with the moving parts of a massive milling and recycling machine produced by Wirtgen. This highly sophisticated, enormous equipment does it all, from full-width to fine-edge milling along concrete curbs, gutters, manhole

covers, metal structures, and other structural elements of roads and parking lots.

South Florida Milling uses a new technology for pavement milling.

It’s an advanced field computer system...

The milling, recycling, and sweeping equipment and processes are designed to match specified depths and widths to tie the freshly applied asphalt layer to the other site elements listed above. The process evens out the differing elevations of all of these structural elements for user safety and to create appropriate drainage patterns. The rough and fine asphalt debris generated by milling is removed in the pavement sweeping phase of the surface

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rehabilitation. In this stage, top-quality sweeper trucks ideally suited to this particular task take over the process.

WHY DO YOU NEED A GREAT PAVEMENT SWEEPER IN MILLING?

Dan Banks emphasizes that the importance of sweeping as part of the milling cleanup process cannot be overstated, “Sweeping is everything. That part of the job must be done correctly before the crew can tack it and pave it. It’s one of the most important parts of the process.”

Many, if not most, milling companies hire outside pavement sweeping contractors to bring their own heavy equipment and professionals for each job. Dan explains below why SFM has all their pavement sweeping operations in-house instead:

He advised that he looks for the best on the market, which he defines as the most user-friendly, i.e., the most “technical-friendly”, and of course, effective, well-built, strong, and highly durable.

“Sometimes the contracts stipulate for cleanup. Yes, we can leave it to another company, but it pays off tenfold to have our asphalt sweeping operations in-house, because we get both contracts, milling and sweeping, the whole pie.” Dan estimated that, generally speaking, a typical investment for a complete set of milling and sweeping equipment is about $1.5 million.

We asked Dan what he looks for when purchasing sweeper trucks for use with milling equipment. He advised that he looks for the best on the market, which he defines as the most user-friendly, i.e., the most “technical-friendly”, and of course, effective, well-built, strong, and highly durable. He said ODRA fits that set of criteria best for his company’s needs, “That’s why we have so many of them. We currently have nine of them.”

MILLING AND SWEEPER TRUCK ADVANCEMENTS

The best milling processes are very high-tech now, and the high-end equipment in the industry is in the form of a beast of a machine like the Wirtgen used throughout the SFM organization. So, we asked Dan how he finds that sweeper truck manufacturing progress has kept up with the advancements in today’s state-of-the-art milling equipment. His

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answer was simply that brands like ODRA are very reliable and are not as complicated for the operators. Dan says that’s an important advantage for his purposes. It means smoother operating and you also don’t need a computer to work on them.

When asked what he expects in the next generation of sweeper truck advancements to optimize efficiency, Dan said, “Well, everybody is pushing for electric, so we’ll see how that goes.”

SCALING PAVEMENT SWEEPING IN MILLING SERVICES

For new entrepreneurs looking to enter the pavement sweeping industry, SFM’s expansion

demonstrates that there are more options for strategic sweeping market targeting than just finding underserved or poorly served segments of your nearest metro area.

South Florida Milling has grown in just 10 years from Fort Myers into new physical market areas throughout Florida, as well as parts of Georgia and South Carolina. The company has complete asphalt milling, cleanup and sweeping systems setups in each service area.

The business has also diversified, as do many of the nation’s most successful pavement milling and sweeping companies. SFM’s revenue channels include its original striping services, asphalt milling, and pavement

“Invest in the best equipment for the job. For example, if you’re shopping for a sweeper truck, go straight to ODRA! That’s what we’ve done, because of the practicality of the equipment design and the user-friendliness of the controls.

sweeping (as part of its milling process). Offering this cluster of related services allows the enterprise to keep all of those in-house and get paid for all the work involved in the total process of road and parking lot refurbishment. The company usually has its 13 milling machines and 9 sweeper trucks working at any given time. That’s mostly on both private and municipal contracts they’ve obtained through bidding processes.

