Update 4/30/20: Command Alkon announced the extension of their Free eTicketing Essentials offer through the remainder of 2020 if signed-up is completed by June 30.

UPDATE 4/7/20: Command Alkon has teamed up with their partner HCSS to offer free trucking software, along with the free e-ticketing solution outlined below. HCSS Trucking enables contractors to track trucks on the jobsite and digitally record loads and timecards via a tablet or smartphone. When used alongside Command Alkon’s eTicketing Essentials offer, users receive electronic tickets for both materials and trucks all in one place.

Command Alkon has deployed an eTicketing Essentials offering to help eliminate paper handling of heavy materials tickets while reducing person-to-person interaction at the plant, quarry, and on the job site.

“A leading share of heavy building materials in the US are produced, dispatched, ticketed, hauled, and tracked using Command Alkon solutions,” said Craig Tate, Chief Revenue Officer at Command Alkon. “At a time where it’s needed more than ever, we’re in a unique position to rapidly scale an eTicketing solution for the construction industry. And in support of our tremendous customers during this time, the Command Alkon team is rapidly deploying a no-charge option to address the immediate needs faced by COVID-19.”

The eTicketing Essentials offering supports existing Command Alkon COMMANDseries, Integra, and Apex material ticketing systems, and enables heavy material suppliers and buyers to either provide and/or receive material ticket data via the cloud.

This removes hand-to-hand exchanges of paper tickets between all personnel involved and keeps drivers in the cab of their vehicle, helping to safely ensure the critical delivery and acceptance of heavy materials to construction projects remain sustainable.

The eTicketing Essentials offer is available via Command Alkon’s CONNEX Platform for free through June 30. CONNEX is an industry-wide supplier collaboration platform (Learn more here).

For more details on this offer visit: commandalkon.com/eticketforfree/.

As COVID-19 continues to have a major impact on our economy and our daily lives, various organizations within the construction industry have stepped up to prepare useful resources for how our industry can best handle the pandemic.

The National Asphalt Paving Association (NAPA) has prepared resources for our industry, including:

• A health and safety page providing information about coronavirus symptoms and how to prevent its spread
• A page for legislative updates regarding coronavirus bills and disaster assistance for small businesses
• A business impacts and continuity section of resources for your business.

A simple way to remember what precautions to take is to “Do the five”:

• HANDS: Wash them often
• ELBOW: Cough into it
• FACE: Don’t touch it
• FEET: Stay more than 3ft apart
• FEEL sick? Stay home

NAPA also reminds us of COVID-19’s symptoms, including fever (especially if greater than 100), cough (often dry), body aches/headache, shortness of breath, runny/stuffy nose, chills, and general fatigue. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, call your healthcare provider.

The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) has worked closely with NABTU and our research, government, and other industry partners to prepare a COVID-19 resource page. The resource page aims to answer questions about the spread of this disease and provide guidance for both employers and employees in the construction industry. This advice includes:

Construction Employers:

• Create at least 6 feet between workers by staging/staggering crews to prevent droplet spread.
• Plan for office staff to have the ability to work from home.
• Provide soap and running water on all job sites for frequent hand washing. If that is impossible, provide hand sanitizer.
• If you work in healthcare facilities, train your workers in Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA). For information on CPWR’s ICRA training program, visit: https://www.cpwr.com/training/infection-control-risk-assessment-icra
• Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces on job sites and in offices frequently — such as hand rails, door knobs, and portable toilets — per CDC guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html

Construction Workers:

• Do not go to work if you are feeling sick.
• Do not shake hands when greeting others.
• Try to stay six feet away from others on the job site, including during morning gatherings, meetings, and training sessions.
• Avoid contact with sick people.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your mouth and nose with tissues if you cough or sneeze or do so into your elbow.
• Clean your hands often by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%-95% alcohol. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.
• Clean hands after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.

And CPWR reminds us that individuals over 60 and those with underlying health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease are more at risk of becoming very sick from COVID-19.

Here are additional links from federal government partners:

• From OSHA: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/
• From NIOSH: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/emres/2019_ncov.html 
• From CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• From CDC for employers about getting their businesses ready: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/guidance-business-response.html

Caterpillar has announced the winner of its 2020 Global Operator Challenge March 10 at CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas. The competition started with over 10,000 operators in 30 countries and 70 dealer territories.

