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equipmentworld.com | July 2016

®

18

P. ARTICULATED TRUCKS BIGGER IS BETTER

BUY, RENT OR LEASE: After recession, contractors cautious on risk

Competitive financing available through Daimler Truck Financial. For the Freightliner Trucks dealer nearest you, call 1-800-FTL-HELP. FTL /MC-A-1368. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Copyright Š 2016 Daimler Trucks North America LLC. All rights reserved. Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, a Daimler company.

HELPING TEX-MIX KEEP THEIR PAYLOAD MOVING WHILE LOWERING THEIR REAL COST OF OWNERSHIP. Tex-Mix is only as profitable as their trucks are reliable. That’s why they choose Freightliner. We design trucks for easy upfit, productivity and low maintenance. Backed by a support team that’s there when you need us. And because Tex-Mix trucks are equipped with the powerful Detroit DD13 ® engine and Detroit Virtual Technician onboard diagnostic system, it’s not only a tough truck, but also a smart one. Built to increase profitability and lower their Real Cost of Ownership.

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18

Vol. 28 Number 7 |

Cover Story

table of contents | July 2016

MACHINE MATTERS:

ARTICULATED TRUCKS

ADTS TAKE “BIGGER IS BETTER” TO NEW LEVELS

Equipment 15

Marketplace

Vacuworx SS2 vacuum lift system, Komatsu intelligent Machine Control D61i-24 dozer, John Deere 324E skid steer, Ditch Witch Sandhog HD, Swab and EZ backreamers, Michelin X Works Z all-position tire.

41 Maintenance

52 Road Science

Operator care programs It is possible to reduce emergency equipment repairs to almost zero. Here’s how.

Winning the bonus: Stringless controls for slipform pavers Efficient stringless systems cut costs while improving pavement quality.

67 Technology 29 Buy/Lease/Rent What makes sense now?

Risk avoidance becomes mantra for new equipment users.

Cat rebuilds VisionLink telematics dashboard with mixed fleet view, responsive design.

EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 5

table of contents | continued

Features 49 GPS/GNSS 101

GPS for excavators: a new and useful evolution

Contractor 62 Highway Pothole repair solutions: Innovations are on the rise, but the basics rule out

71 Contractor of the Year Finalist

Jeff Hansen, Hansen Bros. Enterprises, Grass Valley, California

®

equipmentworld.com facebook.com/EquipmentWorld twitter.com/Equipment_World Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Executive Editor: Tom Jackson Senior Editor: Chris Hill Online Editor: Wayne Grayson Data and Managing Editor: Lucas Stewart Contributing Writer: Richard Ries editorial@equipmentworld.com Art Director: Tony Brock Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@equipmentworld.com

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Departments Record 9 On A technology hand-hold, guaranteed

Editorial Awards: Jesse H. Neal Award, Better Roads, 2011 American Business Media

11 Reporter Komatsu’s smart construction, Terex sells machines to Yanmar

Robert F. Boger Award for Special Reports, 2006, 2007, 2008 Construction Writers Association

Data 47 Quick Skid steers

Jesse H. Neal Award, Best Subject-Related Series of Articles, 2006 American Business Media

79 Pro Pickup

Editorial Excellence Special Section Gold Award, 2006 Midwest-South Region, American Society of Business Publication Editors

Test Drive: F-650 feels a lot like a Super Duty

Trucks 83 Heavy Western Star unveils a real Transformer, capable of switching bodies in minutes

90 Final Word

The best safety tip I know

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 Robert F. Boger Award for Feature Articles, 2005 Construction Writers Association

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6 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

Robert F. Boger Award, 2002 Sept. 11th Feature Articles

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on record | by Marcia Gruver Doyle

MGruver@randallreilly.com

A technology handhold, guaranteed

T

here are two givens when it comes to construction equipment technology: there’s a lot of it, and what’s there isn’t understood well, or in the case of telematics, used much.

Three recent contractor comments, however, have prompted me to ponder what might be possible if manufacturers took a slightly different approach to contractor machine technology adoption: “I feel I get bits and pieces when it comes to technology. There’s enough to spark my interest, but not enough to spark my investment.”

“The technology piece isn’t supported to the same standard as the machine.”

“Technology just changes so quickly that I don’t know when to jump in.”

With the full recognition that three opinions do not constitute a quorum, I want to float a proposal: manufacturers start offering technology guarantees, starting with GPS/GNSS and machine control systems.

Yes, the technology now on machines comes with warranties, but this would go beyond that. Under such a purchased technology guarantee, for X number of years, both your machine software and hardware will be updated as new versions roll out. On top of that – and perhaps more important to contractors – the guarantee would include any additional training and support to get your crews comfortable with what’s new.

I fully recognize there are a lot of caveats that go with this premise, the biggest of

which is whether or not an OEM’s dealer network is up to providing this level of service. While some dealers are now putting specific people in place to address the disconnect that frequently happens when merging field experience with technology, the contractor experience may be uneven from locale to locale.

And manufacturers, of course, would have to spell out what exactly such a guarantee involves. For example, if a contractor has a 2D system on a machine, would they get a 3D system when it becomes available for that model? The price difference with such a technology upgrade could make a manufacturer gulp.

But as I talk with contractors, it’s clear to me they want a complete hand-hold when it comes to technology, especially as it becomes increasingly built-in to machines.

This is not their area of expertise, but they realize it’s necessary, especially when they see their direct competitors getting ahead of them.

Such packages would have to be priced appropriately. There may be technology breakthroughs that require a significant machine revamp, which would increase manufacturer risks … and hesitancy. But this approach, even with its inherent complications, could possibly be one tactic in solving both the contractor’s need for technology reassurance and an OEM’s desire to be seen as a technology leader.

There are fuel efficiency guarantees, service guarantees and uptime guarantees … why not this?

EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 9

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reporter | staff report

Komatsu ‘Smart Construction’ one-stop tech service

O

ne-stop shopping is a concept everybody knows from the retail world. For Komatsu this same idea is the key to getting more customers to engage with GPS/ GNSS earthmoving technology.

Komatsu has unveiled a program it calls “Smart Construction.” And though it shares the name of Komatsu’s radical drone-assisted, automated equipment service launched last year in Japan, the U.S. version of Smart Construction is basically a one-stop service to bolster the company’s intelligent Machine Control lineup, of-

Komatsu’s TSE’s will assist contractors and operators with all facets of GPS/GNSS machine operation. fering comprehensive training and support for anything and everything related to GPS/GNSS earthmoving operations.

At the heart of Komatsu’s Smart Construction strategy is the TSE – or technical solutions specialist – dealer employee. (continued on page 13)

Terex sells part of construction equipment division to Yanmar

I

n a pending agreement with Yanmar, Terex will significantly reduce the types of machines it sells under its construction division. In a $60 million cash deal, Yanmar will receive Terex’s compact and midi excavators, wheeled excavators and compact wheel loaders, all manufactured in Germany.

Yanmar says the acquisition is primarily aimed

at its European presence, allowing it to “actively develop its business in the small- to medium-sized construction machinery market in Europe.”

After the sale is closed in the second half of the year, Terex’s construction division will continue to make skid steers, compact track loaders, backhoes and some specialty material handlers.

– Marcia Gruver Doyle EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 11

reporter | continued (continued from page 11) Through the TSE you can arrange for a demonstration of a GPS/GNSS machine, acquire the GPS/GNSS factory-ready machine and peripheral hardware (base stations, rovers, etc.), have the TSE to set up your first jobsite and get training for your operators. The TSEs can also help you with trouble shooting, give you recommendations for best practices, get your site plans digitized for import into the machine monitors and even get an aerial survey of your site using drones/ UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).

“If you are new to machine control, you don’t just need a machine,” says Jason Anetsberger, Komatsu senior product manager. “You need data in that machine. Maybe you need a base station and rover, and a trained operator. In our model of support, all this is just a single phone call away. We’ll take you from being a non-user of machine control technology all the way to having a full set up without having to purchase any additional product or hire additional staff.”

The TSE service and support model can also be used when you need to rent an intelligent control machine or set up a GPS/GNSS site far from your home base.

Komatsu designed its machine control systems to issue data and reports via Komtrax, the company’s telematics system. “Instead of waiting for someone to drive out to your site to troubleshoot a problem, the

TSEs can remotely connect with any of these intelligent machines and solve the problem,” says Anetsberger.

The machines come with a cellular modem as standard, and your TSEs can review data about your usage patterns and make recommendations on how to optimize your use of 2D and 3D GPS/GNSS. TSEs are dealer employees, and the company started training and putting them into the field in 2013 with the introduction of its first intelligent control dozer. Today, dealers must have a TSE on board to sell Komatsu’s intelligent machines. “It takes more than just product to make this work,” says Peter Robson, director of Intelligent Machine Controls.

The TSEs combine construction and machine knowledge with three weeks of initial training on technology and 2D and 3D machine control operations, says Robson. That’s followed by advanced training and continuing education, including a lot of informal networking with other TSEs. In the past, when technology was sold and supported by the aftermarket, the experts tended to be independent and isolated from each other, Robson says. But Komatsu’s TSEs have created their own network and regularly compare notes and help each other find solutions via conference calls, he says.

– Tom Jackson

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EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 13 Untitled-27 1

6/14/16 3:49 PM

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marketplace | staff report

Vacuum lifting system comes to skid steers

The new Vacuworx SS2 vacuum lifting system weighs in at just 98 pounds (when excluding the mounting plate) but enables a skid steer to lift up to 2,716 pounds. Vacuworx says the system is compatible with any skid steer brand and is a great fit for floor, sidewalk, road and landscaping projects. It can assist in complete concrete replacement – cutting, removal and pouring – in one day. The SS2 operates using the skid steer’s aux-

iliary hydraulics to power the vacuum pump. (Vacuworx notes that a minimum 10 gallons per minute with maximum 3,000 psi is required.) The pump maintains a constant vacuum in the pressure reservoir and the system pulls a vacuum between its 24-inch x 24-inch vacuum pad and the object being lifted. This seal holds until the operator releases it – even in the event of a power failure.

Powertrain upgrades to original iMC machine Komatsu has upgraded its first ever machine equipped with intelligent Machine Control (iMC), the D61i-24. Unveiled in June 2013, the D61i dozers were the pioneering machines in Komatsu’s iMC lineup, introducing the concept of a dozer shipped from the factory with integrated GPS/GNSS machine control hardware – using no blade-mounted antennas – and the ability to operate in automatic mode from rough dozing through finish grading. The D61i-24 dozers are powered by a 6.8-liter Komatsu SAA6D107E-3 Tier 4 Final engine producing 168 horsepower.

Like the non-iMC D61, the D61i-24 models now feature on-the-fly performance customization through the ability to choose between a quick-shift, three-speed mode and a variable, 20-speed customizable transmission mode.

The new model also consumes less fuel thanks to these powertrain improvements as well as features new to this machine like auto-idle shutdown and economy power modes. Due to the iMC technology on board, Komatsu says the D61i-24 boosts productivity by 8 percent over typical aftermarket start-tofinish machine control systems.

EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 15

marketplace | continued Larger-frame performance features in smaller package John Deere has introduced the latest machine in its mid-frame E-Series skid-steer and compact track loader lineup. The 324E skid steer is powered by a 74-horsepower engine and, according to Deere, packs all of the performance of its larger-framed siblings into a more agile design. The new loader boasts upgraded controls, better boom performance, boom-integrated auxiliary lines and an improved cab. Deere offers ISO, H-pattern and foot/joystick electrohydraulic (EH) controls on the 324E. An available option on the machine gives the operator the ability to switch between all three control patterns with the push of a button. The machine’s vertical-lift boom offers 10 feet, 6 inches of reach, while integrated auxiliary lines, curved front glass, a large top window and low side windows improve the operator’s sight lines to the surrounding jobsite. The 324E is compatible with more than 100 Deere Worksite Pro attachments.

Backreamers designed for specialized soil conditions Ditch Witch has introduced a new lineup of backreamers designed for specialized soil conditions and installations. The new models include the Sandhog HD, Swab and EZ backreamers, and are designed for tasks such as enabling horizontal directional drilling crews to pre-clean a path or quickly connect to a rig. Available in 2 3/4-inch shaft size with 2.0 IF threads, and 3 1/4-inch shaft with 2 3/8 API threads, and ranging in diameter from 8 to 18 inches, the Sandhog HD (pictured) is designed for

sandy and soft soils. The Swab, available in a 3 1/4-inch shaft with a 2.77 male thread size, and for a diameter of 5 1/2-inches, is specifically designed for rocky and hard soils and enables direct pullback on the Ditch Witch JT30 All Terrain HDD. The EZ backreamer, designed for smaller-diameter installations in soft to medium-hard conditions, is available in a 3 1/4-inch shaft size with an EZ2 and EZ3 connection, ranging in diameter from 6 to 8 inches.

Tires take on harsh construction environments The new Michelin X Works Z all-position tire is designed to stand up to harsh construction conditions with a 50-percent wider protector ply and a thick layer of cushion gum that increase tire longevity. V-channels and groove bottom protectors guard against stone retention and stone drilling. Thick sidewalls defend against impacts and a double treatment of TW6 ozone resistor helps prevent cracking. The tire can be used in mixed on-off road applications and is available now in 11R22.5, 12R22.5 and 11R24.5 sizes in load range H and a 315/80R22.5 size in load range L. A 12R24.5 size in load range H will launch at a later date.