A WORD OF ADVICE FOR NEW MILLING AND SWEEPING BUSINESS OWNERS FROM DAN BANKS, SOUTH FLORIDA MILLING

“Invest in the best equipment for the job. For example, if you’re shopping for a sweeper truck, go straight to ODRA! That’s what we’ve done, because of the practicality of the equipment design and the userfriendliness of the controls. We started out with another brand, but it was too bulky, and it had electronic issues too frequently. So, we reluctantly tried the ODRA, and we’ve

continued buying those since we got that first one. We just ordered another one to be delivered in a couple of weeks.” (That brings the SFM milling machines to 13 and sweeper trucks to a total of 10.)

We look forward to seeing what Dan Banks, a proven powerhouse of independent business growth, achieves over the next decade as a US construction services provider!

For more information about South Florida Milling, you can contact “Down Town” Junior Brown or Daniel Banks at (239) 591-5902, or visit southfloridamilling.com. #DTJB

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

1-800-SWEEPER CONTINUES TO GROW, EXPANDS INTO CANADA

1-800-SWEEPER, a Nationwide Service Alliance of power sweeping companies, has signed eight new Partners in Q1 of 2024 to the organization. New US Partners include East Coast Industrial Services, Inc. (Pine Bush, NY), Dynamic Commercial Solutions (Katy, TX), New Horizon Street Sweeping (Willis, TX), Cleaner Streets (Oxnard, CA) and Capital Sweeper Services (Sacramento, CA), Gayton Enterprises (Chicago, IL).

They’ve grown more than domestically as well. In today’s competitive marketplace, 1-800-SWEEPER has moved into Canada.

Expanding into new markets is key to not only the organization’s growth, but to its success. With that said, they are excited to announce their reach into British Columbia, Canada.

The province of British Columbia offers 1-800-SWEEPER a large market and a fresh customer base. They have signed two local contractors, Aqua Sweep & Vac (Kelowna, BC) and GDL Property Services (Vancouver, BC).

By partnering with these two established contractors, it provides 1-800-SWEEPER the opportunity to leverage their knowledge of the Canadian market and build strong relationships within the region. “We need to learn and understand the legal and regulatory environment as well as vendor policies, procurement, and payments.” says Andy Williams, Brand & Business

Celebrating 10 Years Of Sweeping Excellence

Development Manager of 1-800-SWEEPER .

“Expanding our power sweeping organization into Canada presents a great opportunity for growth and success, which further strengthens our position as a leader in the power sweeping industry.”

British Columbia is an exciting start for 1-800-SWEEPER to venture out of the US and into another country. We hope to attract more contractors as we look to expand further into Canada. We are now 60 Partners strong with more announcements to come!

If you’re interested in finding out how to become a Partner, go to: https:// partners.1800sweeper.com/.

About 1-800-SWEEPER

1-800-SWEEPER is a nationwide service network of independently owned power sweeping companies. Our organization brings sweeping companies from coast to coast under a unified marketing and service structure. Participating 1-800-SWEEPER partner companies provide parking lot sweeping, street sweeping and a variety of construction sweeping.

5 TIPS FOR SPRING STREET SWEEPING

Street Sweeping is a year-round job, but spring is the time for heavy-duty street sweeping. This is especially true in climates where winter includes cold, wet weather and snow. Sand, salt, silt and gravel accumulate to put street sweepers through an arduous run.

With street sweepers for various applications, the Elgin Sweeper team has extensive knowledge on spring street sweeping including a few tips to accomplish that..

1. Complete proper checks and cleaning. It’s critical to do regular checks and maintenance. This is especially true prior to tackling spring build-up on streets across municipalities, so the sweeper is operating at peak performance when it’s needed the most.

2. Prioritize catch basin cleaning.  Some places combine street sweeping with catch basin

cleaning. As snow melts and area streams and rivers rise, flooding is a top concern in the spring. This makes catch basin cleaning critical, so streets don’t flood, and rain runoff flows as intended. Regenerative air sweepers and pure vacuum sweepers are go-tos for combination sweeping and catch basin cleaning if equipped with a catch basin cleaning hose feature that can lift leaves, silt, sand, gravel and litter out of catch basins.

