Ew0317 combined

INSIDE:

hard hat high pt. 2

®

equipmentworld.com | March 2017

: S R E T T A M E MACHINtheir own against compact machines P. 2 2 Backhoes hold

Competitive financing available through Daimler Truck Financial. For the Freightliner Trucks dealer nearest you, call 1-800-FTL-HELP. FTL/MC-A-1423. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Copyright Š 2017 Daimler Trucks North America LLC. All rights reserved. Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, a Daimler company.

TRUSTED TO DO THE GRUNT WORK ON JOB SITES EVERYWHERE. Why do the hardest working businesses choose Freightliner trucks? We have a broad range of trucks fully capable of going above and beyond the call of duty. Whether it’s severe or medium duty, you can rest assured you’ll have the power and dependability you need to get the job done while lowering your truck’s Real Cost of Ownership.SM Select vehicles are available with the SmartPlex® electrical system and DetroitTM Connect Virtual TechnicianSM remote diagnostic system. With all trucks supported by Freightliner Trucks’ nationwide dealer network, you’re more than ready to get down to business.

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Cover Story

Vol. 29 Number 3 |

table of contents | March 2017

MACHINE MATTERS:

Holding their own Compact track loaders and compact excavators continue to chip away at the backhoe market share. The response of backhoe OEMs? Make their machines even better at the many things they do.

Page

22

Equipment 17

Marketplace

31 Machine Matters Extra

New machines on the market, including Kobelco’s SK270SRLC-5 short rear swing excavator, Volvo Construction Equipment’s A45G artic, and the ASV Posi-Track VT-70 compact track loader.

66 Road Technology Best management practices key to quality pavements using recycled materials.

What’s the difference?

We compare Cat, Deere, Komatsu, Topcon mast-less dozer GPS systems EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017

5

table of contents | continued

Features 41 Hard Hat High, Part 2 From zero-tolerance policies to drug testing, how contractors are fighting employee drug use.

57 Contractor of the Year Finalist

Terry Michael Brock, Brock’s Grading and Land Clearing, Hartsville, South Carolina

®

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Contractor 60 Highway Asphalt pavers: Operator ergonomics, visibility and controls lead advancements.

73 Technology The best smartphone cases for construction [2017 edition].

Departments Record 9 On Dealer rental challenges favor contractors

13 Reporter Cat moves headquarters from Peoria to Chicago, United Rentals buys NES Rentals, JCB enters aerial work platform market.

51 Quick Data

Articulated haulers

Watch 53 Safety Caught in a chipper

77 Heavy Trucks

Mack: Extended oil drains will save hundreds per truck

82 Final Word Fun with numbers

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March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Chairman: Mike Reilly President and CEO: Brent Reilly Chief Operations Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Financial Officer: Russell McEwen Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Senior Vice President, Audience Data: Prescott Shibles Vice President, Events: Stacy McCants Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Vice President, Marketing: Julie Arsenault Vice President, Business Analyst: Joe Donald Director of Media Sales: Scott Maldonado Vice President, Strategic Accounts: Michael Newman For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: equipmentworld@halldata.com Editorial Awards: Eddie award for B-to-B Series of Articles, 2016 Highways 2.0, Folio: magazine Editorial Excellence, Original Research, Silver Award, 2016 American Society of Business Publication Editors Jesse H. Neal Award, Better Roads, 2011 American Business Media Robert F. Boger Award for Special Reports, 2006, 2007, 2008 Construction Writers Association Jesse H. Neal Award, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2006 American Business Media Editorial Excellence Special Section Gold Award, 2006 Midwest-South Region, American Society of Business Publication Editors Editorial Excellence News Analysis Gold Award, 2006 Midwest-South Region, American Society of Business Publication Editors Editorial Excellence News Section Silver Award, 2005 Midwest-South Region, American Society of Business Publication Editors

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on record | by Marcia Gruver Doyle MGruver@randallreilly.com

Dealer rental challenges favor contractors

I

n the early 2000s, an Associated Equipment Dealers meeting featured a contractor panel where the moderator delved into the then relatively-new, much-discussed topic of rentals. When one of the contractors on the panel declared, “I don’t rent,” my jaw dropped at the response by some dealers in the audience: they clapped.

Another AED meeting, another decade (almost two), and the tune has definitely changed. In January, I sat in a jam-packed educational session presented by Larry Kaye, a consultant for Script International who has a long and varied career in the rental industry.

His presentation: “The Future of Distribution: Rent-to-rent is required.”

Distribution is no longer a straight shot from manufacturer to dealer to contractor. All of that is changing today, Kaye says, with internet sales, global competition and changing customer demands.

“Contractors are more demanding because they can be,” Kaye adds. There’s a full menu of machine acquisition options out there. Contractors can buy, rent, maintain and sell equipment using a variety of sources, including national and independent rental companies, used equipment dealers, online services, or the peer-to-peer rentals that are cropping up such as EquipmentShare, Yard Club and Dozr.

Another company, Getable, seeks to expedite the process of renting equipment through an Uber-like app with a Tripadvisor-like choice of vendors.

While dealers are adept at rental purchase options – and contractors have responded in

kind – Kaye is talking about short-term rentals, items you rent by the day, week or month.

Kaye says that according to the latest AED Cost of Doing Business survey, while shortterm rentals have grown 99 percent from 2011 to 2015 among dealers, they still only represent 4 percent of an average dealer’s revenue mix. With the American Rental Association saying 2017 equipment rental revenues are expected to reach $48.9 billion in North America – and grow 4.3 percent per year to $56 billion by 2020 – the growth potential can’t be overlooked.

“Rent-to-rent needs to be part of your mix,” Kaye told the dealers. “It will connect you to new customers, and soften an entry into a new market. Contractors don’t have the same appetite for owning equipment that they had before the Great Recession. Customer demand is not going backwards, and Tier 4 complications and the need to conserve capital are pushing more rentals.”

So what does this have to do with you?

It’s been my experience that even contractors who tell me flat out “I don’t rent,” will reveal exceptions when you probe that statement. Contractors favor rental for several reasons, including access to new equipment and technology, safety and operator training, product support and 24/7 rental system accessibility.

You have your choice of rental suppliers, and choice is a good thing. But if you have an OEM dealer you enjoy doing business with, tell them how they can better meet your short-term rental needs. They should have their ears on.

EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 9

A declaration OF ENDURANCE.

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All marks are trademarks of their respective owners.

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reporter

A

Cat moves headquarters from Peoria to Chicago

lthough the rumors of a possible move had been rumbling for years, Cat’s announcement in late January that it would move its worldwide operations from Peoria to the Chicago area later this year still came as a shock to the central Illinois community.

Cat says a “limited group” of support functions and senior executives, adding up to about 300 employees, will be located in Chicago when the new office is fully operational. While the current headquarters building will still to be used, some of the positions at the new site will be relocated from Peoria.

“Caterpillar’s Board of Directors has been discussing the benefits of a more accessible, strategic location for some time,” said Caterpillar CEO Jim Umpleby in making the Jan.31st announcement. “Since 2012, about twothirds of Caterpillar’s sales and revenues have come from outside the United States. Locating our headquarters closer to a global transportation hub, such as Chicago, means we can meet with our global customers,

What will never be: The Cat Peoria headquarters design, announced in 2015.

dealers and employees more easily and frequently.”

Umpleby says the “vast majority” of the company staff will stay in the Central Illinois area, and emphasized that Peoria “will continue to be our hometown.”

Cat employs roughly 12,000 in Peoria, a city that has been strongly identified with Cat throughout the company’s 107 years there. The move also means the loss of the three-tower headquarters spanning six city blocks along the downtown Peoria riverfront, which it announced in early 2015.

United Rentals buys NES Rentals

U

| staff report

nited Rentals plans to purchase NES Rentals Holdings for roughly $965 million in cash, with an expected close of the deal in the second quarter this year.

United Rentals President and CEO Michael Kneeland called the deal an “exciting transaction,” adding that it would “expand our base of local and strategic accounts at a key point in the demand cycle.”

“In NES,” adds Kneeland, “we’re acquiring a well-run operation that’s primed to benefit from our technology, infrastructure and cross-selling capabilities. Most importantly, we’re gaining a great team that shares our intense focus on safety and customer service.”

NES is one of the 10 largest general equipment rental companies in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern half of the country, it specializes in aerial equipment and serves about 18,000 customers through 73 branches and roughly 1,100 employees. NES had an estimated $369 million in total revenue for 2016. At the end of 2016, it had roughly a original-equipmentcost fleet of $900 million.

Briefs The American Rental Association says it expects total 2017 rental revenue to reach $48.9 billion, and grow 4.3 percent per year to reach $56 billion by 2020. Previous forecasts placed the 2020 figure at 55.5 billion.

ARA expects to see construction equipment rental revenues to grow at a rate of 3.7 percent this year.

CNH Industrial’s 2016 revenues were down 4 percent compared to the previous year. The company’s construction equipment segment also saw a 9.4 percent decrease, compared to 2015.

JCB will use Rolls-Royce’s MTU engines to power its largest excavators: the JS300, JS330 and JS370. The models were previously powered by Isuzu.

Volvo Construction Equipment reported that the company had a global net sales increase of 20 percent, but that its full year (continued on pg. 14) EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 13

reporter |

continued

JCB enters aerial work platform market

Briefs

(continued)

sales decreased by 1 percent. In North America, the company saw a 35 percent order intake increase from 2015; however, the market was 2 percent below the previous year with a decline in larger machine sales. Compact equipment sales were positive, driven primarily by compact excavator demand.

The Atlas Copco Group will create a new 12,000-employee separate company devoted to mining and civil engineering customers. The company will have its own board of directors and CEO. Caterpillar reported an 18 percent drop in sales and revenues for 2016, compared with 2015. Fourth quarter 2016 sales and revenues were $9.6 billion, a 13.2 percent decrease compared to the previous year.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based H&E Equipment Services has opened a new branch in Beaumont, Texas, bringing its total number of locations across the country to 78. The 9,500-square-foot facility will service customers in eastern Texas and southeast Louisiana.

F

or the past two years, U.K.-based construction equipment manufacturer JCB has been quietly developing a lineup of powered access models and will enter the $8 billion market under the name JCB Access.

The division will introduce 27 new machines by the end of this year in in North America. Those machines will include: • Nine electric and three diesel scissor lifts from 15 feet to 45 feet • Five articulating booms – four diesel and one electric – from 49 feet to 81 feet • 10 diesel telescopic booms from 67 feet to 136 feet Calling the global aerial lift market “ripe for a new supplier,” JCB Chairman Lord Anthony Bamford added: “JCB’s 770 dealers with 2,200 depots can deliver the back-up that global customers expect.”

The company says that as the machines were being designed and engineered in-house, the JCB dealer network has been undergoing sales and service training, noting that there is a “high degree of parts commonality between the three model ranges.” JCB’s LiveLink telematics services will be standard on all booms and will be available as on option on the scissor lifts.

14 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

The Texas Department of Transportation is celebrating its 100th year with multiple events across the state, in addition to a traveling exhibit. The exhibit is using a refurbished 1928 Liberty Truck, and showcases historical photos and a visual timeline of significant dates and achievements.

Caterpillar has made an investment in Airware, a company that offers end-to-end commercial drone solutions. Cat says the investment will allow Cat dealers to make drone services a core part of their businesses. Last year, Airware acquired Cat partner and French drone startup Redbird.

Brian Bieller has been named Dynapac Road Construction president and regional general manager for North America. The move follows Atlas Copco’s sale of its Dynapac division to Fayat Group, parent company of Bomag. Dynapac will relocate its corporate office to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Grove River Machinery, Richmond Hill, Georgia, has been named a Kobelco Construction Machinery USA dealer, serving Southeast Georgia.

For more on each of these stories go to equipmentworld.com.

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marketplace

R’S O T EDI ICK P

| staff report |

ChrisHill@randallreilly.com

DECREASE FUEL CONSUMPTION

Kobelco Construction Machinery USA’s SK270SRLC-5 short rear swing excavator has a 21-foot-9-inch dig depth and a digging force of 31,700 pounds. The maximum digging reach is 32 feet, 3 inches. While working in ECO-mode, Kobelco says the machine offers up to a 27 percent decrease in fuel consumption; while in H-mode, it gains up to a 7 percent increase in work volume per hour. It has a digging force of 31,700 pounds. In addition, the company says it has upgraded its SK230SRLC-5 model, which has a digging depth of 21 feet, 7 inches and a maximum digging reach of 31 feet, 10 inches.