16 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

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machine matters | by Richard Ries

BIGGE

ADTS TAKE “

Bell’s new B60E, immediately identifiable by its dually design, is powered by a Mercedes-Benz/ MTU inline 6-cylinder engine.

18 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

ER IS BETTER

”

TO NEW LEVELS

Is bigger better? The articulated dump truck (ADT) market thinks so.

T

he Equipment World Spec Guide reveals the rapid progression of ADT sizes. In 2006, the smallest ADT was the JCB 714 at 14 tons, while the largest was Cat’s 740 at 42 tons. During that year, most models were in the 20-to-less-than-30-ton size classifications.

By 2015, the smallest truck was the John Deere 250D-II at 25.6 tons and the largest was Bell’s B50D at 50 tons. The 40-ton-and-over size classification also had the most models: 12. And two introductions at Bauma this year added to the heavier end of the scale: the Volvo A60H and the Bell B60E. Growth in sizes of ADTs has been going on for at least a decade, and that trend shows no sign of abating in 2016.

Who needs 60 tons?

The market for 60-ton ADTs is well-defined: high production, large sites with room to maneuver a 60-ton truck, and soft or unimproved underfoot conditions. In the past, these criteria would have applied to few locations, but as industrialization and development continue to spread across the world, more sites qualify.

“Indonesia was our target market initially,”

says Eric Fatyol, product manager for Volvo articulated haulers in North America. “But since Bauma, where we unveiled our A60H, we’ve had quite a bit of interest globally.” Quarries, open-pit mines, and large earthmoving operations are the best match for the A60H. Fatyol says these customers have been using smaller ADTs, such as the Volvo A40G, or rigid-frame trucks of 60 tons or larger.

It’s not just the largest sites that can accommodate Volvo’s new 60-ton hauler. Although the A60H offers 40 percent more capacity than the 43-ton A40G, it is only 17 inches wider, 37 inches longer, and 10 inches higher than the A40G. Ground pressure is nearly identical; the A60H has 33.25R29 tires and the A40G has 29.5R25.

Bauma was also the first showing of the Bell B60E outside of Africa. The front chassis is borrowed from Bell’s B50E, but the rear chassis is all new and a departure from typical ADT design. Where most ADTs have tandem rear axles and 6 x 6 drive, the B60E has a single rear axle with dual wheels, sort of a super-dually, and has 4 x 4 drive. The rationale is that 60-ton trucks are not going into truly tough environments where smaller ADTs EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 19

machine matters | continued

prevail, but rather to production environments where haul roads exist.

The B60E is intended for applications where 60- to 80-ton rigid frame trucks operate, but also where rainy seasons and other conditions can bring rigid-frame trucks to a halt. Bell says if a rigid-frame truck is idled by conditions one day a week, but an ADT could run on those days, production is increased 25 percent (running five days instead of four).

Bell says the 4 x 4 design reduces tire scuffing and mechanical complexity compared to 6 x 6 drive, while articulation and oscillation preserve much of the performance associated with ADTs. In addition, the dump body on the B60E is shaped more like that of a rigid truck, more box-like with a flat 20 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

bottom, which makes it easier to load with the excavators and wheel loaders already in use. “The objective in creating the B60E was to preserve production in sub-optimal conditions,” says Robin Pett, product manager at Bell, “but with little or no change to the infrastructure or loading tools customers are currently using.”

Is 40 the new 35?

While some customers may be moving to the biggest ADTs, others are simply moving to bigger, not biggest. Those who have been using 35-ton ADTs are moving up to 40- and even 45-ton trucks during the replacement cycle. Doing so improves productivity without making other changes. Haul roads are the same. Loading tools are

Volvo’s new A60H is powered by an inline 6-cylinder engine rated at 495 horsepower and 3,200 pound-feet of torque.

the same. While loading may now take five or six passes instead of three or four with a smaller truck, “that’s still within the window of efficient productivity,” says Scott Thomas, senior articulated truck group product application specialist for North and South America at Caterpillar.

Infrastructure that’s friendly to big trucks will make North America open to 60-ton trucks, says Thomas, although he expects most of those trucks will go to a site where they will remain for years, and transportability will be an issue only during infrequent

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machine matters | continued

moves. From Caterpillar’s perspective, their 45-ton 745C has all the capacity that’s needed for an ADT; beyond that they offer rigid-frame off-highway trucks. There is some overlap, as their rigid-frame models start with the 770 at 40 tons.

Thomas says bracket creep is more common in North America where wide roads more readily accommodate ever-larger trucks.

In other countries, transportability issues may arise from narrow, twisting roads and compel customers to stay with smaller models.

Maryanne Graves, ADT product marketing manager at John Deere, says the escalating demand for bigger trucks was the impetus behind the development of the 460E. She says trucks of 35 tons and greater comprise 60 percent of the market, double the numbers from a decade ago, and that demand 22 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

Introduced last year, the 460E is John Deere’s biggest ADT. Two other models debuted at the same time, the 370E and 410E; all three are part of the move to larger trucks in the market. Enhanced cab features include low-effort pushbutton controls, a high-back heated seat with air suspension, and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel.

for trucks at the upper end of that scale is increasing.

Even within categories, sizes creep up. When John Deere rolls out their new ADTs later this year, the 260E will replace the 250D and the 310E will replace the 300D; both new models will have higher capacities than the models they replace.

Still a market for 30-ton trucks Thomas says while the 45-ton truck will likely become the new standard, that’s only true in some market segments: “In general, larger trucks go to long-term leases, RPOs, or outright purchases while smaller trucks go to the rental market. Buy-

ers may look at larger trucks, but the rental market is well-served by 30- and 35-ton ADTs.” Graves agrees smaller trucks often go to rental, but she says those trucks are also popular with some buyers. Customers who purchase 26- to 30-ton ADTs specialize in jobs that favor smaller trucks; some are constrained by the level of investment required to purchase larger models.

There is a right size of truck for the jobs in a customer’s service area, says Graves, and owning the right size trucks is essential to profitability. A mixed fleet may not make sense because a mix of truck sizes requires a mix of loading tools

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machine matters | continued A front-mount turning ring, tandem rear bogey, and independent front suspension make the 490-horsepower Doosan DA40 well suited for extreme conditions, it also performs well in less-extreme production applications that have soft underfoot conditions.

and the whole thing gets financially unsustainable quickly. Better to own whatever trucks will get the highest utilization rates and rent larger or smaller equipment if and when it’s necessary and cost-effective to do so.

Brian Bereika, ADT product specialist with Doosan Infracore CE, says customers who move dirt for a living will have utilization rates to justify the higher owning and operating costs of larger trucks, but that’s only part of the market. “Customers who need 30-ton trucks will always need 30-ton trucks,” Bereika says.

“They’re generally not candidates for moving up to larger models.”

Quirks and considerations Bereika says it’s ironic that an ADT may be the most expensive ma24 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

chine on a site, yet its operator may be one of the least-experienced, least-trained of all operators there.

He says it’s time for on-the-job training to be replaced with structured, professional training.

Take, for instance, ADT braking practices. According to Bereika, engine braking should come first, followed by the retarder, followed by service brakes, and those only infrequently. “The first two should be sufficient if you’re in the right gear.”

Bereika says OEMs have made ADTs simpler to operate, but that may be counter-productive. “Because operators don’t understand the function of an ADT, they can get into trouble quickly,” he says.

As for ADTs replacing rigid-frame trucks, Bereika says there are major differences that will affect return

on investment. ADTs have higher acquisition costs than rigid trucks of the same capacity and lower travel speeds; both affect ROI. In addition, an ADT doing what was a rigid truck’s job will accrue hours faster than a typical job. “Hours pile up faster than in traditional ADT applications, and when an ADT hits 12,000 hours, its first life may be over, depending on the application,” Bereika says. By comparison, rigid-frame trucks can go 15,000 or even 20,000 hours in their first life.

PM and rebuild schedules are different, too. Bereika says the design life of an ADT is shorter than that of a rigid-frame truck, but if ADTs are used on haul roads rather than the unimproved conditions of a typical ADT environment, the life cycle gap between ADTs and

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machine matters | continued

rigid trucks may narrow.

One of the arguments for moving up in truck size is the need for fewer trucks of larger capacity and fewer operators, thereby maintaining productivity at lower cost. But Bereika says there’s a pitfall here, as well. If you have six 40-ton trucks and one is down, that’s a 17 percent loss of productivity. Replace those trucks with four 60-ton models and if one goes down, productivity plummets 25 percent.

His final point is that residual value on larger ADTs seems to be weaker than for smaller trucks, when expressed as a percent of initial cost. It will take five years to get a sense of whether 60-ton trucks will hold their residual value well, he says.

26 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

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A new standard Electronics have been leading the discussion of advances in machine design, but pretty much everything is getting better. While some features remain optional, technology has brought new levels of standard equipment and performance to ADTs of all sizes. Sometimes that technology is stand-alone and sometimes it’s integrated with electronics.

Terex Trucks (a division of Volvo) used Bauma to roll out their Generation 10 TA400. Im-

provements include anti-vibration mounts for the engine and cab plus improved HVAC keep operators more comfortable. An electronically-activated exhaust brake and six-stage transmission retarder improve braking performance.

High-performance oil extends transmission service intervals to 6,000 hours. Magnetic pressure filters improve the cleanliness of hydraulic oil. Upgrades have been made to everything from hydraulic hoses to electrical interfaces to transmission mounts.

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010

buy, lease, rent | by Marcia Gruver Doyle | MGruver@randallreilly.com

RISK AVOIDANCE:

the mantra for new equipment users

The Great Recession officially ended in June 2009, but it’s taken contractors much longer to both absorb their losses and adjust their business practices. For some contractors, 2016 looks a lot like 2006, and they don’t perceive their equipment acquisition strategies as having changed much in comparison.

“O

ur views haven’t changed drastically when it comes to buying new equipment,” says Al Gorick, president Gorick Construction, Binghamton, New York. “We have always tried to make purchasing decisions based on projected utilization, and when a good value presents itself.”

Still others, such as G. W. Tatro Construction of Jeffersonville, Vermont, didn’t have much of a recession. The company continued to buy during the downturn, especially since equipment was so readily available and at attractive prices. Because of this, Greg Tatro, company president, says there’s been no significant changes either in the company’s purchase or rental strategies. “We’ll usually rent if we have a need for two or three months,” he says. Longer term rentals are handled by rental purchase options (RPOs) and converted at the end of the year “if it makes sense.”

A definite shift Whatever contractor perceptions are, a definite shift in contractor acquisition practices has been felt on the supplier side.

“There seems to be a transfer of assets on the balance sheet from customers to dealers and rental houses,” says Mike Rankin, vice president of construction finance at Volvo Financial Services.

Adds Matt McDonnough, Cat Financial sales manager, Northern region: “Prior to the Great Recession, contractors felt much more comfortable purchasing equipment, with the idea that new work would replace old work. Today, they are much more conservative, and looking for vendors or finance companies to share more of the risk.”

“We’re seeing that contractors are willing to accept less margin as long as there’s less risk,” says Brian Harris, vice president of Vermeer TexasLouisiana. In response, Harris says his dealership has ramped up its rental fleet, seen an increase in the the amount of RPOs it handles, and added to its used equipment fleet to address more priceconscious buyers.

2015’s positive impact Industry associations were a happy bunch at the end of 2015. Not only had Congress finally signed a five-year highway bill, it also had added two Christmas tax presents: extending the bonus depreciation and making Section 179 exEquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 29

buy, lease, rent | continued pensing permanent. (See sidebar at right) All were excellent news for contractors.

“I think getting a long-term highway bill is a big factor in 2016,” says John Crum, national sales manager, Wells Fargo Equipment Finance Construction Group. “It’s brought the industry a degree of stability.”

But whether or not contractors take advantage of the tax provisions will be a matter of individual circumstances, says Heath Watton, Southeastern Equipment’s Ohio regional manager. “It’s going to be driven by the year that a contractor has and whether it makes sense. It’s definitely a benefit, but it still has to be right for them.”

What helps, however, is the long-term nature of the tax legislation. If a contractor doesn’t need it this year, he can still take advantage of it next year. “December was the witching hour during the past few years,” Watton says, as the industry waited while Congress played a willthey-or-won’t-they game with the tax legislation. “Now people can be strategic about it.”

It definitely helped G. W. Tatro Construction plan out their 2015 purchases, says Tatro, but he sees it being applied on a more year-by-year basis. “If you have a good year, your nucleus machines might be getting a few more hours, and it makes sense to buy,” he says. “But construction is a hard thing to plan out three or four years, because if you get a few bad jobs, it can change things pretty quick.”

“We had a buying frenzy in December because they didn’t pass the legislation until mid-December, and people did well last year,” Volvo Financial’s Rankin says. “Now that everyone knows it’s there, there’s going to be a smoother buying pattern. People 30 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

In brief: Bonus depreciation, Section 179

D

epending on how you choose to use them, the bonus depreciation and Section 179 deductions could have a positive impact on your tax bill during the next few years.