3. Determine the maneuverability and speed. April showers bring…storm water runoff. In many municipalities, porous surfaces are a best management practice to dealing with this runoff and effectively reducing the amount of untreated water and accompanying pollutants directed into waterways. Both regenerative air sweepers and high-power vacuum sweepers should be utilized to perform routine cleaning and help properly maintain a permeable surface. For heavy build-up, mechanical sweepers often are best since the powerful broom and conveyance work well to deal with heavy, compacted materials.

4. Make a plan. Follow-through increases when a specific plan is in place. As municipalities tackle winter build-up, the streets often need more runs. This can result in more hours for operators. A plan with specific ways of when, where and how to handle spring sweeping will help deliver spring sweeping success.

5. Consider weather’s impact. If a community is receiving more rain, especially heavy rainfall, sweeping should be completed after those events. This is especially true at the bottom of hills where debris can accumulate on storm drains and interfere with drainage. And while planning is important, this step is for flexibility in that plan.

With the right fleet of street sweepers, street cleaning can be a productive practice that leaves streets looking clean and prevents pollution in runoff.

With an established dealer network that provides dependable sweepers across the globe, Elgin has the sweeper that is best suited for municipalities’ spring cleaning needs. Visit ElginSweeper.com to learn more.

SOLVING STREET SWEEPER PROBLEMS ONE SWEEP AT A TIME

LEADING WITH OUR EARS?

It’s true, we like to listen and learn about your street sweeping program challenges before we start telling you about us. When you speak with any of our product specialists or sales representatives, our first question is, “What do you sweep 80% of the time?” Why is this our first question? We want to understand what your sweeping application is to determine if we’re a good fit. If we are a good fit, and most of the time we do have a sweeping solution that fits, then we’ll move on to options, delivery times, and the rest. Because if we’re not a good fit for what you need the sweeper to do, there’s no need to talk price. We will refer you to a person or company we think is a good fit. We like to keep the process simple and transparent. It’s all about what you (or your municipality needs). We’re confident we have a solution for your most difficult environmental cleaning conditions.

YOUR FEEDBACK BUILT US

It really is all your fault. Your feedback on our sweeping solutions lead to the refinement of all our sweepers over the years and continues to do so. As a result, we have sweepers for you in every size and technology. We manufacture pure vacuum, mechanical, and regenerative air street sweepers. We have truck mounted, mid-vac and compact sweepers.

IT’S ELECTRIC

The talk of the town for the last year is allelectric street sweepers for the environmentally conscious municipalities and their communities. Bucher’s first all-electric sweeper in North America was the CityCat V20e (2.6³) compact sweeper. At the 2023 PWX Show in San Diego, we debuted our all-electric mid-vac CityCat VR50e sweeper with a 7.5 yd³ hopper. We also have an established electric version of our truck mounted pure vacuum V65 sweeper we will launch soon in Canada and the US.

TRUCK MOUNTED SWEEPERS

We make three types of truck mounted sweepers: Pure vacuum, mechanical, and regenerative air. These chassis mounted workhorses provide power, capacity, and can be driven on highways.

PURE VACUUM

Our industry standard, pure vacuum sweeper is the MaxPowa V65 (available in single and twinengine versions). The V65 has an 8.5 yd³ 9-gauge stainless steel constructed hopper with a 410-gallon water tank. Our pure vacuum sweeper

Bucher uses high pressure water in the sweeping process... The combination of sweeping brushes and high-pressure water makes quick work of the dirtiest, and toughest sweeping challenges.

has “unhanded” sweeper gear components, energy-efficient fan system, direct drive with fluid coupler & step-up gear box transmission, and no belts to adjust. The V65 has a 12’ sweep path with “straight inlet” vacuum. The sweeper is PM 10/2.5 certified. We also offer, as standard, a

top loading catch basin cleaner that rotates 270° for complete work coverage. Bucher uses high pressure water in the sweeping process, which gives us the advantage of first pass sweeping. The combination of sweeping brushes and highpressure water makes quick work of the dirtiest, and toughest sweeping challenges. Pure vacuum services are best for street sweeping on flat or crowned roads.