Kobelco says the machine can realize up to 31 percent in fuel efficiency, while gaining up to 8 percent in work volume per hour in either ECO-mode or H-mode. Both machines have an intelligent control system, which allows smooth engagement and disengagement of machine functions. The power boost function instantly delivers up to 10 percent additional power with no time limit for extra digging capability. Heavy lift can be engaged when requiring extra lift capacity. Independent travel allows the machines to move, lift and swing simultaneously without loss of power.

Standard on-board weighing

Volvo Construction Equipment has added increased tonnage to its G-Series articulated dump trucks with the addition of the A45G. The company says the model is built upon a dimensionally smaller and lighter platform than other 45-ton trucks, making it more fuel efficient. The On-Board Weighing system is standard, and notifies the operator via three load indicator lights when nominal load has been met and if overloading has happened. Actual tonnage is displayed on the in-cab Contronics display. The machine has hydro-mechanical steering, Automatic Traction Control, 100-percent differential locks and can work in 4×6 and 6×6 drive combinations. The A45G FS version offers fully hydraulic suspension on all wheels. Both the A45G and A45G FS feature the 449-horsepower Volvo D16 engine.

EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 17

marketplace

| continued

Locking system ensures secure attachmment

The new Rototilt R3 is designed for the 6- to 12-metric-ton excavator segment and features a high-flow function, integrated swivel and Rototilt’s Intelligent Control System. This system comes with SecureLock, which provides confirmation to the operator through the in-cab display when an attachment is securely attached to the tiltrotator. The attachment allows excavators to rotate attachments 360 degrees and tilt them 40 degrees side to side for added tool versatility. Rototilt says the R3 can handle breakout forces 16 percent greater than the tiltrotator it replaces, the RT30. The unit also has a high-flow swivel, which allows it to further increase flow up to 21 gpm.

Smooth ride over rough terrain

The ASV Posi-Track VT-70 is the company’s first mid-frame, vertical-lift compact track loader. Offering extended reach and level loads, the VT-70 has 146 pound-feet of torque and is powered by a 65-horsepower 2.4-liter Kubota engine.

Operating capacity is 2,328 pounds and the loader has a tipping load of 6,650 pounds. Lift height is 10.5 feet. With the reintroduction of its Posi-Track lineup back in 2015, ASV switched from the closed design of its previous undercarriage to a new open-rail drive-sprocket design. The change makes the undercarriage easier to clean and extends sprocket and bogie life. Fifteen-inch-wide tracks come standard on the VT-70 with a ground pressure of 4.6 psi and ground clearance of 13 inches. The VT-70’s single-level suspension is made up of two independent torsion axles per undercarriage, making for a smooth ride over all types of terrain at speeds up to 11 miles per hour. ASV says the auxiliary hydraulic system on the VT-70 can operate with an optional 28.4 gallons-per-minute high flow at 3,300 psi.

Mix cement, mulch and more

Digga North America has introduced a cement mixer attachment designed for skid steers, front end loaders and telehandlers.

Available in operating capacities of 30 gallons/4 cubic feet and 18.5 gallons/2.5 cubic feet, the Digga Cement Mixer can be used to mix cement, mulch and more.

The attachment fits to Digga’s line of auger drives by pinning the cradle to the auger frame and then adding the mixing bowl.

Digga says operators can switch from drilling to mixing in under 2 minutes. The attachment is also available for mini loaders and walk-behind units.

18 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

T270 Class 6 / T370 Class 7 18,000 lbs. and 20,000 lbs. front axle, and up to 46,000 lbs. rear axle options available on the T370.

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marketplace

| continued

Gather rocks and debris while soil sifts through

John Deere’s line of Root Rakes include models RR72, RR78 and RR84. Optimized to work with John Deere G- and E-Series skid steers and compact track loaders and K-Series compact wheel loaders, the attachments are designed for land clearing, ground leveling and moving materials away from buildings and obstructions. The rakes gather rocks and debris while allowing soil to sift through, for minimal site and landscape disturbance.

Available in 72-inch, 78-inch and 84-inch widths, the rakes help shield the front of the host machine, protecting it against damage from large piles of brush or jagged scrap.

Deliver and place concrete

Faster oscillation start times

Sany has introduced two new single drum rollers featuring a new vibration pump for faster oscillation start times. The 20-ton SSR200AC-8 and 22-ton SSR220AC-8 both have a width of 83.6 inches. They are now equipped with a Bosch Rexroth vibration pump, which helps shorten the start time of oscillation to 3 seconds. The models also have dual frequency and double amplitude vibratory mode, which the company says generates more excitation force and better compaction performance. Both rollers are powered by a 197-horsepower WeiChai WP6G200E331 engine, which the company says offer improved gradeability and better performance at fixed speed.

The machines also feature a Thermal Conduction Control system that allows operation in temperatures up to 114 degrees.

20 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Wacker Neuson’s 3001 Concrete Edition of its 3-ton dumper uses a specially-designed concrete chute to deliver and place concrete. The chute, which along with the dumper’s bucket shape, gives users the ability to transport and place concrete with less spilling. The metal chute has high side walls to avoid spilling, and the narrow-shaped front allows precise pouring into a desired location, reducing concrete splatter. The machine’s bucket has higher walls that are tapered inward. The dumper allows users to transport 40 cubic feet of concrete per load.

With a maximum speed of 14 mph, it also can reduce concrete placement cycle times. The dumper’s all-wheel hydrostatic drive allows its use in rough terrain and areas that are inaccessible to a concrete truck. Articulated steering gives the unit the ability to maneuver in confined spaces. In addition, the bucket can swivel, allowing material to be unloaded from the front or either side of the unit.

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HOLDING

machine matters

| by Richard Ries

THEIR OWN

Compact track loaders and compact excavators continue to chip away at the backhoe market share.

The response of backhoe OEMs? Make their machines even better at the many things they do.

T

he sales of compact track loaders and compact excavators have exploded and one machine within that burst radius is the backhoe.

Many contractors have made CTLs and compact excavators their go-to machines while their backhoes sit idle or are sold. Many contractors are using the two compact machines to replace a single backhoe, and are getting productivity gains with this strategy.

How profound is this sales shift? According to Equipment World sister company EDA, sales of compact track loaders and compact excavators began soaring in 2010 and from that year until last year, sales volume for both types of machines increased some sevenfold. Meanwhile, backhoe loader sales crept up by bits until mid-2015, when sales began to fall off.

Backhoe sales since 2006 have never been greater than sales for either CTLs or compact excavators, but by the middle of last year they were less than one-fifth of either.

Is the handwriting on the wall? Have compact machines (and, to a lesser extent, skid steer loaders) signaled the death of the backhoe?

Hardly, and here’s why.

More power for more tasks While backhoes come in a wide range of sizes, on average they are bigger and more powerful than compact machines. “As a larger machine

22 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

The JCB 3CX Compact is only 6-feet 5-inches wide (depending on attachments). Its compact size and 4-wheel steering make it well-suited to cramped worksites.

Unlike traditional outriggers, stabilizers on the 3CX Compact extend vertically to stay inside the machine’s footprint.

Deere’s 310SL HL (for Heavy Lift) provides 25 percent more craning capacity than the 310SK model. An additional 10- to 15-percent increase in capacity is available at the push of a button using Lift Mode. Power comes from a Deere PowerTech Plus 4045HT083 engine rated at 110 horsepower.

EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 23

machine matters

| continued Although they’re full-sized backhoe loaders, the new L47 and M62 models from Kubota also feature the ability to use certain Kubota compact excavator buckets, adding to their versatility. A four-point rear quick-mount system allows easy detachment of the backhoe. An independent PTO can drive such attachments as rotary tillers, snow blowers and rear-mount mowers.

with more power, more reach and more height, a backhoe can handle heavier work than a compact machine or a skid steer,” says Ed Brenton, backhoe loader brand marketing manager at Case Construction Equipment.

“A backhoe will also accept a bigger bucket, has more horsepower and hydraulic power for lifting heavier loads and can lift that bigger bucket or heavier load higher.” He says stabilizer legs further enhance the heavy-lifting capacity of a backhoe.

Typical applications that favor backhoes are stockpiling, loading trucks, trenching and lifting, according to Brian Hennings, product market manager with John Deere. In addition, larger backhoes are not easily replaced with compact equipment. “Compact machines offer diminishing value to customers in comparison to backhoes of 15-foot-and-greater dig depth. At that point you’re getting into larger excavators and wheel loaders.”

Regardless of size, backhoes may offer more versatility than compact track loaders, excavators and even skid steers in certain applications. Jeff Jacobsmeyer, product manager at Kubota, says the B26, L47 and M62 backhoes were designed to maximize this versatility.

“With all Kubota compact models, the customer can remove the backhoe and operate the machine as a loader landscaper and then choose to take advantage of the power take-off to operate 3-point attachments.”

He says dig depth on the M62 was increased to 14 feet, “comparable to a full-size backhoe loader but with the advantages of a compact machine.” The 8,925-pound M62 has a turning radius of 10.8 feet (with brake).

To make the most of this versatility, Hennings 24 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

All Case N Series backhoes come standard with SiteWatch telematics and can be outfitted with standards/ options such as Power Lift, Ride Control, Comfort Steer, ProControl, Easy Flex side lights and a mechanical universal backhoe bucket coupler that allows the use of attachments from competitive machines.

DESIGNED FOR EVERY DIMENSION

CONEXPO 2017 Thank you for a great show

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machine matters

| continued

Cat’s 415F2 IL (for Industrial Loader) demonstrates the versatility that will keep backhoe loaders popular in coming years. The 415F2 IL Industrial Loader combines the design of the Cat 415F2 backhoe loader with purpose-built components made for industrial loader applications, such as new hydraulic valves and controls, loader arms, three-point hitch and an available box blade scraper with scarifier teeth developed for the skip loader market. encourages customers to consider their current and potential applications when spec’ing a backhoe. “Couplers for the front and rear of the machine will allow the use of attachments from pallet forks and brooms to breakers, specialty buckets and thumbs.”

Large and small Hennings says while Deere continues to improve their full line of backhoes, they’ve been especially focused on the larger machines. “We’ve paid special attention to productivity, efficiency, reliability and comfort in these larger machines that form the core of the backhoe market.”

While JCB has also refined their full range of backhoes, they’ve put their emphasis on the smaller models, such as the 3CX Compact. JCB says the 13,380-pound 3CX Compact is about 35 percent smaller overall than a standard backhoe and has 2- and 4-wheel steering. Its small size and 4-wheel steering mode bring backhoe productivity to worksites once thought to require compact-machine maneuverability. “There are places where compact equipment is a better fit,” says JCB product manager Diego Butzke, “which is the one reason JCB developed the 3CX Compact.”

Jacobsmeyer says Kubota’s family of compact backhoe models have dig depths from 7 to 14 feet and share full-size features such as ROPS and FOPS, fourwheel drive, and headlights and worklights. Other standard features include hydrostatic transmissions and an independent PTO. Full complement of features Most manufacturers include features across their full range, or at least make features available as options to most or all models. Dustin Adams, backhoe loader product specialist at Caterpillar, lists some of the features available in Cat’s line of backhoes and the benefits of 26 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

The 109-horsepower JCB 4CX Super comes with 14-, 15and 17-foot dig depths. JCB’s TorqueLock system is standard-fit on all powershift 4CX-14 Super models. Combined with the optional 6-speed autoshift transmission, it can help save up to 25 percent on fuel and 10 percent on road travel time. An optional limited slip differential is available.

those features: Security keypads require codes for the machine to operate, enhancing security and improving tracking. ECO (economy) mode maintains full performance while delivering meaningful fuel savings; a lockup torque converter increases fuel savings further. An IT Coupler makes attachment change-outs quick and easy.

A fully automatic transmission is a benefit at the worksite and is especially beneficial for roading.

And roading is one great benefit backhoes have over compact equipment. “The backhoe can achieve ground speeds in excess of 25 mph,” says Adams, “allowing it to be transported on its own from jobsite to jobsite.” When it is necessary to trailer a backhoe, most small to mid-size models can be transported by a driver without a CDL. Two compact machines on one trailer can easily exceed the weight threshold at which a CDL is required.

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machine matters

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All auxiliary functions on the Cat 420F2 are controlled with thumb rollers on the controls. Closed-center, load-sensing hydraulics match flow and pressure to demand. An additional sixth speed on the autoshift transmission and optional lock-up torque converter yield top travels speed of 25 miles per hours.