Under legislation passed in mid-December, the 50 percent bonus depreciation was extended through 2017, allowing buyers to apply a 50 percent bonus depreciation to any new equipment bought during a fiscal year. For example, 50 percent of any new equipment bought before Dec. 31, 2016, can be depreciated on a company’s 2016 taxes, with the rest depreciated over the remaining useful life of the equipment.

Keep in mind, though, that the more you depreciate up front, the less you’ll be able to depreciate later. The Associated Equipment Dealers says that this needs to be put in perspective, however: “Would you rather have the tax savings in your pocket now to invest in your company or would you rather have Uncle Sam hold onto your money for a couple of additional years?,” asks AED’s DepreciationBonus.org website.

Currently, this bonus depreciation is at the full 50 percent for new property placed in service during 2016 and 2017, and then phases down to 40 percent in 2018 and 30 percent in 2019.

The Section 179 $500,000 cap was permanently extended in the 2015 bill.

This section of the tax code, according to the Section179.org website, allows businesses to deduct from its gross income the full purchase price of qualifying equipment bought during a tax year, instead of depreciating it over time. Unlike the bonus depreciation, it can be applied to the used equipment that you buy in a certain year, in addition to new equipment. It’s designed to be a small business deduction, so if you exceed a total of $2 million in annual qualifying equipment purchases, there’s a dollar-for-dollar phase out of the depreciation until it’s completely eliminated above the $2.5 million level. The Section 179 will be indexed to inflation in $10,000 increments in coming years. According to Section179.org, companies typically take Section 179 deductions first, followed by the bonus depreciation.

Correctly applying both of these tax instruments requires a thoughtful examination of your own tax liability and consultation with your accountant.

will be fully able to look at the value proposition of buying or leasing new.”

Rental comes to the forefront “One of the big headlines is there’s been a fundamental shift in using rental,” Wells Fargo’s Crum says. “Coming out of the recession, contractors are much more open to renting.”

The American Rental Association (ARA) Rental Penetration Index, which was introduced in 2013, now stands at 52.9, meaning that 52.9 percent of the value

of construction equipment sold in the United States first goes through the rental channel. ARA and its partner IHS Economics created the index by balancing the fleet owned by rental companies against the estimated fleet owned by contractors and other equipment owners. If rental companies buy more equipment than other types of buyers, the index number goes up; if they buy less than other buyers, it goes down.

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buy, lease, rent | continued

WHATEVER IT TAKES

year highway bill, there’s now a level of market certainty on the rental side that has not existed for more than a decade, says John McClelland, vice president for government affairs and chief economist at ARA. As rental companies are more comfortable replacing fleet, the age of their fleets will likely come down, giving contractors access to newer equipment. ARA says it expects a 6.1 percent increase in construction equipment rental revenues this year, followed by a 5.1 percent increase in 2017 and a 5.7 percent increase in 2018.

Construction equipment rental revenue has been on a sharp incline since 2011, McClelland says.

“I don’t know if there’s an answer to how far it can go, but I don’t think we’re at the top yet,” he says.

The Great Recession capitalized and underlined all the existing arguments for contractors to rent: It’s an easily-disposed-of cost; the rental company handles maintenance, repairs and delivery; and it frees up capital for other expenses. “Contractors’ minds have changed on rentals,” McClelland says. “With it, they don’t have to worry about utilization, just that they have the machine capable of doing what it needs to do when it needs to do it.” In addition, they don’t have to make-do with the equipment in their fleet to perform a specialized task.

However, he adds that all the credit/blame with rental’s continued success can’t be attributed to the massive 2008-2010 industry dip.

Other forces, including equipment availability, specialization, and the increasing complexity of equipment also had a role.

Another factor promoting rental is the significantly increased cost of new equipment, primar-

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6/15/16 10:16 AM

buy, lease, rent | continued ily the result of Tier 4 emissions compliance, says industry consultant Frank Manfredi. “Compared with a $100,000 Tier 3 unit, Tier 4 Final compliance will add about $25,000 to the cost of the

machine,” he says. “So you’re starting with a machine that’s 25 percent more to start with, and someone will have to absorb that difference.” While the bonus depreciation expansion will create

opportunities for new equipment buys, rental becomes a matter of cost control, Manfredi says. “It’s very convenient to go to the rental store and just get a machine.”

Adds Watton: “You’ll always

T

he American Rental Association’s Rental Penetration Index, which has been on a steep incline in the past five years, saw its first downward movement, albeit slight, in 2015, decreasing from 53.9 percent in 2014 to 52.9 percent in 2015. The index – which measures the value of construction equipment that first goes through the rental channel – is balanced against the estimated fleet owned by contractors and other equipment owners. If rental companies acquire fleet slower than contractors or divest fleet faster than contractors, the rental penetration index will decrease. Despite year-to-year fluctuations, the index is expected to remain above 50 percent in the coming years.

Source: ARA and IHS Economics.

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buy, lease, rent | continued Bonus depreciation through the years

There’s been some form of bonus depreciation on the books since 2002 (and retroactive to Sept. 11, 2001), with the exception of 2005-2007. In both 2014 and 2015, legislation affecting new equipment purchased that year was passed in mid-December, leading to last-minute scrambles to take advantage of the provision. This chart includes current legislation.

Start date

End date

Bonus depreciation allowed

Sept. 11, 2001

May 5, 2003

30%

May 6, 2003

Dec. 31, 2004 50%

2005-2007 No bonus depreciation

Financed sales of the top seven types of earthmoving construction equipment (excavators, dozers, skid steers, compact track loaders, wheel loaders, backhoes and artics) have more than doubled in the past five years. Compared with the same period last year, financed sales for these machines increased 8 percent in the first four months of 2016.

New financed sales, 2011-2015*

Jan. 1, 2008

Sept. 8, 2010

Sept. 9, 2010

Dec. 31, 2011 100%

50%

Jan. 1, 2012

Dec. 31, 2017 50%

Jan. 1, 2018

Dec. 31, 2018 40%

Jan. 1, 2019

Dec. 31, 2019 30%

Chart source: Baker Tilly, bakertilly.com

have rental because of sticker shock. You can buy a new backhoe for $120,000…or rent it for $55 an hour.”

Watton sees rental really come into play when a contractor wants a specific need filled. “If you’re going to drop $120,000 on a backhoe, for example, it has to pay back,” he says. “Rental has allowed contractors to own their core machines and rent the niche items.” Easily-attained rental equipment has now become a contractor’s auxiliary fleet. As a result, instead of buying four or five machines, contractors may instead buy two or three machines and rent the remainder.

And for dealers, rental is an important first step in the door toward an eventual buy, Watton says. “About 65 percent of our retail deals originate out of the rental fleet,” he says.

Still, “rental won’t become the end-all-be-all, because it makes too much sense for people to own what they need,” Watton says. “It won’t completely take

36 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

New financed sales, 2011-2015

over, but it will be a large part of the mix.”

Long live the RPO Rental purchase options, which give contractors the ability to have part of their rental payments count toward buying a machine if they opt to buy, are, by all accounts, one of the most popular financial options in the market today.

Jack Bailey, president of JBR, Fredericksburg, Virginia, is a big fan of RPOs. “You’re building equity while you’re using it, and if the market goes upside down, you can send it back,” he says.

“I have made it a point to always have an exit strategy with my equipment purchases, so I have been renting on an RPO as long as I can to generate as much equity as I can,” says Joe Porchetta, president, GMP Contracting, South Plainfield, New Jersey.

“RPOs give me eight months to a year to see if the work load will remain. If it doesn’t, I can off load it. My up-front costs are more, but

$70,000 $60,000 $50,000 $40,000 $30,000 $20,000 $10,000

2011 2012 2013 Source: EDA, edadata.com 0

2014 2015

this lets me manage my risks.”

“Contractors are asking for us to do more RPOs, because they want to see if that second job comes behind the first one in order to justify the purchase,” Harris says.

If the second job doesn’t materialize, “customers are willing to walk away on 25 to 30 percent equity on a machine, which you just didn’t see before,” he says.

Most RPOs are less than a year; as the arrangement ages, dealers may offer contractors incentives to convert an RPO to a purchase or lease in order to get a machine off their books. Manufacturers, wanting dealers to replace RPO’d machines with new machines, can also sweeten the deal.

“This is where the bonus depreciation can be extremely important,” McDonnough says. “Quite often, it tips the scales on an RPO to convert to a purchase in the fourth quarter.”

Leasing gets more flexible “The perception of leasing, in many instances, has changed,”

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buy, lease, rent | continued McDonnough says. “It used to be thought of as a way to acquire equipment with less money down, have a lower monthly payment, increase your working capital and avoid putting debt on your balance sheet. Now, the perception has changed to a way to shift the risk to someone else’s balance sheet.”

But, some contractors are not enthusiastic when it comes to leasing. “We don’t prefer leases,” one contractor told us. “Our accountant doesn’t think it’s a tool for our business.”

“With leases, you’re on the hook no matter what happens with the terms of the lease,” Bailey says.

“We don’t lease anything, because it’s just not a good fit for us. I want to own it, or be able to get rid of it.”

There may be reasons for contractors to re-examine the leasing

option, however. For one, “leases are getting shorter in nature,” says Crum, with lease terms, formerly averaging three to four years, now averaging two to three years.

And depending on the deal, flex leases, which have been around for awhile, may be more attractive since they offer multiple outs, some as short as 12 months. The downside is that you trade the increase in flexibility for a higher monthly payment.

“Flex leases give customers the flexibility to size their fleet to their workloads, while gaining the cost benefits of leasing over renting,” Volvo Financial Services’ Rankin says. With a flex lease, contractors typically pay a higher payment for the first 12 months, and if they decide to continue with the full lease term, pay a lower payment for the remaining months. “It’s a highly competitive market – both from the

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contractor’s perspective and the lender’s perspective,” Rankin adds.

“Leasing is a great option when there are manufacturer-supported initiatives,” says Jeremy Hiltz, president of Jeremy Hiltz Excavating, Ashland, New Hampshire.

“For example, if you can structure a lease with a low or no money down factor and a favorable residual buyout, the first half of the cost is off-balance-sheet financed, and then you can purchase in the end for virtually the same cost as a straight acquisition with more options.”

Rankin says leasing has a definite upside. “Leasing helps customers manage their costs, because those costs are defined, they know what their payments are and what will happen at the end of the lease, and they don’t have to worry about resale. Our business has returned to normal, with slightly

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more leasing than before. Overall, total volume is up 5 to 10 percent compared to last year.”

But are contractors in a buying mood?

“As a whole, they’re standoffish” when it comes to outright purchases, Harris says.

“They’ll replace an aged machine here and there to keep downtime to a minimum, or they’ll buy one because they need it.”

Whatever method contractors use to acquire the use of equipment, it seems right now they are seeing at least a short-term need. Several contractors that we contacted said they had either bought, converted an RPO, or increased their rentals in the past few months.

“As a whole, customers are evaluating the buy versus lease decision more closely when acquiring equipment,” Rankin says. “Many want to have a good balance of both owned and leased equipment, based on the unique benefits of each, as well as the duration and size of their jobs.”

How much would construction equipment rental costs need to increase for you to consider buying instead of renting equipment?

10% Increase significantly (15% or more)

13%

My company would not consider buying construction equipment this year 10% Increase slightly (less than 5%)

52% 25%

Increase moderately (5% to less than 15%)

Source: 2016 Wells Fargo Construction Industry Forecast (Survey dates: Oct. 19 – Nov. 6, 2015)

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maintenance | by Tom Jackson | TJackson@randallreilly.com

Image: Pat Ryan

OPERATOR CARE

PROGRAMS

Don’t assume that all your operators know how to use a grease gun or where all the grease zerks are.

It is possible to reduce emergency equipment repairs to almost zero.

M

ost people think modern construction equipment is more reliable. Yet in the 1950s the average breakdown rate was about 20 to 25 percent. By the 1990s that figure had risen to 60 percent.

Why, when the equipment was getting better, were emergency repair rates creeping up decade after decade?

According to Preston Ingalls,

president and CEO of TBR Strategies, in the 1950s an operator was expected to be a fair mechanic and take good care of his machine. A well-rounded operator back then knew how to use his eyes and ears and sense of smell and his ability to detect unusual vibration to tell when something was starting to deteriorate.

Today, says Ingalls, everybody is specialized. Operators operate and mechanics take care of the

equipment. Trouble is, the typical mechanic or service tech may be responsible for dozens of machines and may only spend an hour or two with each one every few months. That’s no substitute for the kind of care a well trained operator can provide for a machine he works with 20 to 40 or more hours a week.

A properly-trained operator can detect 70 to 75 percent of all potential failures, Ingalls says. And EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 41

maintenance | continued

Five elements In an operator care program, there are five basic things on which you should train your operators, says Ingalls.

1. Knowing how to tighten, lubricate and clean components and when to do so.

2. Inspecting, detecting and correcting deficiencies before a machine runs to failure.

3. Maintaining correct operating procedures. “Teach them not just how to operate the equipment, but how the equipment operates,” Ingalls says. Accidents, neglect and abuse are substantial contributors to equipment failures.