REGENERATIVE AIR

Our regenerative air sweeper, the single-engine MaxPowa R65, features an energy-efficient fan system, direct heavy duty coupled motor, no belts to adjust. The R65 has a 12’ sweep path with aggressive “unhanded” 44’ leading arm digger-type gutter brooms which provide the

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ability to sweep/scrub in front of 93” pick-up head. Regenerative air sweepers work best on flat surface ways but lose performance on crowned roads.

MECHANICAL

Our “Bulldozer of Street Sweepers”, the MaxPowa E35m single-engine mechanical sweeper won the Contractor’s Choice Silver award. The E35’s variable dump height 4.5 yd³ hopper reaches up to 12’6”, so it can dump into on ground dumpsters or dump truck beds. Municipalities and contractors use mechanical sweepers for concrete millings, chunks of asphalt, broken pavement, mud, and a variety of construction and paving debris.

Peace of mind factory warranty. Our truck mounted

sweepers come with our best in industry: 2yr/2000hr “No Hassle, All-Inclusive” full machine warranty. LIFETIME WARRANTY debris hopper & water tank.

COMPACTS

Our CityCat V20 and V20e utilize efficient purevacuum technology and are available in diesel and all-electric.

Featuring:

4 High maneuverability and articulated steering

4 2.6 yd³ usable volume debris hopper

4 9’ sweeping width

4 112-gallon water volume

4 2-year full machine warranty

Best of all, no CDL required.

Our “Bulldozer of Street Sweepers”, the MaxPowa E35m single-engine mechanical sweeper won the Contractor’s Choice Silver award.

The E35’s variable dump height 4.5 yd³ hopper reaches up to 12’6”, so it can dump into on ground dumpsters or dump truck beds.

MID-VACS

Our CityCat 5006 and VR50e also utilize efficient pure-vacuum technology and are available in diesel and all-electric.

Featuring:

4 Hydrostatic 4-wheel steering

4 9’6” turning radius

4 7.3 yd³ usable volume debris hopper

4 235-gallon water tank

4 11’5” sweeping width

4 Variable dump height up to 61” with tipping angle of 51”

4 2-year full machine warranty

Like our compact, no CDL required.

SO, WHICH SWEEPER IF RIGHT FOR YOU?

Still have questions on which sweeper or sweepers are best for your street sweeper program? We offer an industry report (educational, not a sales

document) to help you make the best-informed choice when purchasing a sweeper. The 5 Things You MUST Know BEFORE Buying a Street Sweeper. The report is available for free on our website: www.buchermunicipal.com/us/en

About Bucher Municipal North America, Inc.

Cities and contractors turn to Bucher Municipal when they feel frustrated and stuck being pigeonholed into cleaning their streets with no other options while failing to meet stormwater compliance. We free cities from this trap of one size fits all by supplying and supporting a full product line to fit every sweeping challenge better than any other manufacturer on Earth. Bucher gets you unstock with first pass sweeping = Endless Sweeping Solutions.

SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR EFFICIENT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

ASSOCIA TION INSIDER

for Street Sweeping and Paving Contractors

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

In recent years, we have witnessed an increasing incorporation of project management software in the management of street sweeping and paving projects. Some of the benefits provided by these project management software solutions include the streamlining of scheduling, communication and data management, as well as improved collaboration and productivity.

In this article, we will be highlighting five project management software programs that are highly beneficial to street sweepers and pavers, as well as their benefits.

PROCORE

This comprehensive software solution helps to connect the contractor with not only the

client but also everyone who is involved in the project. This ensures that every stakeholder is carried along and that there’s no information lag regarding the project.

Procore has sophisticated scheduling and progress report features. As a result, everyone involved in the project is kept up to speed and is aware of the role that they ought to play. These features, coupled with its centralized dashboard, enable Procore to promote collaboration and the timely execution of projects. This has led to its widespread adoption by several street sweeping and paving project managers.

BUILDERTREND

Buildertrend is a project management software that is favored by construction professionals, including street sweeping and paving contractors. It is a cloud-based software solution and, as such, gives its patron contractors several

Buildertrend offers features such as project scheduling, communication and budgeting tools.