Regardless of size, backhoes have the features and versatility to make them the right choice in a wide range of applications.

Looking forward Considering all this, how did compact machines ever intrude into backhoe sales?

Part of it is that compact machines really do work better than backhoes in many instances. The evolution of the compact excavator and CTL, and the advancement of hydraulics on the compact excavator make them well-suited for many applications where backhoe loaders were commonly used.

Another factor is the commitment of OEMs to compact equipment. They’ve seen the sales acceleration and no OEM wants to be the one who missed that opportunity.

On the other hand, some manufacturers are doubling down on backhoes. “We will continue developing innovative backhoe features and new models, not just because it’s our heritage, but also because we believe in the backhoe’s value to the construction industry and we’ll do everything we can to maintain and grow our market share.” says JCB’s Butzke.

There will always be customers for whom the backhoe is the right choice, such as municipalities, utilities and cemeteries. And the backhoe’s versatility will preserve its popularity in some markets.

But even customers committed to back28 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

hoes can benefit by examining their business practices and fleet optimization goals, says Hennings. “Based on customers’ needs and equipment mix, they may put fewer hours on their backhoes in a year, which allows them to hold onto their machines longer and slows the replacement cycle.” Customers should also consider their planned length of ownership when deciding between purchase, lease, rent or rent/lease with a purchase option.

Owning and operating cost comparisons between the one-backhoe vs. two-compact machines approaches are tough, says Brenton. “Determining lifetime maintenance costs requires detailed analysis.

Logic says two machines require twice as much labor and parts, but that’s not true if each machine runs half as much as would one backhoe. Then there’s the difference between tracks and tires; backhoe tires typically have longer service life and lower replacement costs than tracks and undercarriage components.”

Brenton says training is another consideration. “It will likely take longer to train an inexperienced operator on a backhoe than a compact track loader, compact excavator or skid steer, since the backhoe has the functionality of two smaller machines.”

Brenton sums up the market by saying, “We believe there will always be a place for backhoes in the construction industry. They aren’t going anywhere.”

Birth of the backhoe?

Butzke DJCBiego points out that invented the

backhoe. And from their website: “JCB knows a thing or two about designing the perfect backhoe loader. We were, after all, the first company who developed the concept back in 1953.”

Not so fast, says Ed Brenton at Case. “We were the first to offer a fully integrated tractor loader with a backhoe and a factory warranty. It was a machine designed to be a backhoe loader, not a backhoe attachment grafted onto an existing tractor. That was in 1957.”

Who deserves the right to be called first depends on how you define “invent,” but in any case it’s clear backhoe loaders have been part of the construction equipment mix for a long time.

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machine matters extra

| by Tom Jackson |

TJackson@randallreilly.com

SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON: CAT, DEERE, KOMATSU, TOPCON MAST-LESS DOZER GPS SYSTEMS Various combinations of Topcon components play a role in many of the new mast-free dozer GPS designs.

GPS

* machine control started out as a tangle of aftermarket products all bolted on and wired up as retrofits to existing dozers. These systems revolutionized the operation of dozers, but there were a lot of parts to track and maintain.

In the past 18 months, however, several major manufacturers have begun integrating these systems into the physical structure of their machines, creating integrated systems that not only improve the grade control performance, but make the process less cumbersome from a hardware perspective.

On previous generations of systems, one or two GPS receivers were bolted somewhat awkwardly on long mast poles attached to the blade. Long cables – draped from the receivers to the body of the dozer – carried blade positioning information to the controllers in the cab.

The new “mast-less” systems use low profile receivers on the top of

the cab and various combinations of sensors and inertial measurement units (IMUs) to orient the XY-Z position of the blade in space.

The IMUs are basically gyroscopes mated to a controller or minicomputer.

One immediate benefit all these systems offer is that you no longer must attach to and remove the receivers or masts

*Some people call it GPS (global position satellites) others prefer GNSS (global navigation satellite GNSS is the satellites) more specific andprefer accurate of (global the two, *Some people call it system).

GPS (global position others GNSS but because so many peopleGNSS call itisGPS, we’vespecific included here and usetwo, the but navigation satellite system). the more andboth accurate of the term thesopeople interviewed prefer. because many we people call it GPS, we’ve included both here and use the term the people we interviewed prefer.

EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 31

machine matters extra

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Caterpillar’s Grade with 3D system uses in-cylinder sensors to establish the position of the blade.

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every day. The cost of these receivers made them attractive to thieves. Climbing up on the blade to remove the masts is also a safety concern. Not to mention they were somewhat precarious, since the masts were at risk of snapping off if the dozer was jolted hard enough. Finally, there was the possibility of the cables fraying or getting snagged in trees or other jobsite protrusions. All those concerns vanished with the new mast-free systems.

Aside from the physical advantages of the new systems, the mast-less systems dial into sophisticated software in the controllers that help you optimize the cut on each pass.

You save fuel, track wear and engine and lube oil life by not overloading the machine to get to grade.

Each of these systems (Caterpillar, Deere, Komatsu

and Topcon) have different component architecture and functionality. But what they all have in common is the ability to do GPS dozer operators faster and more efficiently. So, we thought it would be useful to compare them, side by side.

Here’s how they work:

CATERPILLAR Caterpillar’s Grade with 3D system uses in-cylinder position sensors, which puts the sensor inside of the blade cylinders and out of harm’s way, says Scott Hagemann, Cat market professional. Depending on the machine model and blade type, the system will have up to three in-cylinder position sensors. One each for lift, tilt and blade angle.

The Cat Grade with 3D system takes you from first pass to final grade, says Hagemann, and is designed to move the

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Deere’s SmartGrade technology uses dual IMUs to orient the position of the blade to the body of the machine.

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most material the machine can move efficiently.

The operator starts moving material by lowering the blade. With Auto Carry turned on, as the blade load increases and the tracks start to slip, the blade will automatically rise to reduce the track slip and continue moving full blade loads. As the operator comes closer to grade, the system will lock on the design and drive the blade up and down automatically to stay on grade.

The system needs to only be calibrated once at install. Along with the 3D system, Caterpillar includes the AccuGrade Ready Option and the wiring and brackets to add other technologies if your application or jobsite calls for them. The design can be transferred to the display by either a thumb drive, or wirelessly over cellular or Wi-Fi signals.

Cat uses Trimble Business Center – HCE office software to prepare 3D designs/models to be loaded into their systems, Hagemann says. Trimble’s software can also accept files created in several other civil engineering software systems such as Bentley and AutoCAD. It can also import LandXML (.xml) files, which is an international standard file format that most common engineering software companies use for transferability between office software systems. Typically the machines use .svd and .svl file formats, although they can use a generic .dxf and a

.ttm file as well.

The Cat Grade with 3D system is factory installed only and is available on models D3K2-D6K2, D6N, D6T, D8T and D9T.

DEERE Deere’s system combines technology from its dozer group with certain Topcon Positioning Systems com-

The two IMU’s on this Deere dozer are mounted unobtrusively on the backside of the blade and the body of the machine.

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Komatsu’s Intelligent Machine Control dozers use enhanced IMUs and stroke sensing cylinders.

36 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com Rubbertrax_EW0117_PG.indd 1

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ponents to accomplish its purpose, says Tammo Wagner, Deere manager, technology partner integration. There are two main control aspects to the system. One is a Topcon RTK (real-time kinematic) controller that synthesizes information from various sensors. Second is Deere proprietary software which enables the AutoSmartGrade function.

The SmartGrade dozers take data from two IMUs, one on the body, one on the blade, rather than in-cylinder sensors such is on the Cat system. The IMUs are housed inside small, sealed, low-profile boxes to protect them from damage and dirt. If they should fail or get damaged, replacement is as simple as unbolting the box and bolting on a new one, Wagner says.

The controllers are connected to a Deere-branded monitor in the cab and integrated with GPS antennae on the cab roof. The final component is a radio antenna to which RTK correction signals are transmitted from a base station on the jobsite.

The IMUs determine where the blade is relative to the body of the machine. This positioning information is then paired with the machine information such as engine torque, percentage load and vehicle speed relative to track speed, which allows the machine to calculate track slip, Wagner says.

By meshing positioning information and machine performance, the Smart Grade system determines if the machine is operating in the optimum productivity band or if some of the parameters related to the blade controls should be adjusted, says Wagner.

For example, if the grade to be cut is too deep, as evidenced by track slippage or high torque, the Smart Grade controller will automatically raise the blade above the design grade, take a manageable cut and allow you to return for a second or third pass, until you reach the design grade. By not overloading the blade, you improve track life and fuel efficiency.

Deere SmartGrade customers typically load the 3D design files into the monitor using a thumb drive, but a telematics option is available, Wagner says. Because of the alliance Deere has with Topcon, the preferred software plan is the Topcon file format. Deere also has a strategic alliance with AGTEK, whose software allows you to transfer file formats back and forth between different providers.

Currently, the Smart Grade system is available on the Deere 700, 750 and 850 dozers, and more models are in the works, says Jena Holtberg-Benge, director, John Deere WorkSight. The system can also be retrofitted with a field kit to those same models

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EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 37

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of non-GPS equipped Deere dozers built since the Spring of 2016, she says.

KOMATSU Komatsu’s Intelligent Machine Control dozers make use of a cab-mounted GPS antenna, internal chassismounted enhanced inertial measuring units (IMU+), intelligent logic and stroke-sensing hydraulic cylinders, says Sebastian Witkowski, product marketing manager, Intelligent Machine Control, Komatsu America.

The automatic machine control system can be used for finish grading, but also for heavy (rough) dozing as well, Witkowski says. Loading of the blade at the start of the cut is controlled by operatorselectable parameters. During the pass, if the blade load increases, the blade is automatically raised to control the load and minimize shoe slip to ensure efficient dozing. When the blade approaches the target design surface, the blade will follow it for accurate finish grade.

Design data can be transferred to the machine via USB drive, or remote file transfer, which allows data to be sent directly to the machine from a webenabled computer. Komatsu Intelligent Machine Control dozers make use of Topcon file format (.tp3).

Most standardized formats can easily be converted to this format.

Komatsu Intelligent Machine Control dozers are not designed to be retrofitted but factory installed and integrated, Witkowski adds.

Komatsu America offers a lineup of six intelligent machine control dozers including the D39i-24, D51i24, D61i-24, D65i-18, D85i-18 and D155AXi-8.

TOPCON While Topcon does not make dozers, they have formed partnerships to provide mast-less components for different OEM systems. The OEMs use Topcon components with their own proprietary systems to create different systems for achieving the same goals. And Topcon has its own system, described below, which is either included on, can be retrofitted to a variety of machines.

The complete Topcon 3D MC Max system uses dual IMU sensors – one on the body and another on the blade to increase on-grade performance and maximize speed and blade response, says Kris Maas, director of product management for machine control. Components are integrated into the dozer so it is ready to work without any setup. The components include: MC squared + IMU sensors, the GX-55 con-

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trol box (in cab), the MC-R3 GNSS receiver (in cab) and the MC-G3 GNSS antennas (on roof).

GNSS positioning information along with the data from the IMU sensors are processed by the receiver housed inside the cab of the dozer. The receiver sends that information to the control box where the operator can instantly view the machine’s exact position on the jobsite while the hydraulics automatically control the elevation and slope of the blade.

3D-MC Max is the first integrated aftermarket system for mast-less dozing, according to Topcon. The IMU sensors process blade movement information in every axis 100 times per second – up to 10 times faster than traditional GNSS control, Maas says. The system also allows operators to work confidently in rough or fine grade applications, slope conditions, and in restricted sight environments without the visual obstruction of masts or risks to hanging cables.

There are a variety of ways to plug the 3D site plans into the system, including thumb drives and telematics. Topcon Sitelink3D telematics technology allows site plans to be sent directly from the office to the operator’s control box in the cab. Rather than wait for the latest jobsite plans, operators can simply start up their GX-55 control box and then automatically load the latest jobsite designs.

For software formats, Topcon supports most site plan and topo formats with 100 percent backwards compatibility. And most job site plans can be converted to a Topcon TP3 file format for use on any machine in the contractor’s fleet.

3D-MC Max can be factory installed or retrofitted to most modern dozers and is available for the following dozers: Caterpillar: D3K2, D4K2, D5K2, D6N T4i, DSN6 T4F, D6T T4i, D6T T4F and D6K2 T4i.