4. Improving design issues. This isn’t solely the operators’ responsibility, but train your operators to communicate with mechanics and fleet managers. Encourage them to speak up about access problems, ergonomic issues, any design element of the machine they think isn’t right. Form EITs, or equipment improvement teams to collect these suggestions and take countermeasures where you can. You should also communicate these concerns to your dealers and OEMs. 5. How they can elevate their skills. Give them the basic mechanical knowledge and skills they need to do simple maintenance, troubleshoot issues and understand how the machine works and reacts. Another part of this is ensuring they repair it with a “fix it right – fix it once” mentality.

There are typically three periods of time operators can perform these chores: • The beginning of the shift • During down time such as 42 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

Image: Pat Ryan

companies that have trained their operators and instilled auditing and accountability procedures substantially reduce equipment downtime and the cost of repairs.

Frequent cleaning of the machine will help foster pride of ownership in the operator and make detecting leaks and other problems easier.

waiting for the trucks to deliver asphalt • At the end of the day. “If you look at a typical day, eight to 10 hours, you can find 20 to 30 minutes,” says Ingalls. “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.”

Calling CLAIRE Ingalls also teaches operators and maintenance shops how to establish more involved maintenance procedures, called CLAIRE. In addition to the aforementioned Cleaning, Lubricating, Adjusting, and Inspecting, CLAIRE also involves Repairing minor components, Replacement of things like filters, and Eliminating issues like leaks and signs of early deterioration.

The CLAIRE system breaks PMs down into two categories. Type 1 PMs are operator performed and done daily and weekly. A description of these can usually be found in the OEM manual that comes with the machine. Type 2 PMs,

on the other hand, are done by skilled tradesmen, such as a mechanic or technician, on a schedule, typically timed to coincide with a PM, oil change or other regular maintenance.

It takes about four hours to training your operators and maintenance staff on the 5-step program and CLAIRE procedures.

A lot of people train at the beginning of the season, before production swings into high gear, says Ingalls. If you’re not seasonal, you’ll have to pick a time, perhaps between big jobs. But you get more bang for your buck at the beginning of the season than after, he says.

A key element in an operator care program are your standards.

The details of the daily and weekly tasks should be printed out on a laminated card and placed in a water proof black box or somewhere on the vehicle. These tell the operator what to do, where to do it, when to do it and how well.

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Proving justification Selling company executives on an operator care program isn’t difficult once you show them how much they are spending on emergency maintenance and losing on downtime compared to others in the industry, says Ingalls. “Once they 44 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

Make it easier for your operators to detail their machines by supplying them will all the necessary cleaners and products in an easy-to-access place. see that and the fact that they’re nowhere near world-class levels, it becomes a business opportunity.”

The savings achieved in programs like these drop straight to the bottom line. They are pure profit.

Operators are likewise easy to convince, Ingalls says, because they know the frustration of equipment that’s not running well, breakdowns and delays. “We tell them they can make those headaches go away,” says Ingalls. Another way is to appeal to their sense of pride and ownership. “It’s just like getting a teenager to help wash and wax the car. At the end of that experience they have a greater sense of pride in that vehicle,” he says.

You should also have an incentive program and reward those who participate. The rewards don’t have to be big, since the public recognition of a job well done is most important.

Image: Pat Ryan

Measure and monitor In addition to training operators, you need a process to monitor and record what they’re doing. If you rely on paper or digital records kept by the operator, there is the temptation to pencil whip the results, checking off the boxes without actually performing the work.

To prevent this, Ingalls says you should train and field a group of “auditors,” people whose job it is to periodically inspect the machines and verify that they are well maintained and in good running order.

About a half day of training is needed to create an auditor, says Ingalls. These can be anybody in the company – executives, estimators, engineers, support staff, supervisors – not just technicians or shop personnel. Ingalls recommends against using operators or foremen for auditors. Operators tend to be less objective, and it’s problematic to take a foreman off a busy job, he says.

A typical construction company will need 10 or 12 percent of its employees to conduct audits. An average audit will only take about 30 minutes, says Ingalls, plus windshield time. And the average auditor should be able to handle three to five inspections a month.

Start with your critical equipment first, your mission essential machines, Ingalls says. What your auditors are looking for is visible evidence that shows that the operator is maintaining this equipment to standard. Is the cab clean? Are the fluids at the proper level? Have the filters been changed? Is the machine clean overall?

Image: Pat Ryan

maintenance | continued

To make any operator care program work you need checklists, audits and accountability.

Once you have a program up and running, you maintain it with lots of follow up and follow through – slow but persistent nudging, Ingalls says. “This isn’t something you’re going to create overnight. It takes a long time. But the clients that have been successful at this run 1 to 2 percent emergency repairs per season,” he says.

Preston Ingalls consults with construction industry fleets on equipment uptime and cost improvements and has led reliability improvement efforts across 30 countries for companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon, Occidental Petroleum, Toyota and others.

He can be reached at www.tbr-strategies.com.

Preston Ingalls

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quick data | by Marcia Gruver Doyle

Skid steers

|

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*

Auctions

Both new and used sales were essentially flat during the period.

NEW: USED: DOWN .005% DOWN .03%

Skid steer, compact track loader auction prices, 2011-2016 YTD $25,000

Low: Sep. 2012

$24,000

$

$23,000 $22,000

18,188

*Comparison of number of skid steers financed May 1, 2015 to Apr. 30, 2016, and May 1, 2014 to Apr. 30, 2015.

Source: EDA, edadata.com

$21,000 $20,000 $19,000 $18,000

High: May 2011

$17,000

$

$16,000 $15,000

22,960

$

Average:

20,385

$

$13,000

19,089

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

May

Jan.

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

Oct.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

Sep.

Jul.

Apr.

Jan.

$8,000

Jan.

$9,000

Oct.

$10,000

Jul.

$11,000

May

Current average auction prices for the top 10 models of skid steers and compact track loaders are now $1,296 below the five-year average of $20,385. For the past five years, monthly average prices have stayed within a narrow $5,000 band.

$12,000

PRICE

Top three states for skid steer buyers*

Current: Apr. 2016

$14,000

2016

1

Texas: 1,896 buyers

2

Wisconsin: 1,812 buyers

3

Minnesota: 1,797 buyers

Trend prices for the top 10 models of skid steers and compact track loaders sold at auction, not seasonally adjusted.

Source: TopBid, topbid.com (TopBid does not separate out the two types of machines.)

$

47,500

OTHER TOP BID:

Top financed new skid steer*

Top auction price, paid for 2015 John Deere 332E with 161 hours at a Ritchie Bros. sale on Dec. 9, 2015 in Denver.

41,000

$

2012 Cat 272DXHP, 139 hours, Ritchie Bros., Dec. 9, 2015 in Minneapolis.

Bobcat S650, 1,213 units

0 6,0

0

0 0 5 , $47

AVERAGE

$

HIGH

June 1, 2015 – May 31, 2016; prices of skid steers 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: 966

0 9 0 , $20 New

Skid steers new/used sales trends, 2006-2015*

Used

Cat 262D, 1,162 units

25,000 22,400

New high: 2006, 19,747 units

20,000 17,500

Top financed used skid steer*

Used low: 2010, 8,799 units

15,000 12,500 10,000 7,500 5,000 2,500

Bobcat S185, 537 units

Used high: 2007, 13,030 units

1,000

New low: 2010, 4,236 units

500

UNITS

2006

2007

Other top selling new machine:

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

*In terms of number of financed units sold May 1, 2015 – Apr. 30, 2016.

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

*Financed equipment, 2006-2015, number of units sold. Source: EDA, edadata.com

EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 47

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GPS/GNSS 101 | by Tom Jackson | TJackson@randallreilly.com

GPS for excavators

A new and surprisingly useful evolution of this technology Part 2 of a 4-part series

W

hen GPS/GNSS made its first debut in the construction world, dozers and motor graders were the machines of choice to use this earthmoving technology. With precise satellite data and 3D topo plans, operators could skim the last few centimeters of a site with full confidence that their blades were right on target.

In the past couple of years, though, some manufacturers also began to outfit their excavators with GPS/GNSS technology. And contractors are finding a wide range of

uses for excavator machine control in addition to great safety benefits.

How it works GPS/GNSS on dozers and motor graders measure the position of the blade’s cutting edge by putting a receiver antenna on the blade (although some newer dozer systems have done away with the antenna masts and use small inertial measurement units [IMUs] mounted to the body of the machine.)

With excavators, the receiver antennas are mounted on the back of the machine, on or near the counterweight. The exact location

Excavators, unlike dozers, use GPS/GNSS antenna mounted on the counterweight.

During the calibration process, the distance from the antenna to the bucket is measured and then angle sensors on the boom and bucket calculate the exact position of the cutting edge. of the cutting edge of the bucket is determined by angle sensors on the stick, boom and bucket cylinders and calibrating the distance between the antenna and the bucket.

As with dozer and grader applications, excavator GPS/GNSS systems get their corrected RTK (real-time kinetic) positioning data EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 49

GPS/GNSS 101 | continued

The in-cab monitor on a GPS/GNSS excavator shows the digital design plan and the position of the excavator and bucket in real time.

from a base station set up at the jobsite. Likewise, the operator plugs a digital, 3D topo map of the site into the excavator’s monitor and either cuts to the line shown on the monitor (indicate mode) or puts the system into full automation mode and lets the GPS/GNSS positioning data guide the bucket to the exact contours of the design grade.

If you already have a GPS/GNSS system running your dozers or excavators, you can use the same base station and radio transmitter to guide your excavators at the same time. The RTK signal is broadcast over a wide area and can be used simultaneously by any number of machines on a jobsite.

Benefits With the precise positioning of the bucket’s edge made possible through GPS/GNSS excavator systems you get a number of benefits: • No over-digging. The bucket stops at the exact bottom of the trench, so you never disturb (and consequently have to re-compact) 50 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

the existing soil below grade. Also, you don’t have to fill in low spots with fresh material and you don’t have to put compaction equipment in the trench or the footings that you dig. Dig once, and move on.

• Safety. With the accuracy of the dig controlled by the GPS/GNSS data to a centimeter or two, you don’t have to put a rod man down in the trench to measure the depth and you don’t need the surveyor above ground calibrating the accuracy of your work. That reduces the risks of putting people in a trench and frees up two people for other tasks. This is a huge advantage, especially in deeper trenches where you would otherwise be required to use shoring boxes or cut back the sides of the trench – which often involves more digging than the actual trench.

• Cut complex contours singlehandedly. With GPS/GNSS guidance, the role of the excavator as the machine that hogs out the dirt before other machines come in and clean up behind it may be

coming to an end. Culverts with flat bottoms and sloped sides, pads and mounds, and retaining ponds can all be carved accurately without disturbing the underlying soil and without the need for finish or cleanup machines.

• Precise slopes for pipelines.

Gravity-fed water and sewer systems require extremely accurate downhill slopes over long distances. With the GPS/GNSS guidance an excavator can cut a 3-degree or 5-degree slope (or any number, for that matter) for a pipeline for miles without the need for regular surveying and the worry that you may have a high or low spot somewhere along the length of the trench.

Availability and brands At present Caterpillar and Komatsu offer factory-installed GPS/GNSS systems on their excavators. But you can also outfit other brands of excavators or older models with aftermarket kits from technology companies such as Topcon, Trimble and Leica.

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road science | by Chris Hill PART

7

|

ChrisHill@randallreilly.com

WINNING the BONUS

GOING STRINGLESS

Efficient stringless systems cut costs while improving pavement quality.

W

Image: Guntert & Zimmerman

hen paired with stringless controls, slipform paving gets a boost in accuracy and smoothness, and contractors cut down production times.

Instead of using a traditional stringline to guide the paver along a grade, the “stringless” process uses electronic guidance systems. By using stringless controls, contractors can eliminate the hubs, pins and sensors needed when using the stringline method.

Stringless technologies are not all the same, but the components are

Stringless systems remove safety hazards, including the obvious trip hazard of stringlines and stakes.

52 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

similar, as are the options, which typically include 3D modeling, GPS, laser surveying and robotic total stations.

Stringless paving systems are sometimes referred to as 3D paving because they provide a 3D model This month, Equipment World rounds out its seven-part series on how to optimize pavement construction to win bonuses with a look at the benefits of stringless control systems in PCC Pavement construction.

Part I: Part 2: Part 3: Part 4: Part 5: Part 6: Part 7:

Smooth Pavements through Cold Milling Smooth Pavements and Material Transfer Vehicles Smooth Pavements and Asphalt Pavers Smooth Pavements and Asphalt Screeds Compaction for Super Smooth Asphalt Pavements Super-Smooth PCC Pavements with Slipform Pavers Super-Smooth PCC Pavements with Stringless Controls

of the pavement.

The technology used in stringless paving was originally used for dirt work applications in the 1990s. It has been so successful there that it’s still used in grading and compaction, where tolerances aren’t as tight as they are in paving.

Then came the paving applications. According to the American Concrete Pavement Association, the first successful stringless curb and gutter (C&G) work was done in 1999 in Alabama; the first stringless street followed shortly in early 2000 in Iowa. Progress came rapidly,

Multiple impacts Stringless paving eliminates several factors affecting smoothness that are connected to using stringlines.

These include sag associated with stringline expansion in hot weather, push up from improperly tensioned sensors, deviations from the loss of contact, bumps from knots and/ or splices and the human factor of the crew making touching sensor controls too often.