As a paving contractor, especially one who may be juggling multiple projects simultaneously, the project scheduling tool comes in handy.

benefits in data management as well as cyber security.

Buildertrend offers features such as project scheduling, communication and budgeting tools.

As a paving contractor, especially one who may be juggling multiple projects simultaneously, the project scheduling tool comes in handy. It can help you effectively manage your time and manpower in the same way that the budgeting tool can assist you in managing your resources. Through its communication tool, you can manage your team without stress and accomplish your goals with ease.

PLANGRID

PlanGrid is another project management software that is geared towards making the management of street sweeping and paving businesses easier. PlanGrid, a part of the Autodesk Build cloud, offers

several benefits to its users. One of such benefits is its availability as both a mobile and desktop application. As a result, the use of this platform offers you flexibility, as your team can seamlessly switch between the desktop app and the mobile app and even use both simultaneously.

With PlanGrid, it doesn’t matter where your team members are; this project management software is able to connect you to them in real time and allows for swift and safe transfer of data. This greatly aids productivity and team fulfillment.

BASECAMP

Basecamp is a project management tool that is particularly useful for street sweeping and paving contractors who have multiple projects and work in several locations. One of Basecamp’s strongest qualities is its ability to compartmentalize. This project management software is able to clearly delineate each project, ensuring that they are easily distinguishable and not mixed up with each other. Even when the project is demarcated, Basecamp further breaks it down into its deliverables, milestones and specific tasks. This allows the members of the team to work on separate projects at the same time without interfering with each other’s work. It also allows for transparency and accountability by making each team member aware of and evaluating the progress that has been made. This ensures the swift and seamless execution of projects.

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when selecting project management software, you must consider its suitability for your team and business conditions.

PROCRU

Last on our list is PROcru. PROcru is a project management solution that makes execution as simple as possible. On its dashboard is a workflow that breaks down what needs to be done from the start to the end of the project. This eliminates

complexity in project operations and improves productivity.

In addition to this efficient feature, PROcru also offers its users tools that are useful in making proposals, estimations, analytics and reporting. All these help in the performance evaluation, implementation and modification of projects and related activities.

It is important to note that, as amazing as project management software is, it cannot guarantee the successful execution of a project. This rests on the skill of your team, its dynamics and the quality of its manager.

In addition, project management software

solutions are unique and best suited for certain situations or conditions. So, when selecting project management software, you must consider its suitability for your team and business conditions. Only then can you experience the effective utilization of project management software in your street sweeping and paving business.

Sources

https://www.forconstructionpros.com/pavement-maintenance/article/21366442/8-business-management-apps-for-pavement-contractors

https://www.softwareadvice.com/construction/procore-profile/

https://elearningindustry.com/directory/elearning-software/ buildertrend

https://atgusa.com/plangrid-is-now-autodesk-build/

https://research.com/software/best-public-works-softwaresolutions

https://www.procore.com/en-ae

https://buildertrend.com/

https://app.plangrid.com/

https://basecamp.com/

INDUSTR Y NEWS

SEASONAL IMPACTS ON PAVEMENT SWEEPING BUSINESSES

ASSOCIA TION INSIDER

SPRING SWEEPING SEASON

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

Urban pavement sweeping is essential to protect and preserve cities. Keeping paved areas cleaner helps protect residents’ well-being, wildlife, soil and water quality, and broader environmental health. This essential public hygiene practice further helps create a more appealing community with attractive public spaces that promote increased local investment and economic growth. However, in addition to year-round challenges, there are seasonal impacts on sweeping business efficiency to be considered in strategic planning for upcoming quarters.

Early springtime can be the hardest on sweepers in northern regions. Picking up large amounts of heavy sand from winter road treatments is a job that only the toughest and best-maintained sweepers should do. Before sending out a sweeper truck for the first time in the spring, inspect and service your components.  Seals and blowers on air sweepers should be checked. Inspect the dust-control water spray nozzles and tips. Check your water pump too. Check the hydraulic oil and filters, fluid levels, hoses and fittings, etc. Use appropriate grease on plugs and coils to remove the corrosive effects of winter ice and snow, and the salt used on roads, and to protect against future exposure to extreme moisture. A professional tune-up can yield large fuel savings over a year.  As a good general rule, when in doubt, replace a worn part to avoid a larger and more costly repair later. Have your trucks tuned up too, to adjust your fuel trim and the timing to factory specs.

