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All-Electric Sweeping with Mid-Vac Versatility
By Matt Starnes Versatility Versatility is the ability to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities. The new All-Electric CityCat VR50e Sweeper from Bucher Municipal fits that definition. There are plenty of electric compact sweepers on the market...
Sealcoating Additives Add the Extra Oomph
They can boost protection, performance By Jeff Winke Sealcoating applied to a new, freshly paved, rich black asphalt pavement surface provides a sustainable layer of protection. Adding additives to sealcoat formula can enhance its power while also tweaking elements of...
Green Practices
The asphalt paving market evolves By Jeff Winke Green represents new beginnings and growth. It also signifies renewal and abundance. Green also means to continually improve upon the manner that resources are used that results in a reduced impact to human health and...
Batteries On Asphalt
By Marvin Joles III Progression. At one point, we had hand crank drills. I’m sure somebody said, “I don’t know if I trust those, what if you don’t have electricity yet or the power goes out on a job.” Then when battery powered drills came out, people said, “They are...
How Pavement Cracks Form
Best treatment methods By Jeff Winke Pavement cracks. For anyone involved in asphalt paving, pavement cracks are serious stuff. They rarely foretell romance, hope, or initiative. Pop artist Annie Lennox captures it in her song “Pavement Cracks:” The city streets are...
Growing Your Talent Pipeline
By Marvin Joles III and Cam Roberts It’s a struggle. Finding talent. It’s a topic we often discuss in our Blacktop Banter Success Group and one that is possibly easily solvable if you are willing to look through a different lens and willing to take the steps (work) to...
When it comes to choosing a sweeper …
it all starts with the application By Matt Starnes What do you sweep or plan to sweep 80% of the time? That’s usually the first question our application specialists ask to determine if we (Bucher Municipal) are a good fit for a contractor or municipality. After we...
Industry leading dependable trailers
BWS & STARGATE – The power of innovation As North American business continues to experience a return to domestic manufacturing, transportation becomes all the more vital to maintaining supply chains—and nowhere is that more evident than in trucking. Keeping these...
Selling Infrared Asphalt Pavement Repair
What customers need to know By Jeff Winke Drivers traversing most any asphalt paved street today can attest to the rattling surprise when hitting a pothole. Almost simultaneously the driver lets out a loud reflexive WTF! or if more politely a GOOD GOLLY! The driver...
RAP Saves the Environment and Money
Use of recycled asphalt pavement makes sense By Jeff Winke It makes total economic and environmental sense to use recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) in an asphalt mix design. According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are approximately 2.8 million miles of...
A Green Sweep
Going green with commercial sweeping machines By Jeff Winke When it comes to green environmental practices and processes, commercial sweepers, as a market segment lead the way in innovation. A sustainable business, or a green business, is an enterprise that has...
Successful Line Striping
Thorough prep and consistent execution are key By Jeff Winke A carpentry axiom that encourages careful first steps in order to avoid extra work later on is measure twice, cut once. Actually, with the high cost of lumber these days and the cost in terms of gas and...
Winterizing with Asphalt Maintenance – 5 Items to make “Cold Weather” Safe
How late in autumn and early in spring can one go? By Marvin Joles III We spent a lot of winters in Wisconsin having to keep our equipment outdoors at Wis-Coat. Thankfully we don’t have to do that anymore and hopefully you do not have to either. Whether it’s in the...
Pushing the Sealcoat Season Envelope
How late in autumn and early in spring can one go? By Jeff Winke Pushing it… pushing the envelope. The phrase is commonly understood, but the origins have nothing to do with a paper container for letters. It comes from science geeks referring to the mathematical...
The Daily Challenge
Mitigating asphalt paver ownership costs By Jeff Winke When it comes to asphalt pavers, every contractor faces O and O cost of their equipment. There is Owning costs which is the purchase price of the machine plus financing plus taxes minus the disposal price (what...
Winterizing: A Tip Guide for Paving Equipment
Some do’s and don’ts to prepare for old man winter By Jeff Winke An old-fashioned tradition – originally intended as a status symbol for new members of the upper and middle classes in the late 19th and early 20th century – was to never be caught wearing white after...
Matching the Commercial Sweeper to the Need
Which works best for the job By Jeff Winke Commercial sweepers are valuable to asphalt paving contractors. They perform necessary clean-up to ensure a project jobsite is safe and attractive. They perform a variety of tasks, but which type of commercial sweeper is best...
Selling Decorative Paving
The benefits are more than a pretty face By Jeff Winke One has to wonder if the Munchkins from the Wizard of Oz may be the best “spokeskins” for decorative paving? They definitely make a compelling case for a yellow roadway that promises to lead to a better life....
Is Bigger Always Better?
For infrared asphalt repair units, the answer varies By Jeff Winke Bigger, Better, Best! is the title of a children’s math learning book which helps in understanding the importance of calculating stuff, such as the area of a play room for instance. The title does not...
The Road to Safety Starts with Stability
How offset compaction roller attachments ensure a safer jobsite By Lynn Marsh, Road Widener LLC President Safety is the highest priority on any construction jobsite, but not every equipment solution aids in attaining that safety goal. In fact, in 2020, more than...
Intelligent Compaction Is the Key
Long-lasting, durable paved surfaces result from quality compaction By Jeff Winke Compaction is the exertion of force on something so that it becomes more dense. With asphalt paved road construction, compaction is considered one of the most important processes. It is...
Will Adding Striping Add Up to More Business?
Expansion of services may be a good thing By Jeff Winke Growing an asphalt paving business can be a challenge. There are numerous concerns with obtaining and keeping good employees, how best to cope with supply-chain issues, and how best to diversify the services...
Managing the Milling Sub
By Jeff Winke Subcontractors are a bit like cats. They’re independent and, yes, they do like you but you get the sense that it’s all on their terms. Managing subcontractors requires finesse -- a subtle and delicate manner that combines firm control with gentle...
Sealcoat Equipment Question
Continue maintenance or upgrade By Jeff Winke When it comes to asphalt pavement sealcoating equipment there is a balancing act between continued maintenance or replacement. The contractor must decide if their trusted existing equipment can continue to produce at its...