Stringless systems control horizontal and vertical curves to be more accurate to the plan, with a series of arcs (the curved part of a circle) paved rather than a series of cords. In geometric terms, think

of a circle, with the curved part as an arc, and a cord as a straight line along the arc. By paving as an arc/ curve instead of a series of straight lines roughly forming a curve, a 3D system creates a more accurate and smooth surface. This means more precise machine control to smaller increments in a digital format. That precision translates to improved and consistent ride quality, control of material quantities and lower yield loss, which helps lower costs.

Efficiencies also come in the form of man hours, as contractors gain productivity and time efficiency with these systems. They can reduce their field surveying and eliminate stringline surveying for hubs and stakes. Crew members establish a control network that consists of control points that are created from the field survey work. These control points are tied to known bench-

marks positioned out of the way of operations and the public. As a result, crew members also spend less time on overall grade preparation.

Safety is also improved with these systems. Trip hazards are reduced and site access is improved, particularly for inspectors and testing technicians. There also are fewer backup hazards and paving at night and in tight areas is less complicated.

Stringless methods also allow crews to work in a more compact space, since they require less than half the clearance on each side of the paver than that of stringline operation.

Systems designed for efficiency Brian Lingobardo, systems manager of 3D Road Construction for Topcon Positioning Systems says the No. 1 benefit of stringless paving can be simply pulled from its name. “No stringline reduces material

A total control station from Topcon.

Image: Topcon

with an airport job completed in 2001, and a highway project in 2003. The first published research on stringless paving, issued in 2003, covered a project in Iowa.

EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 53

and labor costs including, resetting damaged stringline and time to reset stringline on multiple lanes or passes,” Lingobardo says. “It saves time, prior to paving and during the paving process. No stringline also gives a contractor the ability to work in narrow work corridors that otherwise would have been difficult to set string in.”

Lingobardo says stringless paving eliminates the staking-out work and inaccurate line placement in stringline work. Truck logistics are simplified around the paver and in entering and exiting the work site.

The biggest challenge for contractors in transitioning to stringless paving would be training crew members from scratch who haven’t been exposed to 3D work in another form, such as dirt work or surveying, for example. “The process generally takes a little longer as we need to make sure the customer understands 3D, real time kinematic, GPS, robotics, etc., and can perform some basic troubleshooting prior to stringless paving,” he says It’s not just the people that present a challenge. Lingobardo adds that older machines, or even newer ones with considerable wear, can be problematic, primarily because of performance issues. A stringless system won’t make a poor performing machine produce any better, and the 3D system can even highlight bad quality. “Ensuring the machine is properly maintained and is performing within tolerance is essential prior to going stringless, as well,” he explains.

Stringless systems are best used any time a stringline can be removed and site logistics are simplified, Lingobardo says. In C&G work, the 3D system shines in areas with tight radii or compound radii that are difficult to setup and pour with stringlines, such as parking lots, gas stations and warehouses with islands in the design.

“Often the contractor pours these areas by hand as it is too time 54 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

Image: Topcon

road science | continued

Topcon offers a local positioning system paving system for stringless paving in conditions when GNSS signals are blocked or unavailable.

consuming, or the machine will simply run into the stringline when making the tight turn,” Lingobardo explains. “With 3D, the machine can pour these radius exactly to the engineer’s specifications without the concern for machine and truck logistics.”

Lingobardo adds that smoothness is still achieved – as it is with stringline paving – with good paving practices and methods, including mix design, material placement, paver speed, etc.

“When a ride spec is in place, the stringless system needs to perform the same or better than what was being used prior to 3D,” Lingobardo says. “Depending on the ride spec or smoothness, along with site logistics, we will choose what system and sensor type makes sense for optimal performance to use on the paver.”

There are still some limitations of stringless paving, so the use relies on quality prep work for a project. As with any GPS based system, sensor blockage or outages are concerns from obstacles such as bridges and tight paving lanes, including sound walls and active traffic on a mainline project.

Lingobardo adds that technology service providers can review a project before paving begins and determine where, if necessary a

Making the transition

T

ransitioning from stringline paving to stringless systems isn’t a difficult process, but contractors will need to keep in mind several factors when making the switch.

Capital expenditure. There is investment involved, whether it is in new equipment or in retrofitting. Contractors will need to check with equipment manufacturers for recommendations for either. This also requires investment in control points and other ancillary devices needed.

Line-of-site. Crews will need to understand the concept that line of site for the instruments is key to operation.

Weather and environmental considerations. These factors will impact the total stations, lasers and GPS, so understanding their affect will help you avoid problems.

Training. There is a big learning curve for crew members when switching to stringless paving, so groups such as the American Concrete Pavement Association recommend contractors dedicate trained personnel to run stringless operations and work with 3D modeling.

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road science | continued

Compared to stringline paving, stringless paving projects allow road crews to get much closer to the work area.

stringline would have to used, rather than the stringless system. They may also advise a contractor to use a local positioning system, which is robotic based, to give a stringless paving option when GNSS signals are blocked or unavailable.

Contractor sees benefits Millstone Webber, based in St. Charles, Missouri, has been recognized multiple times for its quality concrete pavements, particularly through the ACPA’s awards program. One such project, the reconstruction of U.S. 50 in Osage County, Missouri, was completed using stringless technology.

The company began to implement stringless paving in 2010, working on smaller roadways, interstate projects and an airport.

For the U.S. 50 project, Millstone used a GOMACO placer/spreader and paver using six Leica 1200 series total stations. Nick Hilton, 56 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

Four basic steps for stringless paving

O

ne of the advantages touted for stringless paving is the time it can save crew members, as it generally requires fewer steps at the project site compared to stringline paving. However, it does require work in the office.

In its web-based training course, “Proper Use of Stringless Slipform Paving Technology,” the American Concrete Pavement Association provides a breakdown of what it says are the four basic steps for stringless paving: Create a survey control network. A series of control points need to be established along the project length that will serve as references for the communicating with the paving machine. The control points must be tied to a known benchmark. This step is also required for paving with string control, although there are far fewer control points required for a stringless operation.

Collect field survey data of the existing surface to build a computer model. This method has been automated in its own right, but to take advantage of stringless paving, the automated approaches using GPS and other technologies is the most logical approach.

Design the roadway, create a 3D model and convert data for machine inputs. Design the pavement and create a 3D computer model of the existing surface and the proposed new profile and cross sections. This is done using CAD technology and it is likely the data will need to be simplified and processed to only include essential information or inputs for paving machine control.

An engineer’s plan is basically placed directly into the system.

Transfer the simplified model to the paving machine, set up the 3D instruments, tie into the controls and then pave. Transfer the simplified model to the paving machine’s onboard computer. Paving is then performed using a series of total stations and GPS controls to guide the machine’s position.

Multiple configurations and details will need to be adjusted, however, to get the best results.

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road science | continued

Total stations and GPS controls guide a paver’s position during the paving process. survey department manager at the time of the project, says one of the total stations was used for the placer, and two were used for paver, with the remaining three used to “leap frog” forward to keep the paving operations continuously moving.

“The stringless paving allowed an increase accessibility to the job with the elimination of stringlines,” Hilton explains. “Another contributing factor to the success of stringless paving was the time and cost savings we achieved by eliminating the stringline set up process.”

In the switch from stringlines to stringless, Hilton says the biggest difference he notices between the systems was the amount of time needed between grading and paving options.

“Stringless paving operations can begin immediately following the conclusion of the grading operation,” he says. “We no longer have to wait for the survey/paving hubs/stringline set up before paving.”

The shift did have some challenges, though, but it was on the human side of the operation. Hilton says some of the Millstone Weber more experienced crew members were skeptical of the capabilities of the stringless system, mainly because they could no longer see the stringline.

“Without the visual assurance for them to know what is happening ahead of the paver, it was a daunting task to get those crew members to buy in and embrace the new technology,” he explains. “There has to be a commitment to the process as it takes time and experience to realize the benefits.”

These benefits include smoothness: the company was

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able to boost its smoothness numbers and received an increased bonus incentive.

Since that time, the Missouri Department of Transportation has adopted a new smoothness specification going from Profile Index (PI) to the International Roughness Index (IRI), Hilton says. “Currently the majority of our pavement is placed using stringless technology and we are constantly improving our results through experience and advancements in the technology,” he says, continuing: “In order to stay competitive in a market without an abundance of work, you need to use any advantage you can achieve to stay relevant. This technology can give the contractor a competitive advantage in both cost and time on some projects.”

Millstone Weber’s U.S. 50 project was valued at $26.2 million and involved the construction of 6.6 miles of four lane divided highway. It involved 188,000 square yards of concrete paving.

To order, call (800) 430-4540 or visit www.equipmentworld.com/roady-order-form Email: roady@equipmentworld.com EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 59 Roady_EW_halfpage_EW0415.indd 1

3/25/15 8:52 AM

PARTNER SOLUTIONS | MACK TRUCKS

MACK TRUCKS POWER HILCO TRANSPORT WITH INCREASED PERFORMANCE AND UPTIME ®

By Carmen K. Sisson

J

eff Loudermilk can tell you anything you want to know about Hilco Transport, but he laughs when you ask about uptime. He stopped tracking it years ago, because he didn’t have enough issues to report. His 381-truck fleet — 279 of which are Mack PinnaclesTM and Granites® — keeps rolling, season after season, regardless of climate or application. Downtime is a distant memory.

Hilco, which is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, specializes in the transport of waste, aggregate, liquid asphalt, propane and petroleum and dump trucks. Splitting the company into five divisions creates economic diversity, says Loudermilk, vice president of maintenance.

By focusing on seasonal need, Hilco ensures year-round work for approximately 300 company drivers and owner-operators.

The steady –Jeff Loudermilk, vice president of stream of projects helped them weather the recession of 2008. As other companies folded, Hilco grew, doubling in size and market area.

They now serve most states in the southeastern United States, from New York to Florida to the banks of the Mississippi River.

Mack’s performance across applications is a strong asset, Loudermilk says. If his drivers are hauling petroleum, every six pounds they can save in weight equals one additional gallon they can carry. When they are transporting waste to landfills, it’s all about having the power they need to get the job done.

“Those are two completely different vehicles, but most of the consumable parts are interchangeable,” Loudermilk says. “It’s such a versatile vehicle — if I have a door handle, window part, or switch on the dash that I stock in my parts room, I don’t have to keep separate stock

“

for the dump trucks and the day cabs. The same switch, door handle, or oil filter — any consumable part — will fit all the trucks. Everything is kind of universal, so instead of having to have five different starters or five different fan belts in my parts room, I can stock one.”

Though the construction industry was slow to bounce back after the recession, the pace has quickened considerably. Road projects and demolitions are strong, and Hilco — which has 75 dump trucks — now hires an additional up to 50 dump trucks as needed to handle the increased workload.

The dump trucks are spec’d with 11-liter Mack MP7 405 hp engines, with 1,560 lb.-ft of torque. The rest of the trucks are powered by 13-liter Mack MP8 505 hp engines with 1,860 lb.-ft of torque.

GuardDog Connect keeps things running smoothly, alerting maintenance for Hilco Transport drivers to potential problems and routing them to the nearest dealer. Loudermilk receives the alerts, too. Modern telemetry keeps his over-the-road drivers out of the office and out on the highway. He may not see a truck again until the 275,000-mile mark, but he doesn’t need to — he’s fully aware of everything that happens inside the cab, from mechanical issues to driver safety.

The uptime features solve a major headache — handling maintenance issues on the road so that drivers spend less time waiting and more time driving.

“Uptime Center is second to none for issues on the road,” Loudermilk says. “With GuardDog Connect, it’s invaluable.”

TransSource, Hilco’s local dealer, has been instrumental in the company’s success, Loudermilk says. They are not just vendors; they are partners. Together, they have created a corporate culture that remains cutting-edge,

MACK’S UPTIME CENTER IS SECOND TO NONE FOR ISSUES ON THE ROAD. WITH GUARDDOG CONNECT, IT’S INVALUABLE.

”

One of Hilco Transport’s 2016 Mack Pinnacles hauls jet fuel to a customer in Greensboro, North Carolina. quality driven and customer-focused.

“Hilco and TransSource help each other build and maintain the best vehicle we can, and we, in turn, share our knowledge with other folks in the industry,” Loudermilk says. “We try to be on the leading edge. That is what separates us at the top of the trucking fleet — having the best equipment for our drivers and community. When one of our trucks drives through your community, it’s well-maintained and is using the latest technology on that equipment to be safe and efficient.”

Often, Loudermilk is among the first to know about Mack’s new projects. Hilco has served as a Mack test fleet since 2011, so they get to try next generation engines, software and components before anyone else.

When the first mDRIVE became available, Loudermilk was already an enthusiastic convert, vowing that future purchases would feature the automated manual transmission.

After all, his fleet had spent months testing the mDRIVE. He knew how it alleviated driver fatigue and increased fuel savings. He knew how it made for smoother, more efficient turns. And there was another advantage, too: Switching to the mDRIVE widens the pool of potential new drivers, many whose sole experiences have been with automated transmissions.

Today, more than 60 percent of his Macks use the mDRIVE, and he is closely watching Mack’s 2017 lineup, which continues the company’s dedication to reducing greenhouse gas emissions without throttling power.

“It appears Mack is going to be a leader over the next few years,” Loudermilk says. “We like what we’re seeing and think it’s a great improvement — a step in the right direction.”