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INDUSTR Y NEWS

TIPS: Bundle orders for brooms, filters, fluids, tires, etc. Also, be sure to ask your vendor for your NAPSA member discount.

SUMMER SWEEPING SEASON

You might think that with all of your spring seasonal preparation, you should expect to work through the rest of the warm months smoothly. But, the summer months come with their unique difficulties. During the warmest months, there is more blowing sand in many areas and much more dust in most areas of the country. Today’s sweeper trucks are up to the task of clearing up this problem with water application. It reduces the amount of dust circulating in the air from the sweeping process and spreading and settling again over the area.

Other summer problems for sweepers include the sheer number of people moving around in outdoor public areas. That means more debris is generated, like cigarette butts, snack food packaging, beverage bottles, cans, and cups, and many other forms of litter. It’s strewn everywhere on and around parking lots, commercial lawns, and streets. This presents a serious environmental health challenge and a seasonal operating challenge for pavement sweeping services, especially those that have not prepared their trucks for the strain.

ASSOCIA TION INSIDER

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

Depending on the local culture of civic pride or lack of it, human behavior determines how severe the trash problem on the pavement is in the summer season. Communities have their habits of maintaining or abusing their public spaces. So,

pavement sweeping and portering practices must be adapted seasonally to meet local needs.

An overlooked and potentially very serious issue in summer months for all businesses is the lethargy and even burnout that so many employees experience during the hottest days, weeks, and months of the year. Measures should be taken by sweeper business owners to mitigate the effects of this problem on workers as it impacts the company’s performance for customers.

Try a combination of strategies, including simply providing cold drinking water in a mini cooler for the road, refreshing fresh fruit snacks, cooling cloths, extra breaks, bonus days off, and company social activities. Also, remember that just thanking people for sticking with it can go a long way to help them stay motivated in tough conditions.

AUTUMN SWEEPING SEASON

The massive volume of leaves and other fallen foliage covering the area makes the fall an especially challenging season for pavement sweepers. Only trucks with the largest capacity for debris should be sent for this cleanup work. Because the leaves are often wet during the fall, it’s a much bigger challenge to clean them up than in the dry heat of summer.  That means that sweeper trucks reach continued on page 32

Other summer problems for sweepers include the sheer number of people moving around in outdoor public areas.

That means more debris...

INDUSTR Y NEWS

their load limits faster and need to be dumped more frequently. Without the right equipment to meet this seasonal challenge, companies struggle to keep up with their service schedules and can find themselves losing market share.

Another special issue in the autumn is the higher winds that blow branches and leaves from trees and trash onto parking lots and roadways, all of which must be cleaned away too.

pavement cleaning services. Serving that winter market extends the opportunity to maximize annual revenues.

ASSOCIA TION INSIDER

January through early

Along with the wet leaves, landscaping debris, and food packaging trash, there may be road salt from county and city treatments due to early weather changes. Combined, these problems make fall a hard season for wear on sweeper truck components.

WINTER SWEEPING SEASON

March are the lightest traffic months of the year...so the emphasis is turned to de-icing and snow removal on parking lots, walkways, and roads.

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

For operators who do continue sweeping services throughout the winter, any time savings due to lower traffic rates are offset by the increased difficulty of functioning in winter conditions. Additionally, the work and cost of maintaining sweeper trucks and parts can escalate during periods when cities are using salt and/or chemical mixes to de-ice public roads.

In winter, the United States, along with the rest of the northern world, must be prepared for darker, colder conditions, snow, ice, and greatly increased car and foot traffic in the holiday months from late November through early January.

