Don't Waste Time When Delivering Asphalt

By John Ball, Proprietor of Top Quality Paving
From the April/May issue of AsphaltPro Magazine

It bears repeating: we work with a perishable product. When a haul truck leaves the asphalt plant with a load for the paver, the driver of that truck needs to take the most direct and timely route to the work zone as possible. There shouldn’t be stops along the way for coffee or even tank fill-ups. The foreman on the project has calculated the day’s yield based on many factors, including how long each truck will take to complete the circuit from loadout to loadout.


As I’ve outlined in AsphaltPro Magazine before, on a perfect day, it takes 3 minutes for the truck to get loaded at the plant, another 3 minutes to pick up the loadout ticket and get the tarp in place. If the work zone is 15 miles from the plant, you can figure it’ll probably take the truck 20 minutes to get from point A to point B. It should take another 20 minutes for the truck to back into position, charge the hopper in an even manner and move to the designated area for a quick clean-out. It’s 20 minutes back to the plant and 4 minutes in line to loadout.

That kind of calculation is valuable to the foreman and others on the paving crew. Truck drivers need to be educated as to why a mess-up in that schedule is detrimental to the crew’s success.

One of the problems a driver creates if he performs maintenance items or personal business during the route is getting trucks out of number order. The foreman wants to keep the trucks in sequence to keep the mat temperature consistent. Truck 4 should not bypass Trucks 2 and 3 on the way to the paving site because this sets up the crew for mix temperature and compaction variations behind the paver.

If a truck driver thinks he or she needs to stop for fuel, which would take the truck out of sequence, the foreman needs to tell him that fueling is a house-keeping item to address when the bed is empty. Fuel up before the shift or, if necessary, on the way back to the plant. A truck that takes too long getting to the site and is too far out of sequence suddenly has a load of expensive RAP to haul back to the plant.

Another idea I recommend is traveling the route before the project begins. If the foreman can assess traffic patterns and when interruptions in traffic patterns might cause asphalt delivery delays, he can adjust the route haul trucks take during peak traffic times or set up an alternate route altogether.

For instance, if the most direct route between the plant and the work zone takes drivers past a school that experiences heavy bus and carpooling traffic—not to mention children on foot—at regular times in the morning and afternoon, the foreman may suggest a different route that is less direct, but more timely and more comfortable for the community. Maybe the foreman can arrange the paving schedule so deliveries aren’t necessary during the affected hours of peak traffic. Whatever scenario you arrange, taking a pre-project drive of the delivery route will ease the foreman’s mind and set the haul truck drivers up for success.

Tracking haul trucks has become easier with all the GPS products on the marketplace today. I’ve mentioned Minds Inc. before. Navman Wireless—featured on page 38 of the April/May issue—is another company with GPS tracking software for fleets. These and other companies offer products that give owners the ability to check on truck staging and timing. When a haul truck reaches the plant, the foreman can receive a ring on his phone. He gets another ring when the truck departs. When the truck stops, the GPS lets the system know. Truck drivers get paid by the hour, so GPS tracking can help cut wasted time and money in some situations, and definitely help track the cycle of our perishable product and its best window of opportunity for perfect laydown and compaction.
 
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Outfit Your Crew With the Tools for the Project

(This article from the November 2008 issue of AsphaltPro magazine is referenced in the current June/July article titled "Pave Like it Affects Your Pay". It has been edited considerably to fit a blog format. Contact the home office for a subscription to AsphaltPro or for back issues, at 573-499-1830.)

by John Ball
When it comes to top quality paving practices, having the right equipment for the job is essential for success. As the project manager or foreman, you want to make sure the members of your crew have the tools they need to perform well. Here are some of the basic items your team needs to make the paving shift go smoothly.

Putty Knife
Don't underestimate how important the average putty knife is. Make sure the members of your team each have one that is about 3 inches wide. It's go to be stiff. It can't be flexible because you're going to be cleaning the lute, the shovel, the endgate, etc. The two people who'll use the putty knife the most are the lute and shovel guys. These laborers do all the raking and make sure the asphalt is smooth. We don't use diesel fuel to keep tools clean any longer. Instead, get them hot by dipping them in the asphalt; pull them out and scrape them off quickly with the putty knife.

Four-foot Level
The four-foot level is used to check the slope. Metal four-foot levels dont work very well because they heat up and warp. Instead, use a wooden four-foot level. A good one will range from $50 to $80 and will last a long time. Use it in conjunction with the 12-foot straight edge. First, put the 12-foot straight edge down parallel with the transverse joint to determine if you have any deterioration, if the extensions are lined up properly, etc. Place the four-foot level on top of the straight edge to read the slope. Paving crews also use a smart level, which is a battery-operated level made of plastic and metal. it's important to also use this device with the 12-foot straight edge to avoid constant contact with the hot mat.

Measuring Wheel
One of the most important aspects of managing a project is watching your yield. A measuring wheel measures out each load, telling you where you are. It's a necessary tool for the guy on the paver, especially the guy running the screed. He needs to know how many tons are coming in, but he also needs to know the placement. How far is the load going? What is his yield?

Ball of String and Paint
For marking after measuring with the measuring wheel, I recommend something as simple as a ball of string and paint. And I don't mean just a can of paint; I mean a marking stick to ensure the crew member marks a straight line. Be sure the string you choose is nylon string with about a quarter of an inch thickness.

30-foot Wheel Tape
Even with a measuring wheel to help a crew stay on the mark, a 30-foot wheel tape-or measuring tape-is important as well. We use the 30-foot tape because it enables us to go across two mats.

Four-foot Wooden Folding Ruler
The four-foot wooden folding ruler is much like a carpenter's ruler. I always recommend the Lukins Model #1066-D. This one is thicker than other brands and won't break as easily. It features inches on one side, hundredths and tenths on the other side. If I want 2 percent slope, I can actually read the slope on the engineer's side.

Release Agent
Back in the old days, we used to have a 5-gallon pail of diesel for regular cleaning. Crew members used to dip the shovel, lutes and rakes in there. Now we use a biodegradable solution in spray containers. The 5-gallon pail has been replaced with a 3-gallon sprayer.

The project manager is responsible for thousands of details before the project even begins, but making sure crew members have the right tools to take care of details on the project goes a long way toward getting the job done right.

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