Komatsu: D37/39-23 Base Dozer, D37/39-23 P&P Dozer, D51-22 and D61-24.

John Deere: 550K T4F, 650K T4F, 700K T4F, 750K T4F, 850K T4F, 450J, 550J, 650J, 700J, 750J and 850J.

The future OEMs say the reaction from customers to mast-less GPS dozing has been good. “From an adoption perspective, we have been pleasantly surprised, and we are excited about the traction it has with our customers,” Deere’s Holtberg-Benge says.

“The lack of a mast and cables, and the elimination of the potential for theft or wear is a big deal,” she adds. “And they do need more automation because of a lack of skilled operators. So, I see integration as becoming more important for customers.”

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hard hat

hard hat high part 2

| by Tom Jackson |

TJackson@randallreilly.com

part 2

high

Substance abuse solutions to protect your company and your crews

T

here is a story still told in the Savannah, Georgia, business community about the time equipment manufacturer JCB held a job fair for prospective employees. When the eager prospects assembled in the company’s new glass foyer were informed that drug testing would be required before they were hired, half of them left.

JCB’s corporate zero-tolerance policy may have made it harder to fill job openings, but there’s no doubt it saved them from huge problems later and resulted in a more productive, stable and healthy workforce.

In last month’s issue of Equipment World, we detailed all the problems this country’s drug and substance abuse epidemic has brought to the construction industry. In Part II this month, we will focus on solutions: things you can do as a construction company owner or manager to keep the debilitating influence of drugs from hurting your company and endangering your employees. We’ll also bring you up to date on the legal issues regarding legalized marijuana and how those may affect contractors who want to maintain a drug-free workplace.

EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 41

hard hat high part 2

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saving lives, saving money The most important thing you can do to keep drug and alcohol abuse out of your company is to create a drug-free workplace with a written policy, regular testing, sanctions for abusers and training for all your people.

Doing so will not only help your company stay safer and eliminate less productive workers, in many states it can save you big bucks on your worker comp premiums. According to the Department of Labor’s elaws newsletter, drug-free programs pay off handsomely. Examples: • Turfscape Landscape Care, Chandler Arizona, saved more than $50,000 a year thanks to increased productivity, fewer accidents, and reduced absenteeism and turnover.

• W.W. Gay Mechanical Contractors of Florida saved $100,000 on worker’s Where two comp premiums, and or more bids experienced increased productivity, of equal merit reduced absenteeism are submitand fewer accidents. ted to win a • Warner Corporacontract, there tion, Washington D.C., saved $385,000 is preference in one year by estabgiven to the lishing a drug-free business with workplace program drug-free that included employee assistance workplace programs (EAPs). The programs. savings came from lower workers’ comp rates, lower vehicle insurance and a reduction in the number of accidents.

Currently 13 states offer a discount on worker compensation insurance to employers that maintain a drug-free workplace program. These are: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Most offer a 5 percent discount, but Georgia offers 7.5 percent, New York offers a maximum credit that can go up to 10 percent the first year, and reductions in Ohio can rise as high as 20 percent.

Additionally, many states require a drug-free workplace program for contractors wishing to bid on state or public works projects, including Delaware, Georgia (for contracts more than $25,000), 42 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

How the trucking industry handles the problem

T

he U.S. Department of Transportation requires regular, random drug testing for anybody engaged in “safety sensitive” transportation jobs, including the holders of Commercial Drivers’ Licenses. And the DOT doesn’t give a flip about what Colorado or California or any other state thinks. Marijuana is illegal under federal law and as the holder of a CDL if you test positive for it, you will forfeit your license.

The testing starts even before you get your CDL. And employers must receive a negative drug test result before permitting a CDL driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle. Employers must also randomly test a certain percentage of their drivers every year. Following an accident, drug and alcohol tests may be also be required.

If a driver fails a drug or alcohol test, the employer must immediately remove that person from performing DOT-covered safety sensitive functions, including driving a truck. To return to driving, the person must complete a DOT Return to Duty Process, which involves being evaluated by a DOT-qualified substance abuse specialist, completing a treatment and/or education process and being reevaluated in a follow up interview with the specialist.

In the past, CDL drug tests were done with urine analysis to look for drugs in your system at the time of the test.

Since most of the banned substances were gone within a few hours to a few days, some drivers could get by if they were lucky. But after December 2016, the DOT will increasingly use hair sample testing, which can reveal drug or alcohol consumption going back as far as three months.

For more information see: Best practices for DOT Random Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Online Resources sidebar on page 49.

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hard hat high part 2

| continued

Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee (drug-free workplace information must be included in all construction bid documents), South Carolina (contractors with more than $50,000 in annual revenues) and Virginia. There’s even a Florida law that states: “Where two or more bids of equal merit are submitted to win a contract, there is preference given to the business with drug-free workplace programs.”

And many states’ worker’s comp programs will deny or reduce medical benefits or indemnity incurred in an accident when the drug or alcohol impairment can be proven to be a contributing cause to the accident.

Types of tests, pros and cons

how to establish a drug-free workplace Studies show injury rates decline significantly for construction firms that implement drug testing for employees. Doing so brings you an immediate safety benefit.

There are a lot of drug-free workplace plans you can download and implement in your company. (Check our Online Resources at the end of this article.) Most of these policies have a lot in common. Here are the basics: • Your written policy must be reviewed by all employees who sign and date the policy after reading it.

• Before being hired, job applicants and new hires should be informed of the company policy regarding drugs and alcohol.

• All new employees should be given a drug test before they’re hired.

• Drug testing should be conStudies show ducted periodically and unaninjury rates nounced using a random sample decline of employees. Be sure to include significantly for all employees, including execuconstruction tives, managers and office staff.

There are drug testing firms that firms that can handle all of this for you, inimplement drug cluding randomizing the sample. testing for As these vary, check your state employees. laws on the details of testing.

• Educate and train supervisors on how to detect substance abuse in their crews. Pre-work stretching sessions and safety talks are a good way for managers to ensure crew members are sober and fit for work.

• If you have a reasonable suspicion that a worker is impaired due to substance abuse, have them tested. Ensure that your substance abuse policy clearly defines what behavior justifies drug or alcohol testing.

• If you suspect substance abuse has contributed to an accident, test the person responsible immediately after the incident. But be cognizant of the OSHA rules regarding this. See the “New OSHA post-accident drug test rule” section on page 47.

• If a person tests positive for drug or alcohol impairment on the job, take the punitive actions spelled out in your policy.

44 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

U

rine tests are the least expensive and most commonly used. But they only detect drugs within a certain time frame, beyond which they may come up negative. Urine testing is considered intrusive, and sometimes the tests can be faked.

Hair sample tests are more expensive (around $150), but non-intrusive and detect substances over a longer period of time.

Hair samples can show the use of marijuana, cocaine, opiates, ecstasy, amphetamine, methamphetamine, phencyclidine, barbiturates and benzodiazepines. And hair samples are almost impossible to fake.

Saliva drug tests are also more expensive than urine tests, but less intrusive.

They require a lab to process, but can detect drug use within a few days prior to testing.

While they are not as sensitive to detection of marijuana as a urine test, they can detect the drug for two or three days after use.

All these test kits are available at most retail pharmacies and can be administered by anyone who can read the instructions.

If you plan to initiate a drug testing policy in your company, the easiest route to go would be to hire a medical lab or service to do the testing for you. Many of these will randomize the selection of who gets tested to keep the procedure fair. And using a service takes the embarrassment out of the process. Note, however, that you should keep a few test kits around the office in case you need an immediate test after an accident or reportable injury.

hard hat high part 2

| continued

• If your policy allows for a return to work after a current laws on marijuana and the workplace period of rehabilitation, test that person soon after Don’t think for a minute that marijuana is of they return. little concern to the construction industry. It is a • Establish an employee assistance program (EAP) to major threat to health and safety. Nine percent help employees manage their personal and work of all users develop addiction to this drug, and lives with the goal of healthy outcomes and withmore Americans obtain treatment for marijuana out the need for drugs or than any other drug. For alcohol. The average annual regular users, some level cost per employee for an of impairment can last for Don’t think for a minute EAP program is around $25. days – in other words, • Re-invigorate your safety long past the weekend that marijuana is of little program and look at ways party. In studies on tasks concern to the constructo reduce the kinds of acrelated to driving, it’s tion industry. It is a major cidents and injuries that may been shown that chronic require your workers to get marijuana smokers exhibit threat to health and safety. opioid or pain medications symptoms of impairment from a doctor. for at least three weeks Note that drug testing laws after use. vary considerably by state, and you need to follow In the lawsuit Coats v. Dish Network, Branthe state law to the letter. You may also want to seek don Coats, a Colorado-based employee of Dish the advice of a qualified lawyer or human resources Network was fired after testing positive for specialist as well. For a complete look at the state marijuana use, even though Coats was using laws see the article: “50 State Survey: Drug-Free marijuana legally for medical purposes in his offWorkplace Programs” in our online resource sidebar duty hours. In June, 2015, the Colorado Supreme at the end of this article.

Court upheld Dish Network’s right to fire Coats,

46 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com Untitled-53 1

2/13/17 10:40 AM

employees to feel free to report injuries and acsaying the company had a constitutional right to cidents, but in the ruling the agency also said: enforce a drug-free workplace policy.

“Blanket post-injury drug testing policies deter According to the AGC, all the state courts that proper reporting,” and thus could be considhave addressed the issue – including Califorered discrimination or retaliation and subject nia, Montana, Oregon and Washington – have to OSHA citation. But OSHA also said it would upheld the right of employers to have drug-free permit post-accident drug testing if there were a workplace policies. But then it gets sticky. reasonable possibility that drug use contributed Seven state – Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Nevada and Rhode Island – have laws that protect employees from job-related penalties for marijuana use. Right now, no courts have confronted this conflict, but if they do, a ruling that allows employees to use marijuana legally in their off hours would have dramatically disruptive effects on the construction industry.

Until some clarity on this The CPA 295 drilling issue is determined by the attachment mounts courts, the authors of Workquickly and drills like a place Drug Testing in the dream. It’s a versatile, Age of Legal Marijuana (see powerful excavator resources at the end of this attachment that reaches article) recommend what a depth of 72.5 feet with they call a “per se” zero tolits five-rod-capacity carousel. Its exclusive erance policy. A per se polIntelSense electronic icy is not based on impairdrilling control system ment but is rather a blanket automatically adjusts rule of zero tolerance that pressure to the rock applies to everybody in the hardness and ground layout, company at all times withextending component life out the necessity of showing and increasing your uptime. impairment before testing.

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In August 2016, another wrinkle emerged in the substance abuse testing world. OSHA issued a new rule [Regulation 1904.35(b) (1)(iv)] requiring companies to have a reasonable procedure for employees to report work-related injuries and illnesses, and not to discriminate or retaliate against those who do.

OSHA simply wanted

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EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 47 Untitled-66 1

2/14/17 9:13 AM

hard hat high part 2

| continued

Blanket post-injury drug testing policies deter proper reporting...

– OSHA

to the injury or illness, as long as the testing complied with state or federal laws or regulations.

In other words, if OSHA thinks you’re keeping your workers from reporting accidents or illness by threatening them with widespread drug testing, they may yank your chain.

More from OSHA: “Although drug testing of employees may be a reasonable workplace policy in some situations, it is often perceived as an invasion of privacy, so if any injury or illness is very unlikely to have been caused by employee drug use, or if the method of drug testing does not identify impairment but only use at some time in the recent past, requiring the employee to be drug tested may inappropriately deter reporting.”

So now post-incident substance abuse testing should be limited to situations in which employees’ drug use is likely to have contributed to the incident, and for which the drug test can accurately identify impairment caused by drug use. This rule will have no effect on regular, random drug testing as part of your state-sanctioned drug-free workplace program. And if you have CDL drivers in commercial trucks, you can continue to test these employees as required by state or federal laws because those tests are mandatory and not considered discriminatory.

Note that failure to follow these guidelines could result in OSHA fines up to $12,000 per violation and $120,000 for willful or repeat violations.