Later winter months of January through early March are the lightest traffic months of the year in the cold winter climate areas of the country, so the emphasis is turned to de-icing and snow removal on parking lots, walkways, and roads. That work requires different equipment and skill sets than summer

These combined seasonal elements compound the challenges of outdoor cleaning tasks in winter, including pavement sweeping. They not only make doing the tasks more difficult, they increase the amount of work that needs to be done. More traffic in a public space means more dust, debris, and contaminants, and winter conditions mean more laborious routines to clean it up. The amount of gritty debris on roads and parking lots that must be swept up is often too much for standard sweeper trucks to remove efficiently when thick ice or snow is hardened on the pavement.  Winter challenges for sweeper operators include human behavior. People in the northern regions of the country tend to stay inside more or travel south. That means they’re generating less debris outside in the north, but people in warmer winter

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WE CAN CREATE A RENTAL PROGRAM TO ALIGN WITH SWEEPING CONTRACTS YOU HAVE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS

INDUSTR Y NEWS

Arguably, sweeper operators can think of two longer sweeping seasons.

areas, including the northerners vacationing in the southern states, increase the volume of debris dramatically in their winter locations. So, southern operators must expect labor time and other operating costs to rise in the winter travel months.

Of course, the larger the city’s population, the more debris and contaminants sweeper operators should expect to clean up every day in every season.

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SURFACE DRESSING SEASON AND LEAFING SEASON

Arguably, sweeper operators can think of two longer sweeping seasons. The first is all the warmer months from late March through October. The second is all the colder months from late October through December.

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

The first is all the warmer months from late March through October. The second is all the colder months from late October through December.

The first is the so-called surface dressing season, when counties and municipalities are often building

and repairing roadways. During these processes, road workers apply bitumen to bind gravel and other aggregates to form solid layers from the particles.

Loose chips must be swept away to prevent the risk of skidding for motorists. Naturally, this kind of sweeping process causes very hard wear on sweeper trucks assigned to the construction cleanup. The bitumen is also tracked to nearby parking lots, increasing the cleaning challenge and sweeper equipment wear there too.

BIG PICTURE OF SEASONAL SWEEPING CHALLENGES

Of course, seasonal challenges for pavement sweepers vary from state to state, depending on the latitude, elevation and other topography, geology, industry, population, economics, and culture, among other factors in any given service area. For example, flat land

at low elevations may present higher effluent issues, whereas steep hills at higher locations may mean struggles for sweeper engines, braking systems, etc., and more stress for drivers. Seasonally higher traffic volume may necessitate more frequent sweeping. Nearby construction, commerce, or wooded sites probably accumulate more debris than largely residential areas.

You will get better outcomes, improved efficiency, and save costs overall with better quality equipment and a more professional staff. Choose a sweeper designed for the size of the area you need to service and the type of material you need to remove. For example, get heavyduty brushes for sweeping in gravel, sand, etc. Get more durable equipment for managing heavy traffic areas.

Buy equipment built to perform in the areas and

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weather conditions you will operate it in. And, create a training program that ensures consistency of driver safety and effectiveness, and build an internal culture that promotes loyalty and minimizes turnover.

Keeping all public areas clean for users is the mission of sweeping services. The message here is that selecting the appropriate sweeper trucks, maintaining them ideally, and making sure drivers understand the specific challenges that are fundamental to successful sweeping operations in each region and season. In other words, it doesn’t pay to under-invest in pavement sweeping equipment and skilled workers.

Sources

https://goquantive.com/blog/how-summer-impacts-business/ https://www.europeancleaningjournal.com/magazine/ november-2021/latest-news/sweeping-into-winter https://www.stewart-amos.com/municipal-best-practices/ https://www.nektyd.com/mastering-efficient-parking-lotsweeping/

https://www.forconstructionpros.com/pavement-maintenance/ sweepers/article/10117498/how-to-prepare-your-sweepers-tomake-a-clean-sweep-this-spring

Keystone Plastics has been manufacturing the industry’s leading replacement brooms for street sweeping and road construction since 1954. At Keystone we believe in reliable quality and strive to make the heaviest, longest lasting brooms in the industry. We also believe the only good broom is the one that arrives to you as promised. Contact us to find a distributor near you.

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