Hilco also anticipates continued growth, but no matter how big the family-owned company becomes, some things will remain the same.

Safety will always be paramount, with the company taking advantage of every safety feature available, from collision avoidance to adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, side view cameras and extra mirrors. Employees will still be expected to wash their trucks every other week, whether they are away from home or on the road.

And the bright yellow trucks — officially known as “Big Bird Yellow” — will continue to roll.

Hilco Transport City, State: Greensboro, North Carolina Number of employees: 380 (at all locations, including drivers) Markets served: Transport of waste, aggregate, liquid asphalt, propane and petroleum and dump trucks

For more solutions from Mack Trucks, go to Equipmentworld.com/partner-solutions/mack.

highway contractor | by Chris Hill

|

ChrisHill@randallreilly.com

T

he pothole is the bane of both the driver and a transportation department. It can ruin a morning commute and overshadow any positive roadway construction projects in an area.

According to AAA, pothole damage costs U.S. drivers roughly $3 billion a year, with roughly 16 million drivers experiencing some form of pothole damage to their vehicles over the past five years.

“On average, American drivers report paying $300 to repair pothole-related vehicle damage,” says said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “Those whose vehicles incurred this type of damage had it happen

62 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

This pavement section shows continued pothole problems despite multiple repair attempts. frequently, with an average of three times in the past five years.”

The public perception of pothole repair in a community can be limited to nothing much more than one worker filling a hole with a bag of cold patch, followed by a quick tamping or a simple drive-over with a truck. This perception is further clouded with the resulting crumbling and cracking a short while later on the same spot.

From city to county to the state level, transportation governing agencies put a lot of effort into repairing potholes. Many offer multiple means for the public to notify of pothole locations, from apps, to websites and hotlines. But identifying and locating them isn’t the issue. It’s the

efficient and thorough repair that’s the concern.

In the quest for better solutions, contractors and transportation departments are turning to other options beyond the standard road crew fill and go.

Infrared heating These spot heaters use infrared heat to superheat (to between 1,500 and 1,900 degrees) existing asphalt so it can be reworked and formed back into place. An area to be repaired is heated until the asphalt is “workable” and pliant, then a “rejuvenating compound” is added along with recycled and/or new asphalt, which is then smoothed out over patch.

The asphalt heating is from within,

Image: Missouri DOT

Innovations are on the rise, but the basics still rule

Image: Ray-Tech Infrared

highway contractor | continued “Infrared repairs are virtually unheard of in many areas,” says Wesley Van Velsor, sales and marketing manager for New Hampshirebased Ray-Tech Infrared. “This makes contractors and their customInfrared-heated asphalt is scarified with a rake to begin ers leery of the the rejuvenation process. technology. If it is such a good repair method, they wonder why they’ve as there are no exposed flames. never heard of it before. The customThis keeps the asphalt and oils from ers aren’t always willing to spend separating. The heated area is then sectioned off with the back of a rake, money on a repair that they may consider impossible, which makes it forming a rectangular working area, touchy for contractors to sell.” and then scratched up by the rake.

Van Velsor concedes that infrared A rejuvenator is then added to the may not be the answer to surfaces asphalt and worked in, smoothed out with bad base materials, but he beand compacted using a tamper. lieves it can be a cost effective and While this process isn’t necessarily permanent solution for many asphalt new, it still hasn’t matured to a point surface issues. where it is well known.

“Compared to traditional cut and replace methods, infrared requires fewer employees per job, fewer labor hours and a lower fuel costs, whereas a cut-and-replace patch will eventually deteriorate from the edges inwards,” he says. “Infrared edges out cold patching techniques as it will outlast the cold patch materials and requires little to no additional effort.”

Right now, Ray-Tech is seeing roughly 75 percent of its equipment going to contractors, with the remaining 25 percent being bought by government entities.

The success of a pilot program at Prince George’s County Maryland could offer a boost of interest from the government level.

The county began a two-year pilot program for pothole repairs using infrared technology in 2015. Officials opted for the program due to its need to fill potholes in the winter with a system that would be more reliable than cold mix, according

64 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com Rubbertrax_Equip0216_PG.indd 1

1/7/16 3:13 PM

made during the winter and in inclement weather have experienced some degradation around the edges.

However, he says the county and the public have been overall pleased with the results.

“The feedback from the public has been positive. A Virginia Department of Transportation contractor using a With this methmobile spray pothole patcher on I-95 North in Richmond. odology, squares are the end result of the repair. There have been a All-in-one few complaints on the ‘checkered’ SuperiorRoads Solutions in Regina, appearance of the road, but the Saskatchewan, produces an all-in-one infrared systems will be a methodol- machine, the Python 5000, which can ogy retained after the pilot program be run by one operator who stays inends. However, how the system will side the equipment during the repair. be incorporated in our maintenance Scott Yasinski, SuperiorRoads vice program for pothole repair has still president of sales, says the original not been determined.” idea behind the machine was to

Image: Al Covey, Virginia DOT

Darrell Mobley, the county’s director of public works and transportation.

Other contributing factors, such as hot mix asphalt not being readily available, and crews having to respond to weather events, also led to the pilot program.

“Our initial plan was to use this service in the winter, as it would be a more permanent repair,” Mobley says. “We expanded the concept and assigned the infrared truck to locations where there were numerous potholes in groups.”

Using the system provided by Pavement Corporation, the county has been able to repair between 17 and 21 potholes per day. “The time it takes to fill a pothole using the infrared process is comparable to the time needed to repair a pothole using the traditional pothole truck,” he explains. “The differences in the process are methodology and type of material used.”

Mobley says the repairs are in good to fair condition, but that some

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improve both safety and efficiency.

With the design, the operator stays in the cab and doesn’t have to be on the roadway while work is being performed. “If we can keep people off the street, then we help reduce accidents in work zones and send people home to their families,” he says.

In his discussions with contractors and municipalities, Yasinski is finding that road crews repair potholes at rates ranging from about 40 per week to around 20 per day.

“This is reasonable when you consider three- or four-person road crews have to go out and set up their safety equipment and trucks and then get the work done,” he says. “With our machine we’re averaging between 22 to 25 potholes per hour.”

Yasinski also says this can translate to less than half the cost per ton to lay down asphalt with a traditional crew. The machine performs multiple tasks, including applying a blast of air to remove debris from the pothole, applying a tack coat, filling the hole with hot mix, then compaction.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) used a similar one-man pothole machine during the 2015-16 winter season. With its fleet of five machines, RIDOT was able to patch more than 36,000 potholes in roughly a year’s time.

The agency directly attributes a dramatic drop in pothole claims to the ability of these machines. In an average year, RIDOT receives 560 pothole damage claims. For the 201516 season, they only received 151.

“Pothole repair just one of those places where so much money could be saved and much better jobs could be done,” says Yasinski. “There’s no reason to have so many potholes out there. And there’s no reason to have the public ticked off about what they see out there with road crews.”

The basics No matter the innovation, proper pothole repair still boils down to the basics of preparing a surface correctly, according to Dave Anderson, direc66 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

tor of sales for the government business unit for Bergkamp.

One of the biggest failures he sees in traditional pothole repair is not applying a tack coat.

“The tack coat does two different things,” he says.

“One, it seals the A fifth-generation Addibot mobile 3D printer prototype is being area. So if you’ve worked up to handle asphalt pothole and crack repairs. got a lot of moisture that comes bots, which is proposing a robotic up, the tack coat seals it out. Two, it mobile 3D printer for this task. But also provides an adhesion bed to get instead of having material attached your mix on it. That’s going to be the to the Addibot to print, the machine same whether you’re doing a spray can use materials on a surface for injection or you’re making the mix at construction. the last minute and dropping it in.”

The company has developed four Contractors and government officials often cite time and money as the generations of prototypes, with the last used as essentially a 3D ice main reasons why they don’t apply a printer on an ice rink, says Robert tack coat, Anderson says. “They look Flitsch, chief executive manager. at this ‘extra’ cost and say, ‘Oh, that’s “These prototypes achieve proof going to cost me.’ As a good exof concept for many of the imporample, at $5 a gallon for tack, they’re tant systems behind our technology, going to go through $20 a day. If such as surface repair applications they don’t use it, they’re going to go back for more repairs faster. It’s a pay like repairing pot holes and cracks in roads,” says Flitsch. “We’re now me now or pay me later scenario.” working on development of a fifth He adds that crews using systems prototype that works with materials like the Bergkamp SP Series spray injection pothole patchers follow four that will be used for repairing roads, such as asphalt or concrete.” steps: cleaning, applying tack, fillHe believes his machines would ing and compacting. “When you go be a step up in road repair work through that process, and you do it correctly and with the right materials, quality, as they would not require human intervention in the process. you’ve got a semi-permanent to permanent patch,” Anderson says. “Some “With precision computer vision capabilities and high-resolution people think they can take some of additive manufacturing methods, those steps out or take a shortcut, all our robots can serve as far superior under the idea that they’ve been doeyes and hands, vastly improving ing it for 20 years. I don’t care if it’s the skill of the workers using them 20 years or 20 minutes – if you skip in conducting repairs,” Flitsch adds. some steps you’ve got the potential “Besides improving the skill of our for problems.” workers, they will also improve 3D printing asphalt robots? workplace safety for our workers.”

For a look at how potholes might Providing all goes well, Flitsch prebe filled in the future, take a look at dicts he’ll have a product to market New Windsor, New York-based Addi- in three years.

Image: Addibots

highway contractor | continued

technology | by Wayne Grayson | WayneGrayson@randallreilly.com

Cat rebuilds VisionLink telematics dashboard with mixed fleet view, responsive design With a responsive design allowing it to load with all available features on any device, Caterpillar’s rebuilt VisionLink dashboard makes viewing machine data in the field faster and easier.

C

aterpillar has completely redesigned its VisionLink telematics dashboard, rebuilding the web interface to work better with smartphones and tablets and enabling it to display information from both third-party machine manufacturers and telematics hardware makers.

Developed under Cat’s Virtual Site Solutions joint venture with Trimble and launched at the Bauma trade show, the next-generation version of VisionLink features a responsive website design. This allows it to provide its full feature set and information layout across PCs and mobile devices.

“The application is the same no matter where you access it,” says John Thomas, director of marketing for Virtual Site Solutions.

The new VisionLink design loads faster, is less cluttered and displays data in a much easier to digest format, replacing the spreadsheet look of the old site with colorful graphs and charts to provide diagnostics at a glance. It also features infinite scroll, which works similar to your Facebook feed, loading up new data as you scroll down rather than forcing you to click between pages.

The new design also features a customizable dashboard. “There was some level of customization in the current version of VisionLink and

we are stepping that up,” Thomas says. “Customers can actually choose what information they see on the screen along with the order it’s in, the alerts and the type of reports they receive.”

This customizable dashboard greets customers upon login, giving immediate access to the machine data they want most. The dashboard is composed of widgets that can be edited and reorganized.

To illustrate how useful this customization can be, during a recent press briefing Thomas added a widget to an example dashboard that tracks fuel levels of all active machines in the field. Then he added it again, but this time restricted the maEquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 67

technology | continued chines it tracked to a specific group.

“Let’s say I’ve got this group of hauling assets. I can get advance notice on when to dispatch the fuel guy to that site while the other widget continues tracking all of my other machines,” Thomas says.

The dashboard can even be configured as an auto generated daily report with VisionLink creating a PDF of a user’s dashboard widgets and emailing it out at a certain time each day.

A growing suite Expanding on that customization, the VisionLink site will be split into a suite of apps, each of which are focused on a task or job role. The suite will be accessible via a grid button in the VisionLink navigation bar. Thomas says this refined organization of feature sets will allow customers with different responsibilities within a company to quickly access the data pertinent to their job.

One app is Unified Fleet. This app is tailored for equipment and fleet managers, focusing mainly on hours, miles, location and utilization. The app also allows quick fleet filtering to whittle data down to specific jobsites or machine types.

Mixed-fleet diagnostic views While the overhauled design and customization features make up the majority of this update, the most interesting and maybe most anticipated feature – not just of VisionLink but of all telematics dashboards – is the ability to view an entire mixed fleet in one place.

Thomas says the new VisionLink is compatible with version 1.2 of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers/Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEM/ AEMP) telematics standard.

“That standard continues to evolve a specific set of data coming from telematics devices that the manufacturers have agreed to share with each other at the customer’s request,” 68 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

Thomas explains. “So if a customer doesn’t want to go into all the different telematics software (for each brand of machine they own, as is currently required) they can now share their data to something like VisionLink and log into one piece of software to see all of it.”

Demonstrating the view of a mixed fleet, Thomas showed an example fleet of Cat and John Deere equipment listed together. The machine data can be filtered by manufacturer, although Cat can’t guarantee that VisionLink will be able to display all of the same data on third-party equipment as it does on the Cat machines.

“

The most interesting and maybe most anticipated feature is the ability to view an entire mixed fleet in one place.

”

“They’ll need to ask that question of their dealers to see what specific data will be shared between manufacturers on specific models. The 1.2 standard is really focused on very basic telematics info: Hours, fuel, etc.,” Thomas says. He explains that when data is sent from a machine, it first goes through servers belonging to that machine’s manufacturer, along with a lot of information considered proprietary. For mixed-fleet monitoring, that proprietary information is filtered out before being sent along to a third-party telematics dashboard.