48 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com Untitled-5 1

12/10/15 10:21 AM

ONLINE RESOURCES All of this is contained in OSHA’s final interpretation of its final rule on electronic reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses. (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/05/12/2016 -10443/improve-trackingof-workplace-injuries-andillnesses#p-547)

Quest diagnostics Quest is in the business of selling drug testing kits, but their Drug Screening Knowledge Center website has lots of information on not only testing, but EAPs, drug-free programs and insurance issues. www.questdiagnostics.com Workplace Drug Testing in the Era of Legal Marijuana This white paper, produced by the Institute for Behavior and Health, will give you a clear and detailed explanation of how workplace drug testing and rules have changed in the era of increasing marijuana legalization. www.drugfreebusiness.org/Media/documents/IBH_workplacetesting.pdf

ONLINE RESOURCES 50 State Survey: Drug-Free Workplace Programs.

A searchable online list of all the state laws regarding drug-free workplace requirements and Worker’s Comp regulations.

Google: “50 state survey: Drug free workplace programs.”

TOUGH by the

National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance A compendium of information, services and resources you can use to create a drug and alcohol free workplace and stay on top of these issues and changes in the law. www.ndwa.org/index.php

BUCKETFUL.

Drug-free Workplace Toolkit A printable PDF that contains everything you need to know about starting your own drugfree workplace program, EAPs and testing requirements.

Google: “Drug Free Workplace Toolkit”

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EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 49 Untitled-51 1

2/13/17 10:31 AM

play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rrpub.specguide itunes.apple.com/us/app/spec-guide-2016/id1033339116?ls=1&mt=8

quick data

| by Marcia Gruver Doyle |

Articulated haulers

MGruver@randallreilly.com

A snapshot of new and used sales trends from Randall-Reilly’s Equipment Data Associates and TopBid auction price service.

Year-over-year change*

NEW: DOWN 12%

Auctions Articulated hauler auction prices, 2012-2017

*Comparison of number of articulated haulers financed Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2016, and Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2015.

Source: EDA, edadata.com

$200,000

Current: $108,103

$180,000 $170,000

Jan. 2017

$160,000

Top three states for articulated hauler buyers*

$150,000 $140,000 $130,000 $120,000 $110,000

USED: DOWN 1%

$100,000

High: $175,593

$90,000

Feb. 2012

5-year average: $

134,162

$80,000 $70,000 $60,000

Low: $91,769

Current average auction prices for the top 10 models of boom lifts are now at $108,103, or 19 percent below the five-year average of $134,162.

$50,000 $40,000 $30,000

Nov. 2016

1

Texas: 161 buyers

2

Florida: 117 buyers

3

North Carolina: 100 buyers

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

Nov.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

PRICE

Feb.

$20,000

2017

Trend prices for the top 10 models of articulated haulers sold at auction, not seasonally adjusted. Source: topbid.com

357,000

$

OTHER TOP BID:

Top auction price, paid for 2014 Cat 740B with 1,752 hours at a Ritchie Bros. sale on Sept. 16, 2016 in Minneapolis.

310,000

$

Top financed new articulated hauler*

$310,000, 2013 Volvo A40F, 2,229 hours, IronPlanet, Feb. 8, 2016.

,50 $ 357

0

AVERAGE

0 0 0 , $ 85

HIGH

Feb. 1, 2016 – Jan. 31, 2017; prices on articulated haulers 5 years old and newer, U.S. sales only. Only includes bids $5,000 and above. Source: TopBid, topbid.com

LOW

Final bids unit count: 230

Articulated hauler new, used sales trends, 2009-2016* 5,000 4,500

,42 $200 New

7 Used

4,000 3,500 3,000

1,500

New low: 2010, 614 units

1,000 500

New high: 2015, 1,946 units

0

UNITS

Cat 745C, 201 units

Cat 740B, 169 units

2,500 2,000

Other top selling new machine:

Top financed used articulated hauler:*

Used low: 2014, 3,024 units

Used high: 2010, 3,714 units

Volvo A40G, 322 units

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

*Financed equipment, 2009 - 2016, number of units sold by sale or lease. Source: EDA, edadata.com

2015

2016

*In terms of number of financed units sold Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2016.

Source: EDA, edadata.com (Note: EDA reports are continually updated.)

EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 51

Looking for safety resources? ..............................................

Equipment World’s Safety Watch articles are now available for download on our website. Designed for use in training and in toolbox talks, the articles cover a range of important safety topics such as falls, trenching, welding, back-over accidents and more.

..............................................

Each Safety Watch features an actual construction accident, and outlines ways to prevent similar accidents from occurring on your jobsite.

AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH and SPANISH

Visit equipmentworld.com/safetywatch

safety watch

| by Tom Jackson |

TJackson@randallreilly.com

Dragged to his death

Date of safety talk: Attending:

Illustration by Don Lomax

H

e was a day laborer, from Guatemala, who had only worked for the company for two weeks. He’d been hired through a contract labor company. Although the victim had been in the United States for ten years, he spoke only Spanish. The company owner (the victim’s only co-worker on this day) spoke only English.

The day of the accident, the victim was working with his boss trimming trees behind a house.

The boss took the job of climbing into the trees, cutting the limbs and roping them down to the laborer, who would feed them into a brush chipper. The brush chipper was a tow-behind model capable of chipping material up to 12 inches in diameter. It was equipped with a feed-control bar that had three positions: feed, off and reverse. To activate the feed wheel, the operator pulls the bar toward the feed chute. The middle position, neutral, halts the feed wheel, and the operator can push the bar toward the chipper to reverse the wheel and back out material.

The victim had operated the chipper before the day of the accident.

And the owner had explained its operation to the victim, although since neither spoke a common language, it’s doubtful the victim was thoroughly knowledgeable about the machine.

Approximately 11 a.m. on the day of the accident the owner was in a tree with his saw. When he heard the victim scream, he climbed down and rushed to the chipper, which had now shut down. All that remained of the victim was his hand

extending out of the feed chute.

Although there were no eyewitnesses to the accident, it is likely that the victim’s shirt or glove snagged on a branch and he either slipped or stumbled trying to get free and was unable to pull the feed-control bar into the neutral position.

How this accident could have been prevented: 1. Employers should speak enough of the employees’ language to be able to clearly convey the scope of work and the hazards involved as well as answer any questions the employees have.

2. Employers should train workers in the safe feeding techniques for brush chippers.

3. When running a brush chipper, employers should provide a watch person to assist the person feeding the material and who can intervene or shut off the machine in case of entanglement.

4. Employers should make sure the area around the feed hopper is free of any tripping hazards.

5. Always feed material into the chipper from the side and im-

Leader:

mediately move away when the feed wheel engages.

6. Broken or protruding branches that could snag clothing should be trimmed from a limb before it is fed into the chipper.

7. Limbs with protruding branches that can’t be easily trimmed, should be positioned on the feed tray so the branches angle backwards, away from the chipper. These swept-back branches are less likely to snag a glove or piece of clothing.

8. When possible, employers should buy or rent the newer models of brush chippers with the most upto-date safety equipment.

For more information about the safe operation of brush chippers you can order a copy of the Association of Equipment Manufacturer’s manual here: http://shop. aem.org/p-610-brush-chipper-safetymanual.aspx For more information about this accident, visit the website: www. cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ ny/05ny034.html

_____________________ EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 53

alerta de seguridad

TJackson@randallreilly.com

Arrastrado hacia su muerte

l era un jornalero de Guatemala que sólo tenía dos semanas trabajando en la compañía. Lo habían contratado a través de una compañía contratista de empleo. Aunque la víctima tenía ya diez años en los Estados Unidos, sólo hablaba español. El dueño de la compañía (el único colega que estaba con la víctima ese día) hablaba sólo inglés.

El día del accidente, la víctima estaba trabajando con su jefe recortando árboles detrás de una casa.

El jefe decidió dedicarse a la tarea de trepar los árboles, cortar las ramas y bajarlas amarradas hacia el jornalero, que las colocaría dentro de una trituradora de ramas. Se trataba de una trituradora de remolque capaz de triturar material de hasta 12 pulgadas de diámetro. Estaba equipada con una barra de control de suministro de tres posiciones: suministro, apagado y reversa. Para activar la rueda de suministro, el operador debe jalar la barra hacia el conducto de suministro. La posición media, neutral, detiene la rueda de suministro, y el operador puede empujar la barra hacia la trituradora para poner la rueda en reversa y sacar el material.

La víctima había operado la trituradora el día anterior al accidente. Y el propietario le había explicado su funcionamiento a la víctima, pero ya que no tenían un idioma en común, se duda de que la víctima tuviera un pleno conocimiento de la máquina.

Aproximadamente a las 11 a.m. del día del accidente el propietario estaba en un árbol con su sierra.

Cuando escuchó á la víctima gritar, bajó del árbol y corrió hacia la trituradora, que ahora estaba apagada.

Todo lo que quedaba de la víctima era su mano que salía del conducto de suministro.

Aunque no hubo testigos del accidente, es probable que la camisa o el guante de la víctima se haya quedado enganchada en una rama y que él se resbaló o se cayó tratando de soltarse sin poder jalar la barra de control de suministro a la posición neutral.

Cómo pudo haberse prevenido este accidente 1. Los empleadores deberían hablar lo suficiente del idioma de los empleados como para ser capaces de transmitir el alcance de las tareas y sus riesgos, tanto como para responder cualquier pregunta que tengan.

2. Los empleadores deberían capacitar a los trabajadores en cuanto a las técnicas de suministro seguras para las trituradoras.

Fecha de la charla de seguridad: Asistentes: 54 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Líder:

Illustration por Don Lomax

É

| por Tom Jackson |

3. Cuando operen una trituradora, los empleadores deberían colocar a un vigilante que ayude a la persona que suministra el material y que pueda intervenir o apagar la máquina en caso de que algo se enganche.

4. Los empleadores deberían asegurarse de que el área en torno al conducto de suministro esté despejada y libre de cualquier riesgo de tropiezos.

5. Siempre suministre el material a la trituradora desde un costado y apártese inmediatamente cuando empieza a operar la rueda de suministro.

6. Los brotes rotos o sobresalidos que pueden engancharse a la ropa deben ser recortados y separados de la rama antes de ser suministrados a la trituradora.

7. Las ramas con brotes sobresalidos que no puedan ser recortados fácilmente deberían colocarse en el conducto de suministro de tal modo que las ramas apunten hacia atrás, lejos de la trituradora. Estas ramas colocadas de revés tienen menos probabilidad de engancharse con un guante o con la ropa.

8. Cuando sea posible, los empleadores deberían comprar o alquilar los modelos nuevos de trituradoras que cuentan con el equipo de seguridad más actualizado.

Para más información acerca de la operación segura de las trituradoras de ramas y maleza (brush chippers) usted puede ordenar un ejemplar del manual de la Asociación de Fabricantes de Maquinaria (AEM, por siglas en inglés) aquí: http://shop.aem.org/p-610-brushchipper-safety-manual.aspx Para más información acerca de este accidente, visite el sitio web: www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ ny/05ny034.html

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CONGRATULATIONS

to the 2016 Contractor of the Year winner and finalists IN

R

E

N

W

Gregory & Dawn Tatro G. W. Tatro Jeffersonville, Vermont

Garry Boyce

David and Eric Covington

Terry Michael Brock

Boyce Excavating Slate Hill, New York

DECCO Contractors-Paving Rogers, Arkansas

Brock’s Grading and Land Clearing Hartsville, South Carolina

Tina Dieudonne

Joseph Porchetta

Dieudonne Enterprises Harahan, Louisiana

GMP Contracting South Plainfield, New Jersey

Jeff Hansen

Jack Bailey

Hansen Bros.

Enterprises Grass Valley, California

JBR Incorporated Fredericksburg, Virginia

Michael Brown B & P Excavating Sedalia, Missouri

Roger, Roger Jr., Kevin and Damon Brown R. Brown Construction Willow Creek, California

Sponsored by:

Alfred Gorick Gorick Construction Binghampton, New York

James MacKay MacKay Construction Services Wilmington, Massachusetts

contractor of the year

| by Chris Hill |

ChrisHill@randallreilly.com

Keeping equipment clean and well maintained sends a message of quality to customers, Brock believes.

South Carolina contractor success based on sound financials, safety

I

n 1998, Mike Brock was just three years out of high school when he began his construction career. He bought a small piece of land from a family friend for what he calls “a real bargain.” Then, following his grandfather’s advice, Mike began to sell sand off of the property. He soon sold his car, bought an old front-end loader and his career was underway.

After selling dirt and sand, Mike started doing grading and land clearing jobs, which eventually lead to work at the local Duke Energy nuclear plant and other major clients in the Hartsville area. Mike took his grandfather’s advice again and bought a 1960 dump truck, a truck that he still owns to this day.