Jaus Neigum from Canada took home first place overall, as well as first place in both the Load and Carry Challenge and the Trenching Challenge. He completed all challenges with an amazingly fast combined time of only 16 minutes and 28 seconds. In the video below, Neigum shares his strategy for success and what he thinks it means to have pride in one’s trade.

Mark Due was the project manager for the stadium build. He shared with AsphaltPro that the wall around the stadium was not Jersey barriers. It’s a custom-designed and custom-fabricated retaining wall system made of concrete and staked into the ground every 5 feet. It had to be custom built to withstand the pressure of the dirt within the stadium and the machines working and moving material. The entire booth was on the festival lot’s concrete base, and then 3 feet depth of dirt sat atop that. It’s a sand-clay mix with an environmentally friendly additive for dust control.

For the competition, Caterpillar has had to update the technology on the machines in the contest so the control panels have the languages of each operator. 

Competitor Yuji Tanaka took a photo of the settings on his own wheel loader back home in Japan to ensure he would be able to set up the wheel loader used in the competition to his exact specifications.

At the end of the day, every competitor ended up with at least one thing to take home: “You get to go home and say you did well in your trade,” Murphy said. 

From now until April 10, states can nominate up to three projects for the 2020 America’s Transportation Awards.

The program helps showcase why transportation infrastructure – and why properly funding it – is vital to supporting the nation’s economy while improving the quality of life for communities across the country.

Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the competition serves as a way to recognize state departments of transportation and highlights the projects they deliver that make their communities a better place to live, work, and play.

From historic site projects to best practices ideas, the team at Western Specialty has shared its successes with the AsphaltPro audience over the years. Now Western Specialty is sharing with a wide viewing audience!

Western Specialty Contractors has been selected by How2Media to be featured on its popular television series “World’s Greatest!…” – a 30-minute show dedicated to highlighting the world’s greatest companies, products, places and people.

“Started over 100 years ago, Western Specialty Contractors is still very much a family business; a family business with now over 30 offices nationwide and a network of skilled member companies and workers. Nationally recognized as a Top 20 masonry and concrete restoration firm, we think their story will be meaningful as well as educational to our viewers,” said Gordon Freeman, Executive Producer of the show.

How2Media, an award-winning 21^st Century television production company, sent a film crew to Western’s headquarters in St. Louis, MO to seek out the story behind the company’s success, longevity and innovation. The end result is a fast-paced, behind-the-scenes tour of Western Specialty Contractors featuring exciting visuals and informative interviews with the specialty contractor’s executives and skilled workers. Western’s segment aired nationally on the ION Network on Feb. 17 and is scheduled to air again on March 2.

Watch Western’s segment:

“We are honored and excited to have been selected by How2Media for their show,” said Crystal Moyer, Western Specialty Contractors Director National Accounts/Marketing. “We and our clients have always known about the quality and skilled concrete and masonry restoration services that Western provides; now we have a chance to reach an even larger audience with our success story.”

“World’s Greatest!…” can be seen on national cable channels and local network affiliates across the country. For more information on How2Media and their show lineup, visit www.How2Media.tv.

If a portion of your team has been away for the off-season, you might not feel confident in their best practices recall for Paving Season 2020. Get them back up to speed before putting them on a high-dollar project with disincentives and PWLs to worry about.

If you have a training center in your headquarters office, put that space to work for you. If not, you might be able to get a consultant to come out and walk the crew through some best practices. If you’ve purchased a new paver, roller, mill, skid steer, or other machine over the winter, you can bet the high-tech control panel will throw half your team for a loop. Bring the salesman back out to train the crew on how to use it. If the salesman doesn’t know how to use it, call the OEM and ask for someone who does.

You also have the Asphalt Paving 101 online course to help get the back-to-basics back into the crew. CONEXPO-CON/AGG, taking place next week, has 17 courses focused on asphalt concepts and hundreds of exhibitors willing to chat with you about best practices in their booths. That’s March 10-14.

Did you take any crewmembers to training seminars or state association conferences during January and February? Those employees can function as trainers now; get them to help your foreman put on a mini-class or two for the rest of the crew. Tap into the talent on hand or bring in some extra help—the idea is to make sure everyone on the crew is ready to go when paving season starts.

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