Data that could give competing manufacturers insights on particular productivity and performance figures may be among data not included when third party OEMs send their machines’ data along to VisionLink, because manufacturers have agreed among themselves to not share any data that could be used against each other.

“At the customer’s request, the

data collected by the OEM’s machine and telematics device, that is identified by the AEM/AEMP telematics standard, can be shared with the customer or with anyone the customer designates to act on their behalf. This is to enable the customer to access and view data from their mixed fleets in a single software solution,” Thomas explains.

“This solution could be a custom designed software solution, an enterprise resource planning system, or a system specifically designed to meet the needs of construction customers with mixed fleets, such as VisionLink,” Thomas continues.

“When a customer requests to have their mixed fleet data accessed and viewed through our VisionLink software, that mixed fleet data is hosted

by Virtual Site Solutions as a third party on the customer’s behalf, it is not stored in any OEM’s databases.”

In addition to enabling customers to view data from other machine manufacturers, the updated VisionLink also allows customers to pull in data from machines outfitted with third-party telematics hardware.

Easing the transition And for those worried about the possibility of their workflows coming to a halt as they learn the ins and outs of this new design, Cat says it will keep the current version of VisionLink functional online in an app called VisionLink Legacy.

“All of the same features our customers have gotten used to over the past six years will be there,” Thomas says. Those features include several that haven’t quite yet made it into the latest version. “The last thing we want to do is tick off those customers by discontinuing a feature as we move to the next generation.”

The good news is that as customers learn the new design, they’ll be able to hop back and forth between it and the Legacy app with a single sign-on that lets them switch apps by simply switching tabs in their browser.

ONE LUCKY CONTRACTOR WILL WIN IT ALL. Enter for your chance to win Equipment World’s 2016 Contractor’s Dream Package and take home a new Ford truck plus other cool prizes!

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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 Tom Jackson | TJackson@randallreilly.com Jeff Hansen, Hansen Bros. Enterprises City, State: Grass Valley, California Year Started: 1953 Number of employees: 105 Annual revenue: $14 to $15 million, construction division Markets served: Site development, civil construction

Employees take charge of their destinies in this California construction firm

J

eff Hansen knows a thing or two about tests, not the kind you get in school but the kind life throws at you—sometimes known as opportunities.

Although Hansen grew up working in the construction business started by his grandfather and great uncles, he traveled out of state to attend college at the University of Nevada Reno. Needing a part time job to help with expenses, he applied to a local construction company. When told to show up at 4:30 a.m. on his first day, Hansen pulled into the parking lot at 4 a.m. The boss showed up 20 minutes later and Hansen had passed the test.

EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 71

contractor of the year | continued

Hansen knew from his family’s business the boss was testing his work ethic rather than his skills. A few years later, when Hansen put in his two-week notice, the boss thought so well of him he threw in an extra $200 on top his pay in gratitude. He returned to the family business in California in 1995 and started back working with the company’s crews. He eventually moved up to superintendent, then construction manager in 2009 and finally took the reins as president of the company in 2014.

Today his mom, an aunt and cousin work there every day. But when Hansen says the company is like a big family, he means much more than his relatives. Even though he’s running a large company with multiple divisions, Hansen says: “If you work here and you haven’t seen me in a while, you better at least stick your head in the door and say ‘hi.’ That’s been the company mentality forever.”

Sky is the limit The Hansen family’s work ethic has become a template for the careers 72 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

of many of his top employees, many of whom came to the company with little or no experience in construction.

“Our philosophy – and this goes all the way back to my grandfather’s days – is if a guy has the right work ethic and integrity; if he’s safety conscious and enjoys what he is doing, he deserves the opportunity to move up when the opportunity is available,” Hansen says.

“If you are willing to put in the time and learn, the sky is the limit,” Hansen continues. “We tell everybody, ‘you are in charge of your destiny here. In the years to come you can pretty much be who you want to be.’ That doesn’t mean we have the person we want on the day we want him, but for the most part we’ve been able to build a strong backbone of employees.”

A few examples: • Shirley Neely started as a basic clerk, now she’s the project administrator, one of the “critical pieces of the construction department,” Hansen says.

• Brett Schaeffer started five years ago as an operator/paver, moved

Part of the crew, from left to right: Kirk Harris, construction operations manager/ estimator; Jeff Hansen, president; Brandon Hall, senior project manager/estimator; Brett Schaeffer, estimator.

up to paving supervisor and just recently moved into the office to do paving and residential estimates as a senior project manager.

• Eighteen years ago, Kirk Harris started out as an operator and laborer. He owned his own business for a while and then came back to Hansen Bros. as a superintendent, then estimator and just last year moved into the construction operations position.

• Brandon Hall has been with the company about eight years and after “starting out with a shovel in his hand,” Hansen says, was promoted to superintendent and most recently to senior project manager and senior estimator.

• Derek Hiatt “came to us knowing the least of anybody,” Hansen says. “But he took the initiative and he had the desire and the work ethic and now he’s arguably one of our best superintendents.”

Struggling with the recession, emissions compliance The recession hit Northern California hard, construction in particular. “We probably saw 20 construction companies go under in this area,” Hansen says. “I stepped into that whirlwind and it forced us to look at ways to cut costs, but without changing the quality of our work. We also wanted to give our guys a fair wage and keep all the benefits. We tweaked a few things here and there, but we made it through and kept our wages competitive.”

California’s strict emissions regulations have also been a hurdle to overcome. “CARB (the California Air Resources Board) forces you to buy new equipment when they want you to, not when you want or need to. It does bring new technology and hopefully better production and fuel economy. But it still irritates me that the government can say I have to sell this backhoe. But that’s the hand we’ve been dealt and we’re going to play it and not lose. The ones I feel sorry for are the mom and pop contractors. In 2018, they’re going to have to sell everything and they can’t afford the new equipment. That’s not right, in my opinion.”

Friends and customers Being a third generation construction contractor in a small town like Grass Valley, means you have to make and keep both friends and customers, and there’s no doubt the company has excelled at both.

“Jeff is on our board of directors,” says Barbara Bashall, Nevada County Contractors Association.

“They are a great local company and a really strong employer.

“They support the community a lot with the nonprofits. Jeff is very involved in 4H with his kids. He recently chaired a project where they rebuilt a building at the fairgrounds.”

“They are a great company, genuine and hardworking,” says Alicia Brenner, BT Consulting, a stormwater compliance consultant. “They care about the community and give back a lot. There have been quite a few projects where they’ve done things for the adjacent property owners to leave things in a better state and keep good neighbors in the community.”

At a recent community meeting where the company proposed an expansion of their sand and gravel operation, the company brought in dinner for everybody at the town hall meeting and took the time to stay as long as anybody had questions and made themselves available, says Brenner. “They even joined the neighborhood online group and offered to give anybody a tour of the facility to better understand the project to make sure the community was comfortable with what they’re doing.”

Cat Safety Award: “I don’t want to be average”

H

ansen Bros. earned this year’s year’s Caterpillar Safety Award winner by taking its safety program to a whole new level. “Our experience mod rates used to bounce around in the mid-90s to 100,” says Hansen. “But 100 is average. I don’t want to be average. Average kind of sucks.”

A key element to the comHansen’s safety officer, pany’s safety success is being Scott Wetzell, uses the exadamant about their drug- and perience he gained workalcohol-free work place as ing in the field to tailor the well as having a full-time, company’s safety training dedicated safety officer, Scott specific to the needs and Wetzell. Having started off jobs at hand. with the crews as an operator and laborer gives Wetzell great credibility in the field.

He knows the challenges and the dynamics of the jobsite. In his new role as the company safety officer, Wetzell is now a certified OSHA instructor and outreach trainer. He does all the company’s training in-house, face-to-face, and structures the training to be job and project specific.

“I get to interact with each employee and follow up on every job in every department weekly” says Wetzell. “I go out and watch them practice it...or not. And when they come in for the next training they know they’re going to be held accountable. They take ownership.”

The company’s safety committee meets every three months and is made up of rank-and-file workers, one from each of the company divisions and Wetzell. All the discussions are confidential. This empowers the people on the crews to speak freely, eliminates the tendency of managers to gloss over issues and brings new ideas to the table.

Hansen Bros.’ approach is to stress prevention, not punishment. Give workers the safety tools and training needed and make sure they understand that this is as much a part of the job as any other spec. As a result, the the crews don’t scatter when the safety officer shows up, they come to him for advice. They volunteer ideas. They want to know how they’re doing.

Before he took this present position, Wetzell said he had to be sure of one thing – that the company would structure the safety program so that it got employees to buy into its philosophy. “We were able to start this program by saying: ‘you don’t get hurt and you don’t hurt somebody else.’ If there is a possibility of injury, then we’re not going to do it.”

EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 73

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safety watch | by Tom Jackson | TJackson@randallreilly.com

Illustration by Don Lomax

Downhill disaster

A

fter refueling his wheel loader at the top of a hill, an operator began a steep ride down to where the work was taking place.

As the wheel loader picked up speed, the operator hit the brake pedals, but the brakes failed to engage. The loader hit a bump on the descent and began bucking violently back and forth. Other workers at the site reported seeing the operator bouncing around inside the cab.

As the loader proceeded down the slope, it gained even more speed and the operator was thrown from the cab either through the front of the ROPS or the side.

The loader continued to the bottom of the hill where it struck an excavator and stopped. The

operator was found pinned under the driver side rear tire and was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Investigators believe the operator was not wearing a seat belt.

Prior to the accident, he had been warned to use his seat belt after he had failed to do so in a skidder rollover. The operator was trained to run a skid loader and had some training on the wheel loader but at the time of the accident, he had not completed a performance test.

The loader was 12 to 15 years old. Maintenance records indicated that new brake lines had been installed on the loader two months prior. Investigators later found the lines had not been replaced, but rather only repaired.

Take-aways • All operators must wear seat belts. Operators who fail to use seat belts or use seat belt disabling devices should be repremanded or fired.

• All machines should be equipped with interlocks making them impossible to start without the seat belt fastened.

• Maintenance of crucial items, such as brake lines, should never be done on the cheap.

When brake lines or fittings leak, the entire length of the line or fitting should be replaced – not repaired – with the correct part.

• Operators should be trained and tested on new machines before being allowed to run them.

This Safety Watch was based on MIFACE Investigation Report #10MI038. For more details, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/pdfs/10MI038.pdf

Date of safety talk: Attending:

Leader:

_____________________ EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 75

alerta de seguridad | por Tom Jackson | TJackson@randallreilly.com

espués de repostar combustible en su cargador de ruedas en la cumbre de una colina, un operador empezó una empinada bajada hacia el lugar donde tenía lugar el trabajo. En lugar de una cubeta, el cargador estaba equipado con una horquilla para árboles en la parte frontal.

A medida que el cargador ganaba en velocidad, el operador pisó los pedales de freno, pero los frenos no respondieron. El cargador golpeó un bache en su descenso y empezó a sacudirse violentamente para atrás y adelante. Otros trabajadores en el área de trabajo reportaron haber visto al operador rebotando en torno al interior de la cabina. Mientras avanzaba al final de la bajada, el cargador ganaba aun más velocidad y el operador salió disparado de la maquinaria ya sea por el frente o por el costado de la estructura de protección contra volcaduras (ROPS, por sus siglas en inglés).

El cargador continuó hasta el fondo de la colina donde chocó contra una excavadora y se detuvo.

El operador fue encontrado aplastado por la rueda trasera del lado del conductor y fue declarado muerto a su arribo al hospital.

Los investigadores creen que el operador no estaba usando su cinturón de seguridad. Antes del accidente, se le había advertido que utilice su cinturón de seguridad después de que no lo hiciera durante una volcadura en un tractor de arrastre de troncos. El operador había sido entrenado para operar un minicargador y había tenido cierta capacitación en un cargador de ruedas pero al momento del accidente no había completado una prueba de rendimiento.

El cargador tenía de 12 a 15 años. Los registros de

Illustration by Don Lomax

D

Desastre en la bajada

mantenimiento indicaban que hacía dos meses se le habían instalado nuevos conductos de freno. Los investigadores descubrirían luego que los conductos no habían sido reemplazados sino que sólo habían sido reparados.

Las lecciones • Todos los operadores deben usar cinturones de seguridad. Los operadores que no usen cinturones de seguridad o que usen artefactos que incapaciten a los cinturones de seguridad deberían ser castigados o despedidos.

• Todas las máquinas deberían estar equipadas con trabas que hagan imposible encenderlas sin tener el cinturón de seguridad enganchado.

• El mantenimiento de elementos cruciales como los conductos de freno no debería nunca llevarse a cabo con soluciones baratas. Cuando los conductos o las conexiones de freno gotean, deberían reemplazarse –no repararse– todo el largo del conducto o la conexión con el repuesto correcto.

• Los operadores deberían ser capacitados y pasar por pruebas con la maquinaria nueva antes de que se les permita operarla.

Esta Alerta de Seguridad está basada en un Reporte de Investigación MIFACE #10MI038.

Para más detalles, visite: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/pdfs/10MI038.pdf

Fecha de la charla de seguridad: Asistentes: 76 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

Líder:

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pro pickup | by Jason Cannon | JasonCannon@randallreilly.com TEST DRIVE:

2017 FORD F-650 IS A BIG OL’ SUPER DUTY AT HEART Aluminum comes to Super Duty

L

ater this year, Ford will roll the aluminum dice again with its workhorse Super Duty line.