The company’s commitment to

Terry Michael Brock, Brock’s Grading and Land Clearing City, State: Hartsville, South Carolina Year Started: 1998 Number of 9 employees: Annual revenue: $5 million

clients has been noticed and it’s why companies like Duke Energy Progress go back to him time and time again. Says Carson Lee with Duke: “If you’ve ever worked in a nuclear plant, you know it’s a whole different animal. He totally understands what’s required for this work environment.”

“He’s great at empowering his people and letting them do what they’re good at,” adds Jeff Jones with Blanchard Machinery. “Whereas some contractors can be very controlling, he’s smart enough to know he’s got to give a little every now and then and let someone have some ownership over a situation.

I think a lot of people could learn from his leadership approach.”

Markets served: Site development

Sound financials Brock has seen his business go from just himself and his grandfather digging dirt to a $5 million company. He says he owes much of his success to the commitment of the people in his company in being fair with its customers. “You have to treat people well,” he says. “You have to make sure you have that loyal customer. If you don’t have that loyalty, you’re going to bottom out. You’re not going to survive.”

He also believes private life bleeds over into business life from a financial standpoint. His advice: don’t carry significant personal and business debt simultaneously.

EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 57

contractor of the year |

continued

Mike Brock, second from right, with (left to right) Able Neri, Elliott Brock and Mike Worley

“If you’re going to owe on your business, then you’ve got to have your other stuff paid for,” he states.

“You can’t have a house with a $4,000 or $5,000 a month payment on it. It just doesn’t work out. You got to keep your debt to a certain level.”

He also feels contractors shouldn’t continue with a project if they aren’t being paid properly. While that should seem obvious, he says, some contractors will continue working, either due to a personal relationship or for fear of taking a hit to their reputation. And from experience, Brock has determined there is certain work he will not take on.

“I don’t do subdivisions, because they’re owned by investors,” he explains. “Investors hide behind LLCs and corporations. If they get in trouble, then you’re going to be stuck holding the bag.

“You’re in deep, always, in this business,” Brock continues. “So if you’re not working on a bonded job and you’re not first or second tier 58 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

from a contracting standpoint, then you better be careful. Because if you’re not, you’re playing with fire and you will get burned.”

Brock says these are lessons he learned the hard way, and it it makes absolute business sense to be circumspect in his everyday business dealings, including being prepared for client shortcomings and obstacles.

“That’s one of the problems in the industry,” he says. “People need to understand the business side.” Brock recommends contractors stay on top of current legal and financial issues, to the extent he thinks managementlevel individuals should take refresher courses.

“Laws may have changed, so be careful because it could put you out of business,” he says. “But we’ve survived long enough now that we’re in good shape. We’ve learned enough about how bad things could get or how easily things could happen, to where we’ll probably survive.”

Brock says insurance is another key side of the construction business, explaining it could put a contractor out of business quickly. As with regulatory and financial issues, he says insurance coverage should be monitored closely.

“There’s nobody going to call me and tell me that I don’t have insurance on an excavator, for example.

I’m not going to know I don’t have insurance on it until I try to collect if it burns. You got to really be careful with something like that. That $200,000 in that equipment is like having $200,000 in a 401k.”

To stay on top of these issues, Brock meets with his office staff once a month to review insurance needs. “We’ll pull this stuff out and I’ll say, ‘Have we caught this change?

Is it covered?’ You’ve got to do it. It’s not micro-management, but everybody makes mistakes. You need to be involved with your business to a certain extent to protect yourself, because the unknown is what will get you every time.”

Taking care of equipment Brock believes in the adage that to be successful, you must look successful, and carries this over to the appearance of his equipment.

“I’ve got equipment with 8,000 hours on it that looks way better than people’s 2,000-hour equipment,” he says. “We never let the inside of our equipment look bad.

That’s the price you pay for working for me. We handwash and wax the equipment. We’re not going to rub the paint off, we’re not going to dent our equipment. Every once in a while you’ll slam against something, but my operators are professional and take great pride in taking care of our equipment.”

This pride and the effort in maintaining his equipment is one of the key factors Brock says separates him from other contractors. “You got to have some pride in what you do.

And if you take pride, a customer looks at your equipment and they say, ‘Well, if he takes that much pride in his equipment, he’s going to take pride in what he does, too.’”

And keeping equipment maintained properly adds to the bottom line, Brock says.

“You want equipment to last as long as it can. The first 4,000 hours you put on a machine, you’re not making a big profit. You make your profit on the end of its life. That’s when it’s paid for and that’s when you should make your biggest profits.”

Safety culture and experience By the nature of his work at the Duke Energy nuclear plant, Brock has become adamant about safety, saying it is the most important thing in the construction industry.

“This will break you faster than anything else,” he says. “Duke Energy uses us because of our safety culture, because we’ll take advice, we’re slow and easy, and we keep nice stuff to work with.”

Without a good safety culture, Brock says a contractor is in

[

Site preparation work near Hartselle, South Carolina.

]

Brock has only a few pieces of equipment that he hasn’t fully paid off, as he believes in keeping his debt load low.

trouble. The meticulousness of it is aggravating to an extent, he says, but it gives employees a taste of what needs to be done. To make it stick, contractors should expect employees to continue a safety culture on every job.

While Brock’s sense of safety issues are heightened because of his work at a nuclear facility, he believes such diligence can and should be carried across all construction work.

“Understand that the pre-job briefs that you have in the morning are so important, because they’ll keep you from getting hurt,” he says. “Slips, trips and falls are the leading accidents in construction.

That’s where your OSHA recordables are coming from. It doesn’t have to be a fatality. You can trip over a rock on your jobsite and you can cost the company thousands of dollars. And you can keep yourself from getting good jobs, because they are based on your safety record, every one of them.”

Brock also believes a cornerstone

to success in construction, from a business perspective and an individual perspective, is experience.

“There are all kinds of opportunity in the construction industry,” he says, “but you can’t come into it right out of college and make that big money.”

A good path, Brock says, is for an individual to work for a reputable company and be willing to put in the time to learn through experience and “make an honest living to be able to demand that big salary.”

“Kids coming out of college with an engineering degree – they don’t have anything,” he jokes. “That degree is no good until you get here in the real world. They need to come out here and run a bulldozer for three or four years after they get the engineering degree. Then they’ll know what construction’s all about.”

“It’s not anything you learn in a book,” Brock adds. “You can get the basics from a book, but you’ve got to learn through situations in the field and all the different things that happen.”

EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 59

highway contractor

| by Chris Hill |

ChrisHill@randallreilly.com

ASPHALT PAVERS:

Operator ergonomics, visibility and controls lead the advancements

W

hen you boil it down, not much has really changed about the asphalt paver. It’s still a tractor laying down and spreading material as it travels. But that

[

simple principle required a lot of setup, skill and man-hours to perform.

So the changes in the equipment over the years have progressed with the goal of reducing each one of those three variables.

In the past few years, several

Caterpillar AP1000F paver Caterpillar’s AP100F paver introduced several new options, including a touch screen interface and integrated generator and screed heating system.

60 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

]

OEMs have turned up the focus on the operator and the support crew. Controls are more clearly marked and backlit for improved visibility for the operator up top.There also are more control options for crew members working on the screed platform.

“There’s a good ease of operation for the operator,” says Dan Maitland, equipment operations manager for Ajax Paving Industries, which uses a Volvo P7170 paver in operations in Florida. “The screed setup we like because it’s fairly easy for the operators and for the crew.

About 30 minutes in the morning and they’re up and running.”

Maitland says the newer machines are a nice fit into the company’s operation, as they closely monitor reliability and cost over the lifecycle of a machine.

“Pretty much for me what I look at is the cost of ownership throughout the life of a paver. Here at Ajax we typically run about a five-year lifecycle, maybe 5,000-6,000 hours on a particular paver, then we’re switching to another paver.”

There’s increased comfort for the operator in the seat and much more visibility, with control positions on the left or right of the machine, and sloped styling to allow better line of site. Screeds have been updated, with faster heating options and vibration, which provides more compaction at the back of the machine, and thus requiring less work from roller operators.

And the advent of 3D paving has provided more “paving to design” options and has increased accuracy and cut down on the need for stringlines, particularly with grade and slope control options.

“We’re continually upgrading our equipment and try to keep it as new as possible,” says Mark Bettis, vice president of Bettis Asphalt & Construction in Topeka, Kansas, whose company uses Caterpillar AP1055F pavers. “It’s become quite important with the technology.”

Here’s a look at some of the new asphalt pavers and features from some of the manufacturers:

Vögele Wirtgen Group’s Vögele Super 2000-3i asphalt paver features Euro styling, which offers a more contoured front, aiding the operator’s line of sight.

It features a basic width of 10 feet and a maximum paving width of 28 feet. Designed primarily for highway construction and largescale commercial applications, its top placement rate is 1,540 tph. The machine is powered by a 6-cylinder, Tier 4 Final Cummins QSB6.7-C250

The Vögele Super 2000-3i paver’s operating consoles were completely redesigned and offer two remote controls for each side of the machine.

EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 61

highway contractor engine rated at 250 horsepower. A new ECO mode lowers fuel consumption with 234 horsepower still at the paver’s disposal.

Operators will find a new console mounting system, making left and right shifts of the console on the operator’s stand easier. Vögele’s Niveltronic Plus Leveling System handles automatic grade and slope control and the machine features the new ErgoPlus 3 operating system complemented by a large color display.

Paver controls are “clustered in logical groups,” Vögele says, and buttons on the ErgoPlus3 console are easily identifiable by touch, even when wearing work gloves. The ErgoPlus 3 operating consoles were completely redesigned for this machine, and two remote controls for each side of the paver can be used as well.

Vögele’s VF 600, VR 600 and AB 600 TV screeds can be mounted to the Super 2000-3i. The VF 600 screed, which uses unequal-width front-mounted extensions for multi-variable width applications, has a maximum paving width of 25 feet and 6 inches with bolt-on extensions. The VR 600 screed has rear-mounted extensions for main line applications, providing maximum paving width of 28 feet with bolt-on extensions.

And the AB 600 TV screed, with rear-mounted extensions, achieves higher compaction thanks to integrated vibration and tamper. The screed is designed for placing cold reclaimed asphalt pavement for road base or polymer modified asphalts.

Its maximum paving width is 27 feet 11 inches with bolt-on extensions. Electric screed heating is standard on the paver and typical heat-up time is 20 minutes.

Roadtec The company’s RP-170e, a rubber-tire 8-foot highway-class paver, features a 6-foot 4-inch wheelbase designed for high maneuverability, ride quality and traction. It’s the smallest machine in the company’s paver line, with a hopper width of 10-feet, 5-inches, and a 62 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

| continued

The Roadtec RP-170e paver has a turning radius of 30 inches to allow for work in congested or space-restricted areas. shipping width of 10 feet 6 inches.

The wheelbase design allows for a tight turning radius of 30 inches, which the company says will be ideal in “congested sites and space-restricted urban areas,” such as around barriers and drains.

While it’s a small paver, it offers big machine operator comfort features. As with the company’s other pavers and material transfer vehicles, the RP-170e offers the FXS fume extraction system that redirects away from the operator fumes emitted by the asphalt mix.

The machine also features Roadtec’s Comfort Drive operator system designed to be more ergonomic and provide unobstructed views.

The system offers fingertip controls and switch and buttons placed on the armrest. The RP-170e also has dual operator stations that can swing out beyond the sides of the machine so the operator can see the side of the machine, the material tunnel and the back of the screed.

The paver also can be fitted with Carlson screeds, including the EZ-IV and EZ-V front mount screeds and the S-8 standard wedge-lock screed

The Volvo P7170 paver offers 360degree operator visibility and multiple control positioning options. or the Eagle 8 rear extendable screed. All of the screed options are electrically heated and vibratory.

Volvo Volvo’s highway-class P7110B (tracked) and P7170B (wheeled) pavers feature Tier 4 Final engines, 360-degree operator visibility and multiple control positioning options.

The company changed the engine’s position so it could keep the hood height and machine profile low to provide a 360-degree view.

While doing this, they made the top cover longer and added a removable side cover to make the ma-

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highway contractor

| continued

The Atlas Copco Dynapac F1000W paver has been updated with a center auger drive system option and a hydraulic tunnel extension system

chines easier to service.

For the operator’s benefit, the two machines feature left and right consoles that rotate, tilt and extend beyond the edge of the paver.

Engineers designed the seats a bit higher as well, raising them by 1.5 inches to provide additional line of sight. And to help with visibility even more, Volvo updated the two point indicators so they can be read from the paver operator station or the

screed operator’s position. Volvo also included side air vents to reduce heat build-up around the operator area.

The company designed twostage, 42-inch hydraulic tunnels for improved head-of-material control without bolt-on extensions. Screed options include the Omni 318, Omnio 1000 or Ultimat 200 and dealerinstalled Wedgelock options.

Volvo’s CareTrack telematics system is also available as a factory-installed option on the P7110B and P7170B.

Atlas Copco/Dynapac Atlas Copco has updated is Dynapac F1000 series pavers with the F1000W wheeled model and F1000T tracked model, with a center auger drive system option and a hydraulic tunnel extension system.

The center auger drive offers a chain box with a width of 6-inch and 17-inch diameter flights, enabling uniform material flow and reducing centerline segregation. The company says the system is best for high-speed paving work and work involving pavement width changes periodically, including highways, city streets and large parking lots.

The new hydraulic tunnel extension is 22 inches wide and automatically retracts as screed extensions retract to avoid collision. Atlas Copco says it reduces excess head of material in the tunnel and keeps asphalt from escaping into track components.

Additional features on the F1000 series include dual operating stations that swing out to the side of the

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64 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

machine, gas-spring hinged doors for access to the hydraulic systems and engine components, and Carlson front- or rear-mounted screeds.

The company also has recently made its FleetLink telematics system available in two packages, one for small pavers and one, FleetLink Advanced, for large highway-class pavers.

Contractors can use the system to set up maintenance schedules, with reminders sent via email when a machine is getting close to its next service due date. It also features a geo-fencing option to track equipment location. In the advanced package, users can look at the service status of all the machines in a fleet.

The basic package works on pavers up to the F1200C, and the advanced package works on the F800T, F800W, F1000T and F1000W.

The AP500F/AP555F can be fitted with two screeds, the SE50 V that is vibratory only, and the SE 50VT that offers vibration and tamper-bar action.

The mid-size AP300F and AP355F offer an ECO mode (also available on the AP500F/AP55F), auto-fill feeder system and single-touch feeder

Caterpillar The company’s AP500F/555F and AP300F/355F, in wheeled and tracked versions, are the latest in its F-series asphalt paver line that includes the AP1000F/1055F and AP600F/655F. The largest of these new models, the AP500F/AP555F, features an ECO mode that matches the engine speed to high load demands or when additional cooling is needed. Like the previous F-series pavers, it features a screed-heating system powered by an integrated generator that brings the screed up to temperature in roughly 15 minutes.

These models also offer control options via a new color touchscreen display. The display offers access to more control options compared to the usual switches, but operators can use either the display or the switches to operate the machine.

Additional flexibility is available through dual controls from either the operator’s or screed platform for ratio control of the conveyors and for mix height adjustment. Cat also has made a pendant control available for an operator to use while walking alongside the paver.

system activation along with the touchscreen console and the screedheating system.

The AP300F machines also feature a warm-up/clean-out mode that operates the feeder system at a reduced speed for quicker wash-down. This feature also lifts the auger for easier transport.

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road technology

| by Chris Hill |

ChrisHill@randallreilly.com

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES KEY TO QUALITY PAVEMENTS USING RECYCLED MATERIALS A many, but boil down to cost savings: there are reduced costs from having to use less virgin binder, there is less new asphalt content required in the mix design, aggregate cost is down as more is coming from the RAP and there is a lower impact or shifting liquid asphalt prices.

In general terms, RAP is less expensive per ton (less energy is used in producing it compared to virgin asphalt), so the more it is used in a mix design, the lower the overall cost of the mix. Plus, multiple studies, many done by the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University, show RAP is proven to work as well as, if not better than, virgin mixes.

One of the 2016 NAPA QIC winners this year, Wiregrass Construction, used 20 percent RAP in the surface course of State Route 35 in

Image: Virginia DOT

sphalt is one of the most recycled materials in use today, a fact that was touted several times during the recent National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) meeting in Orlando. In 2015, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), represented 21.4 percent of the content of hot mix and warm mix asphalt used in the United States.

NAPA says roughly 99 percent of the material removed during road maintenance and repair is put back into use in new pavements. Just a few decades ago, this material was headed straight to the landfill.

It’s clear the industry has taken a shine to RAP use, as evidenced by the winners of NAPA’s 2016 Quality in Construction (QIC) Award presented at its meeting. Out of the 214 projects awarded, 64 used RAP in either surface or binder courses.

The benefits of using RAP are

A major part of RAP usage is proper stockpile management, in particular separating material from various sources.

66 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

]

Image: Virginia DOT

[

RAP can be processed in multiple ways and there are pros and cons to each method. Processing can be adjusted depending on the source material and application of the finished mix.

EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 67

| continued

DeKalb County, Alabama. Kirk Barker, area manager, Wiregrass Construction, Guntersville, Alabama, says the main benefits for a contractor to use RAP is lower costs and millings management.

“Using RAP reduces the virgin materials cost that we have, which transfers to savings to the owner of the project,” he says. “Plus, we mill so much off of projects as contractors, finding places where this RAP to be disposed is difficult. So the benefit of using the RAP is limiting the wasting of the material. We’re able to stockpile it and reuse it.”

And in that stockpiling step, Barker adds, the top priority is to separate the various size of millings.

“If you mill 2 inches plus, that goes into one pile. If you mill 1- to 1 1/2 inches, that goes in another pile,” he says.

Finally, Barker explains the biggest challenge in using RAP is drying it and maintaining the mix temperature that’s needed.

“When you get it from the stockpile and you put it in the hopper that goes into the drum in the plant, it’s difficult to keep it dry,” he says. “If it’s super wet, the mixing temperature drops, and then you have all kinds of problems. If you try to heat the RAP too much, it starts smoking because it’s got AC on it.”

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

With all this increased usage comes the issue of managing RAP material. To facilitate this, NAPA last year published its “Best Practices for RAP and RAS Management” guide, prepared by NCAT’s Director Randy West.

Below are synopses of each of four of the categories included in the guide: reclaiming, inventory and processing, sampling and testing, and production issues.

Reclaiming The three primary sources for RAP include milling, fulldepth demolition and waste mix.

For milling, the top two concerns are the milling process and depth. The depth is set by the project owner or agency and needs to be determined in part when reviewing the cross sections of cores in order to find weak layers, interfaces or cracks.

Contractors need to examine the milled material for contamination, which could be base material, soil or other debris that’s not discovered until the milling process begins. However, contaminated material could still be used for shoulders or stored and filtered later.

In line with this, crews will need to look at the aggregate breakdown to see how fine the millings are. It’s possible the millings may be broken down finer than needed.

During the milling process, contractors should look out for thin or weakly bonded layers. If these are 68 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Image: North Carolina DOT

road technology

Crews need to inspect milled RAP for aggregate breakdown, as the process can sometimes create a lot of fines. found, then deeper milling will be necessary. In this inspection process, the surface texture also needs to be reviewed for uniformity, with a valley-to-peak ratio of about 1/2-inch being a typical target.

Milling to remove specific layers, which could be needed if the layers have different aggregate or with modified binders, can complicate the process. In these situations, contractors may need to use micro milling drums to achieve a more precise mill. These factors also may necessitate the contractor separate the millings as well.

In contrast to milling, RAP coming from pavement demolition, such as removing material for patching or cuts made for utilities, will be in large pieces that will be harder to process. With this material there is a higher chance of contamination, so contractors will need to separate this RAP from millings.

Another RAP source is plant waste, which can vary wildly in asphalt content, as the material can come from the beginning or end of a mix process, from overage from a job, mix exposed to heavy rain or even rejected mix. Plant waste also can have fewer fines content than RAP from roadways since it hasn’t been milled. Contractors should also stockpile waste asphalt separately from other RAP. Proper stockpile management is key in reducing contamination. With the various types of RAP being separated, it will be important to make sure truck drivers know where to dump the various materials and to keep truck beds clean before hauling. Site managers should also regularly inspect the stockpiles and remove extraneous debris.

Inventory and processing Analyze inventory by having an inventory of RAP on hand and knowing the RAP generated per year. Each year, summarize the mixes by type and by customer that is produced. Identify the maximum RAP that can be used (this will depend on the agency). Identify how much RAP to have on hand relative to amount needed.

Here is an example, provided as a hypothetical case in the NAPA guide, which offers a usage-based formula for determining RAP inventory needs:

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A contractor has 10,000 tons of RAP on hand, brings in 25,000 tons of RAP a year, and produces 200,000 tons of asphalt a year. Eighty percent of this is surface mix, with the rest non-surface mix. For the state DOT, the contractor produces roughly 120,000 tons, with the rest going to work performed for smaller agencies and for commercial jobs. He uses 15 percent RAP for the DOT mixes, but the state allows him to use up to 20 percent for surface mixes and 40 percent in base and leveling mixes.

Here’s the formula to determine how much RAP is needed: RAP available: 10,000 tons + 25,000 tons = 35,000 tons Max RAP required: 120,000 tons x [(80 percent surface x 20 percent RAP) + (20 percent non-surface mix x 40 percent RAP] = (80,000 tons x 20 percent RAP) = 44,800 tons of RAP RAP used now: 120,000 tons x 15 percent RAP + 80,000 tons x 20 percent RAP = 34,000 tons Using this formula, the contractor has enough, as his RAP used now (34,000 tons) is less than the RAP available (35,000 tons).

When you do your inventory, it will be necessary to determine if you need to create separate stockpiles for unprocessed RAP. This will be determined by the materials in the RAP (such as types of aggregate, other recycle materials), as well as the space available onsite.

One consideration is that some agencies will only allow RAP on a project that came from one of their previous projects. Most agencies, however, allow RAP from other projects as long as the final mix meets their specs.

Stockpiles may also need to remain static from when they were collected and tested, if an agency requires it.

(This is called a captive stockpile.)

RAP should be added to stockpiles in layers without pushing the material over the edge of the stockpile.

Then the material should be loaded through the layers to feed a crusher. Use a loader when you have uniform millings and an excavator when millings are not uniform, such as when they are from several projects.

RAP processing methods The following details the pros and cons of the RAP processing options.

Method: Use of millings without further processing Pro: Avoids further crushing of aggregate particles in RAP and is the lowest cost processing option. The millings from large projects are likely have a consistent gradation and asphalt content.

70 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Con: This method requires multiple stockpiles at the plant and since millings from multiple projects are different, when a stockpile is used up, a new mix design has to be created to use this material with other RAP. Method: Screening RAP before crushing Pro: This limits the crushing of aggregate particles and will cut down on dust.

Con: Not many RAP crushing screening units are set up to pre-screen RAP. Method: Crushing all RAP to a uniform size Pro: This RAP can be used in multiple types of mixes, and it offers a uniformity of RAP coming from different sources.

Con: It adds dust content to the stockpiles, which can limit the quantity of RAP used in mix designs.

Recycled asphalt shingles

Image: Missouri DOT

road technology

Recycled asphalt shingles being processed.

R

ecycled asphalt shingles (RAS) makeup another segment of recycled materials used in paving, but represent a small portion of the total. NAPA estimates that RAS only makes up 0.54 percent of the total tonnage of hot-mix and warm-mix asphalt in the United States in 2015.

Still, RAS has its benefits. It helps improve cracking resistance due to the fibers used in shingles. This adds reinforcement to the pavement and can help improve rutting resistance.

RAS usage also uses waste from another industry.

Roughly 10 million tons of tear offs (shingles that have already been placed) are available for use each year. Plus they have a 30 to 40 percent asphalt binder content, which is roughly double what manufacturer waste shingles have.

NAPA reports 32 states allow some form of RAS use, with average DOT content of 0.76 percent used.

Method: Fractionating Pro: Multiple sized RAP stockpiles offer more leeway in mix design development, with fine RAP fraction being ideal for thinlay mixes. Also, the heat transfer to fine RAP can be more efficient during mixing.

Con: More space is needed for differing stockpiles, it’s the most expensive process and fine fractionated RAP can clump due to high AC content, which can cause problems when it feeds through he plant.

Sampling & testing Contractors need to sample one set of tests for every 1,000 tons of RAP, which is more often than virgin aggregates. Then at least 10 tests should be done on a RAP stockpile. This is usually per a DOT standard, but it can be lowered if the stockpile is proving to be consistent.

Sampling should be done while a stockpile is being created where the RAP will be added to the plant.