“Heavy duty customers are traditionally more accepting,” says Brian Rathsburg, marketing manager for Ford’s Super Duty, “because they see aluminum applications in their industry more frequently.”

They also more frequently batter their truck like a work tool, but Rathsburg says those customers stand to benefit most from the use of aluminum alloy.”They appreciate the longer term benefits in fuel savings and light-weighting,” he says, “and that you can reinvest all the weight savings back into payload or in an upfit.”

Ford isn’t just giving customers a lighter truck for 2017. The refreshed 2017 Super Duty is getting a full makeover. Under the lighter weight aluminum body, Ford engineers beefed up the truck’s frame with 95 percent high-strength steel that features more torsional rigidity than the previous frame.

Other Super Duty improvements include a larger gas tank, an integrated tailgate step and larger brakes for the F-450 and F-550.

S

itting in Ford’s F-650, towering above the surrounding traffic, feels strangely familiar.

Strange only because I haven’t driven the truck before, but familiar because of how much of its design is shared with its Super Duty sisters.

This generation F-650 gets a facelift that puts exterior styling and interior comforts more inline with the rest of the Super Duty lineup.

The bright orange 2016 F-650 dump truck I piloted through the greater Ann Arbor, Michigan, area featured Ford’s Triton V-10 gasoline engine. Pumping out 320 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, the 6.8 liter is the only gasoline engine offered in a Class 6-7 truck.

From both the inside the cab and outside of the truck, engine sound

is minimal – hardly louder than you would expect from any standard size pickup – and that offers additional benefits.

“Pulling up on a job site before 7 a.m., people really appreciate not hearing the diesel clatter coming down the road,” says Kevin Koester, medium duty truck and Super Duty fleet brand manager.

An optional 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbo diesel is also available with three power ratings. For anyone who’s driven the current generation Power Stroke diesels, you know the diesel clatter there is pretty minimal as well.

Regardless of which engine you chose, you’ll wind up with a fully integrated “Built Ford Tough” powertrain. The Cummins inline-six and Allison automatic transmission are no longer available. After the dissolution of Blue Diamond Truck EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 79

pro pickup | continued

Ride and handling of the F-650 actually improved with a dump full of dirt.

Company – a partnership between Ford and Navistar – Ford went all-in on its own gasoline and Power Stroke diesel engines along with its built-in-house TorqShift HD 6-speed automatic transmission.

17 th Annual

Inside my 4-door Crew Cab test truck, many cues are again borrowed from smaller Super Duty models, like the XLT cloth seats. Gauges, auxiliary switches and controls – including power window

The

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and locks – were all conveniently located and within reasonable reach for the driver.

“The ergonomics are very similar to Super Duty,” Koester adds.

“You’re just riding higher.”

The air conditioning was cold on a cool June afternoon and the truck is standard with Ford’s SYNC system, which offers hands-free calling, AppLink and Bluetooth capabilities. If creature comforts are important, you’ll find plenty in the new F-650.

The chrome snout brings a little bling to a truck otherwise designed to be battered around a construction site, but the white 22.5 steel wheels bring you crashing back to the reality that this really is a work truck. Egress in and out of the truck is surprisingly easy thanks to strategically located grab handles and side steps.

The front axle, a 8,500-pound Dana D-850F, features 8,500-pound

parabolic taperleafs while the rear gets a 17,500-pound Dana S17-140 (6.50 ratio) on 19,000-pound multileafs. Longer leaf springs versus prior generation models give the F-650 a smoother ride, almost like you’re driving your pickup – if your pickup was huge and had a GVWR of upwards of 33,000 pounds. OK, so it doesn’t ride or handle exactly like a pickup, but it does drive more like one than you otherwise might expect. Steering was tight for a truck of its size.

Maneuverability, thanks in part to the massive windshield and the visibility it provides, was incredible.

Navigating some of Michigan’s rural roads in a truck with a 194-inch wheelbase loaded with 5 cubic yards of top soil was surprisingly easy and comfortable and posed little challenge to the rear springs. Ride and handling actually improved significantly with a dump full of dirt.

Delivering the dirt and backing the

truck down a tight driveway – while simultaneously trying to avoid trees and a barn – was hardly a challenge.

The oversized side mirrors provided great perspective and a wide view of the obstacles at the rear.

Controls to the hydraulic Rugby 10-foot dump body were conveniently located on the driver’s side, and with the press of a button the top soil was unloaded in less than a minute. Maybe 120 seconds later (at most) the bed was empty, lowered, locked in place, and I was ready to get back on the road.

Ford has spent a lot of time and money re-inventing the company’s trucks over the last few years and really hit a homerun by aligning their Ohio-built F-650 with other, more consumer-friendly F-Series models. Getting employees safely and more comfortably to the jobsite will pay dividends in both improved efficiency and lower turnover rates.

EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 81

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heavy trucks | by Jason Cannon | JasonCannon@randallreilly.com

Western Star unveils a real Transformer, capable of switching bodies in minutes The Western Star 6900 MBT-40 can transform between applications in minutes.

W

ith the launch of Western Star’s new Extreme Duty (XD) Off-road package, the company that built the most recent iteration of Optimus Prime for the Transformer movies has now released its own version, the off-road 6900XD Multi-Body Transformer, or MBT-40.

Engineered for rugged environments, the Western Star XD Offroad package is available on both 4900 and 6900 models, with availability on other models planned in the future.

The 6900XD MBT-40 is named for its ability to quickly change from one fully functional in-cab controlled body application to another.

“What we’ve done is taken a

demountable and turned it into a transformer,” says John Tomlinson, XD and vocational sales manager for Western Star. “Off-road chassis equipment can be expensive to buy and maintain, and new emissions levels are making the investment even more costly.”

Demountable bodies generally are simply uninstalled and replaced for various applications. What makes the MBT-40 different, Tomlinson says, is that bodies mounted to the MBT-40 use the truck’s electrical and hydraulic systems, resulting in additional savings and functionality, since those systems are equipped on the truck rather than the body.

Using a Palfinger G68 hooklift with a lifting capacity of 34 tons, the MBT-40 is designed to replace

the need for multiple pieces of dedicated off-road equipment on a jobsite that sit for long periods of time when they are not needed, Tomlinson says.

“I can water in the afternoon and dump all morning,” he says.

“And it’s quicker to change over than it is to fuel the truck.” During a demonstration, a two-man crew dropped a water tank and added a dump bed in less than 5 minutes.

The unit is equipped with a generic in-cab control system and a self-adapting hydraulic system that allows operators to quickly and easily swap the controls of multiple body applications. “All of the switches turn into the switches for the new body,” Tomlinson says.

“All of the hydraulics adapt to the new body.”

EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 83

heavy trucks | continued The MBT-40 features multiple hydraulic air and electrical connections that allow it to connect and power a variety of bodies from flow-controlled hydraulic motors and pumps to heavy high-flow tip cylinders.

“By maximizing the operation time, customers can have the equipment they always need for when it is required,” says Tomlinson.

Tomlinson adds Western Star is working with truck body builders to expand the range of bodies the truck can accept, but that possibilities are only limited by the willingness of body builders to design options and the capacity of the hooklift.

“If it weighs under 34 tons, just let your imagination run wild,” he says.

The 6900XD is available in both 6×4 and 6×6 configurations.

Between the 4900 and 6900 models, the XD40 package will be the flagship spec, with heavy duty components designed for multiple applications. Tomlinson says the XD40 was developed to be a consistent and repeatable chassis spec, allowing for easy parts availability and quick maintenance.

The all-wheel-drive or standard drive XD40 package features a Detroit Series 60 Tier 3 or a 2016 Detroit DD16 engine, an Allison 4700/4800 Off-Road Series (ORS) transmission, 110,000-pound planetary rear axle, 28,000-pound planetary front axle and front engine skid pan.

Optional Allison off road transmission Western Star also announced the Allison Transmission Off Road Series (ORS) fully automatic transmission will be available on the 4900 and 6900.

The 4700 ORS transmission (available for both models) and the 4800 ORS (available only on the 6900) were originally engineered for use in articulated dump trucks and oth84 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

er rough terrain heavy haulers.

With the widest gear ratios and maximum gross vehicle weights of up to 211,644 pounds, the 4700 and 4800 ORS allow for larger payloads.

Ann Demitruk, Western Side dump body in action on the Western Star 6900 MBT-40.

Star’s vice president of marketing, says the new transmission options give the truck models greater capabilities.

The Fabco FAT-30, a stationary shift threespeed auxiliary transmission, is also being made available for the 6900XD. This auxiliary Using a 34-ton-capacity Palfinger G68 hooklift, the MBT-40 is transmission can designed to replace the need for multiple trucks on the jobsite. handle 30,000 foot-pounds of tear and contribute to a smoother input torque, giving it the highride as it absorbs shocks bumpy est torque rating in the industry, roads and uneven surfaces. according to Western Star. Fabco’s Steer axle springs are doubleFAT-30 is available in both two- and slipper mounted with the chassis three-speed pneumatically shifted resting on the springs with hard models and can be paired with plastic pads and no shackle brackboth manual and automatic transets. The axle is held in place with missions. The overdrive ratio a torque rod system that provides (three-speed) results in higher road maximum payload capacity with a speed capability and increased fuel smooth ride when empty or loaded economy. It is standard with a topover rough terrain. mount eight-bolt PTO pad.

Peter Schimunek, Western 6900XD gets 28K slippered springs Star’s vocational marketing manThe 6900XD will also be available ager, says the slippered spring with a 28,000-pound-rated flat leaf improves durability and driver front suspension with a 62.5-inch comfort. slippered spring length in combinaThe 6900XD can haul loads of tion with a 28,000-pound front drive over 500,000 pounds as a tractor axle. The slippered spring option is and move 80,000 pounds at a time designed to both reduce wear and as a dump.

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final word | by Tom Jackson TJackson@randallreilly.com

The best safety tip I know

E

very month I read a dozen or so OSHA FACE reports (fatality assessment and control evaluations) looking for a construction accident relevant and suitable for our Safety Watch feature.

One thing I find almost all these accidents have in common – regardless of the type of accident, machine or worker – is that prior to the accident, something had changed.

Often the change had to do with people.

The guy who normally performed a certain job didn’t show up that day. A supervisor is called away and an impatient crew took matters into their own hands. Sometimes an operator is asked to run a machine he wasn’t trained on.

Other times it may be changing conditions such as the weather, ice or rain causing a loss of traction or visibility. A driver may be asked to make a delivery to an unfamiliar site, a place with power line hazards or terrain unsuitable to his truck.

If your safety training tends to focus on specific hazards, you may want to take a break occasionally and focus instead on teaching your people how to recognize when something has changed and how to evaluate the new and unexpected safety hazards that result.

Military pilots are trained to use the OODA loop in aerial combat. Rather than firing away randomly at any and all targets, pilots are trained to first observe the situation, then orient themselves to the possible target, decide whether to engage the target and then act on that decision.

If fighter jocks flying at 500 mph can take the time to work through the OODA loop, you and your construction crews should be

90 July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com

able to take a minute or two, especially when confronted with a new situation. Here’s how it would work in the construction world: Observe. Just take a look around. Ask yourself: Has the site physically changed? Has anybody asked you to do something out of the ordinary? Are people missing? Are new people present? Is the weather changing? Have you been asked to do something you’ve never done before?

Orient. Figure out how this change might intersect with your tasks for the immediate future. Ask yourself and the others around you: Could these changes affect our safety in ways we haven’t anticipated? Do these changes bring unknown risks?

Decide. Make up your mind if you are going to change your behavior, the people or the jobsite and reduce the safety risk appropriate to the new conditions.

Act on that decision. Cease work or make the appropriate changes.

Also make it a habit to go through your own 90-second OODA loop every morning and anytime you become aware of changes to the site, equipment, weather or personnel. Challenge your people to do so as well and talk about what their action steps would be in response to those changes. Most days you won’t find many big changes, but by getting in the habit of looking for them you naturally improve your mindfulness and situational awareness.

Good athletes have this quality in spades – the ability to read the field and anticipate the next reaction. Good construction workers need it as well. Some people have it naturally, but anybody can get better if they are trained to become more aware and make it a habit.

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CATERPILLAR PAYS YOU BACK

WE’RE SO SURE OF WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH OUR NEW MACHINES, WE’RE PUTTING MONEY ON IT.

SPECIAL OFFER ON 160+ ELIGIBLE NEW CAT MACHINES NOW UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2016 ®

FUEL CONSUMPTION GUARANTEE

EMSOLUTIONS FLEET REPORTS

PARTS AVAILABILITY GUARANTEE

Your money back if your equipment’s fuel consumption rate exceeds the guaranteed fuel consumption rate.

Track machine and operator information to make data-driven decisions.

While you don’t always need your parts right away, when you do, more than 99 percent of Cat parts orders are on their way to you in 24* hours or less. And, if they don’t get there in 24* hours—shipping is FREE.

Visit cat.com/payback for all the details or talk to your Cat dealer. * Offer valid only in U.S. In Canada, if parts are not received in 48 hours, shipping is free.

© 2016 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.