A sample method for permanent asphalt plants includes the following steps: • Place a small load of the material on a clean surface, making sure to flatten the top of pile. The NAPA guide suggests using a front-end loader to do this.

• Collect samples from three different locations on the surface of this pile using a square-end shovel.

• Combine these samples, which will be divided later into test portions.

• Repeat to collect samples from different spots in the stockpile, making sure to not combine samples from different locations.

When testing, contractors should pull the date of the samples, for the RAP asphalt binder content, aggregate gradation, aggregate bulk specific gravity, consensus properties of the aggregate and properties of the RAP asphalt binder.

Production issues In production, a major issue is the

different temperature requirements for virgin aggregated mix compared to RAP. Virgin material requires much higher temperatures, so RAP is generally added later in the process, with “superheating” conducted on the virgin material so heat is transferred to the RAP at the mixing stage. The primary best practices here are to make sure the RAP is fed at a consistent rate and to pay attention to the RAP moisture content, which will impact the amount of virgin asphalt needing to be added.

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technology

| by Wayne Grayson |

ChrisHill@randallreilly.com

The Best Smartphone Cases for Construction [2017 Edition]

W

hile rugged phones like Cat’s S60 and Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Active are great smartphone choices for those in construction and the trades, the vast majority those in construction are using iPhones and Android phones that require a bit of protection in

order to make it through the rigors of the job.

Here’s our top picks in smartphone protection, including battery cases that give you an extra round of power, plus cases that are thin and waterproof.

Best Battery Cases Apple Smart Battery Case If you have an iPhone 6/6S/7 Plus, you probably don’t need a battery case since Apple’s phablet gets great battery life on its own. But if your iPhone 6S or 7 can’t quite get you through a full day without needing a charge, we highly recommend Apple’s Smart Battery Case.

This $100 case doubles the battery life of your iPhone and earns the “Smart” in its name by letting you charge the case and phone through a single port and by exhausting the battery inside the case before using your phone’s battery at all. In other words, the case doesn’t charge your phone like, say, a case from Mophie. It acts as a backup battery for your phone.

Plus, the Smart Battery Case is made with a silicone material that provides a nice grip and a decent amount of protection.

Mophie Juice Pack cases If you own an Android phone, your best bet for a quality battery case is a Mophie. And though these aren’t quite as “smart” as Apple’s battery case, they do offer a bit more protection and have a handy charge indicator.

Best Waterproof Case Dog and Bone Wetsuit Impact Though LifeProof’s cases are likely the most well-known waterproof cases for smartphones, there are better options out there. One that comes highly recommended from several websites is Dog and Bone’s Wetsuit Impact. These are available for both the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phones and is among the thinnest waterproof cases you can buy.

Dog and Bone says the Wetsuit Impact is designed to deliver better sound clarity than competitors, while offering access to all buttons and functions with water, dust and shock protection.

EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 73

technology |

continued

Best Thin Protection for iPhone Caudabe Sheath If you’re looking for drop protection that doesn’t compromise your iPhone’s thinness, look no further than the Caudabe Sheath. This case comes highly recommended from several reviewers and is manufactured from what Caudabe calls “ShockLite,” a gel-like polymer that absorbs the impact from drops.

Protection of the device is also enhanced with shielding around the camera and flash, edges that wrap around the phone and a lip that extends just above the screen in the event of a face-down tumble.

Best Ultimate Protection Cases (for drops) You might be expecting to see something from Otterbox in this section, but you won’t. Though that company has a great reputation for phone protection, their

cases tend to be overpriced. The two we’ve selected both offer extremely rugged protection on both iPhone and Android devices and for a fraction of the price.

i-Blason ArmorBox i-Blason’s ArmorBox comes in a wide range of colors for a variety of phones and can be had for around $15 on Amazon. This dual-layer case features a hard shell exterior, a shock-absorbing TPU inner core and plenty of extra padding around the corners for all around protection against drops. It also features a built-in screen protector and a mount for a belt clip.

74 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

UAG Plasma Like the ArmorBox, the UAG Plasma features dual-layer protection and ample protection around the corners of the device. The main difference here is looks and price, with the Plasma averaging about $10 more expensive on Amazon, although you’ll see more reviews from happy users. Plus, the folks at the Apple-centric iMore website were impressed with the feel of this case saying, “The button coverings are exceptional and the tactile feedback is as though there’s no case at all.” Pretty impressive for a rugged case.

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heavy trucks

| staff report

Mack: Extended oil drains will save hundreds per truck

M

ack says it has extended oil drain intervals for customers using its newly formulated Mack EOS-4.5 engine oil. Depending on the application, oil drain intervals have been extended by up to 15,000 miles compared with previous formulations. Introduced as the factory fill in Mack’s 2017 engines, EOS-4.5 also extends drain intervals for all 2011 and newer Mack engines.

Drain intervals have been extended to 60,000, 50,000 and 40,000 for long-haul, regionalhaul and heavy-haul applications, respectively. During the expected life of a Mack truck, the extensions

allow owners to skip between four and 16 oil drains, which Mack says will save hundreds of dollars per year per truck.

The new oil is available in 10W30 and 10W40 weights. They also meet Mack’s oil standard, which the company says offers protection beyond the new API CK-4 specification, requiring enhanced performance for oil oxidation and oil aeration control. It also has a lower viscosity, which helps improve fuel efficiency. It can be used anywhere API CK-4 oils are recommended and is also backward compatible with all API CJ-4 applications.

Titan, MP10 engine discontinued Mack also says its Titan tractor and MP10 engine have been discontinued. Current Titan orders will not be affected.

“The Titan by Mack model is being discontinued because many of the applications that the Titan served can be handled with the newer higher horsepower and torque outputs of the Mack MP8 13-liter engine,” says Chris Heffner with Mack.

When asked if Mack would be replacing Titan with another model, Heffner responded: “Most applications previously served by the Titan can be handled by the Mack Granite or the Mack Pinnacle Axle Forward equipped with the MP8 engine.”

Earlier, Mack parent company (continued on pg. 79)

Mack MP8 with turbo compounding replaces the discontinued MP10 in most applications.

EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 77

INSIDE:

hard hat high pt. 2

®

equipmentworld.com | March 2017

AD INDEX Equipment World March, 2017 Advertiser AEMP Membership ASV LLC Atlas Copco Construction Mining Technology Atlas Copco Construction Mining Technology Atlas Copco Construction Mining Technology BekaWorld (formerly Beka-Max of America) BKT USA, Inc. Caterpillar, Inc. Clearspan Fabric Structures Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. Crafco, Inc. Dominion Equipment Parts, LLC Doosan Construction Equipment Eberspaecher Excavision, Inc. E-Z Drill Freightliner Trucks Geith, Inc. H & L Tooth Co. Hyundai Construction Equip. Americas, Inc. International Trucks JCB JLG Industries John Deere Construction Kenworth Truck Co. Kohler Engines Komatsu America Kubota Engine America Kubota Tractor Corp.

Level Best Link-Belt Excavators Mobile Barriers, LLC Montabert Pengo Pioneer Bridges Progressive Commercial Insurance Rubbertrax, Inc. Shell Rotella Topcon Positioning Co. Toy Trucker & Contractor Magazine Trail King Industries Vac-Con VMAC Volvo Trucks North America Zoro Tools, Inc.

78 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

Web URL

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MACHINE MATTERS:

P.

76 65 35 37 39 81 45 BC 81 79 69 80 8 48 81 71 2-3 49 38, 75 IBC 10-11 16 25 4 19 21 43 12 63 30 29 64 47 80 64 34 36 15 33 80 7 40 46 27 55

22

heavy trucks Volvo Trucks had discontinued production of its 16-liter engine and its VNX tractor, a model similar to Titan. The company reported that market conditions led to the decisions.

Titan, which has been on the market since 2008, will still be eligible for Mack’s aftermarket service and support.

Mack’s 2017 MP8 engine with turbo compounding converts wasted energy from the exhaust into mechanical energy, improving fuel efficiency by up to 8.8 percent, while the Mack mDRIVE HD 13- and 14-speed AMTs add creeper gears for enhanced startability without sacrificing fuel efficiency.

Mack is also testing a Mack LR model with the Wrightspeed Route range-extended electric powertrain and alternative propulsion systems, including a plug-in hybrid electric drayage truck.

Titan had Mack’s largest ever engine, the MP10, built for heavy transport applications. The MP10 delivered up to 605 horsepower and best-in-class torque ratings of 2,060 foot-pounds at 1,200 rpms.

– Jason Cannon

| continued

Heavy trucks briefs Wide base steer tires now on Kenworth T370 Kenworth has added wide base Goodyear and Michelin steer tires as options to the Kenworth T370s. Previously available in only the all-wheel drive T370 steer axles with ratings up to 16,000 pounds, the tires can now be used with Kenworth’s heaviest non-drive front axles, rated at 16,000, 18,000 and 20,000 pounds.

The tires assist in vocational applications where off-road conditions can make driving difficult, says the company. The tires also comply with standards in certain states and in Canada where larger tires are required to carry heavier weights.

Navistar intros truck collision replacement parts Navistar has debuted a new line of Fleetrite collision replacement products for a variety of heavy-duty truck applications. The all-makes trucks parts line offers bumpers, hoods and grilles, which Navistar says are designed to provide the same quality that customers expect from OEMs. More than 70 Fleetrite parts are available for a wide variety of truck models.

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EquipmentWorld.com | March 2017 79 2/22/17 9:10 AM

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80

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81

2017-02-07 12:46 PM 2/13/17 9:26 AM

final word | by Tom Jackson

TJackson@randallreilly.com

Fun with numbers P

eter Thiel, a Silicon Valley billionaire, and about the only guy in his neighborhood who’s OK with Donald Trump being president, made an interesting comment to the New York Times recently. He said “Cellphones distract us from the fact that the subways are 100 years old.”

A lot of people don’t like Thiel. He is a real iconoclast in a state full of fake ones. And perhaps because of his upbringing in Cleveland, Ohio, he sees things the rest of our West Coast tech overlords don’t.

What I like about Thiel’s comment is that it brackets one of the central shortcomings of our age. And that is that most people are willing to let the public sphere (and our public responsibilities) go to hell as long as they have shiny new electronic toys to distract them.

Nowhere does that cultural conundrum show up better than in the way we allocate our money. Take our roadways, for example.

Everybody needs them, but the federal government only allocates $45 billion a year to maintain those roads and bridges with the states kicking in roughly an equal amount.

Compare that with the kind of money they play with in the technology sector: • Apple’s cash reserves total $237 billion.

This isn’t the total value of the company; this is the cash they have stashed under the mattress overseas to avoid the taxman.

They don’t do anything with this money.

They’ve already saturated the market with their products, paid their executives and shareholders fabulous salaries and dividends. They’re building a $5 billion spaceship campus. Yet Apple’s $237 billion in mad money is enough to fund the entire federal transportation infrastructure budget for more than five years.

• Facebook’s market cap today sits at about

82 March 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com

$350 billion. That’s enough to pay for more than seven years of federal highway building. Some say Facebook may reach $1 trillion in value soon. I like cute cat videos as much as the next guy, but we could sure fix a lot of potholes with this kind of money.

• Elon Musk, billionaire tech entrepreneur and founder of Tesla Motors (market cap $42 billion) and SpaceX (market cap $12 billion) is getting mighty peeved sitting in traffic. He plans to go underground and dig his own private tunnel under the streets of Los Angeles to shorten his commute. The guy who wants to put tourists up in space has tremendous reservoirs of money, engineering talent and brains, none of which will ever be used to help his neighbors get a mile down the road in a decent amount of time.

• California’s Governor Jerry Brown wants to spend $60 billion on a bullet train linking Los Angeles to San Francisco. It is generally thought that the Silicon Valley types are pushing him for the bullet train. I mean, it looks all sleek and shiny, just like an iPhone.

And it’s just dang cool, right? Had Brown spent a hundredth of that on the Oroville Dam, 200,000 people might not have fled in fear of their lives in February when the dam threatened to collapse. Note to the governor: California already has a bullet train linking those cities. It’s called Southwest Airlines.

I grant you it’s not fair to compare private enterprise with public funding. And I’m not one of those communists who think we ought to tax the rich until they’re as poor as everybody else. It’s just that this great gulf between what we do as individuals and what we do as citizens has never been wider.

We’re not a poor country, but by the choices we make in how we spend our money, we sure look like one.

TomorrowsEdgeToday.com

Who’s herding who?

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