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For this edition of AsphaltPro, we’re devoting more pages than usual to training. Let’s face it, today’s construction workforce doesn’t look like the workforce of the 1970s or ’80s. Workers may or may not have any idea what they’re signing up for when they fill out an application to join the paving or production crew. Just because our industry offers excellent pay and the instant gratification of a gorgeous roadway at the end of the day doesn’t mean every person signing up will know how to earn the paycheck and place the pavement. It’s our job to teach the newcomers to the industry.

Frustrated workers who find themselves in the hot seat for failing at a task or who find themselves in harm’s way when members of the crew are ignorant of best/safest practices are the workers who will leave in a hurry. Let’s use the following pages to discuss what options associations, consultants, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and service providers offer to help you train workers on the job.

I would be remiss if I didn’t draw attention to the online course AsphaltPro Magazine offers. For the course, we worked with Paving Industry Consultant John Ball of Top Quality Paving & Training, Manchester, New Hampshire, to develop an eight-module online resource of back-to-basics paving best practices. It’s designed to bring new hires up to speed or to offer existing workers a refresher on concepts and tips for getting quality results. We priced the course so you can buy it once but have access to it whenever and wherever you need it, to use it with as many workers as you need to train as often as you need to train them. In other words, you buy it once and use it for the life of your company.

The paving portion of our industry isn’t the only area where training is essential. Clarence Richard Company has offered web-based training as a portion of its instructor-led asphalt plant operation schools for a number of years. “He started out 20 years ago by offering classes in his local area with himself and a few guest instructors,” Steve Klein explained. “This quickly grew into a traveling road show of classes scattered around the country. Each class in a motel conference room for a week with participants from a regional area. The cost of not only the classes, but lodging and travel, were added to the classes. This lasted a number of years before manpower and travel needs had Clarence evolve the training sessions into an online school. He offered individual lessons via an Adobe online-based school with separate modules for instruction in different areas, review and testing sections to make sure the material was understood.”

Clarence Richard Company offers its instructor-led asphalt plant operator schools via Zoom.

While students were learning in this format, Richard found this style of classes didn’t offer the kind of interaction where individuals could ask the instructor or classmates questions. He solved that by moving some of the training sections to Zoom. “They implemented the use of the breakout rooms and polling for testing, as well as YouTube,” Klein explained.

Richard also re-connected with Klein from the original classroom schools and went over material to decide how best to offer the new-and-improved Zoom schools. They now offer five-day-long areas with a mix-and-match approach. They include:

1. Safety
2. Mix Quality
3. Production
4. Electrical/Mechanical Day 1
5. Electrical/Mechanical Day 2

“Companies could take one, two, three or five days of classes,” Klein shared. “By offering different combinations over multiple weeks, they could tailor the schools to their needs.

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“During the classes, the instruction used some of the web-based training aids along with fresh material and examples. During the presentations, not only were the students encouraged to ask questions for clarification, but also to share stories and experiences that they had encountered. We even took one day where, in place of each group breaking for lunch and returning, we had a Zoom style lunch break with ongoing conversations. With this back-and-forth sharing, the school was similar to the older training with new advantages.”

Web-based training advantages, Klein shared, include:

• Transportation only to their local workplace or internet access point
• Shared expenses with other class members
• Questions answered in real time
• Handouts and worksheets received via email
• Flexible scheduling for classes
• Ability to pick up a missed class or portion of a class recorded to the cloud
• Full days of training; if a conversation runs long, it can be extended for full answers
• Classes bring value to all levels of training and experience

Not all learners take information in over the web or during a Zoom conference as well as they do during a live demonstration or in person. To that end, contractors and producers have options in the industry. The team at Astec has announced dates for the Astec plant school and Astec paving school as of press time. Those schools will be held at the Jerome Avenue location in Chattanooga.

With Libra Systems’ controls and systems now folded into their offerings, the team at Command Alkon offers in-person training for customers. A spokesperson shared: “Command Alkon’s TRAININGDAYS gives system users the opportunity to stay up to date on evolving industry best practices, solutions feature sets, and leading technologies. Users can freshen up skills, industry network, and strategies for success. Participants can attend classes from a single product line or mix and match classes across product lines to meet training needs.”

Other companies offering in-person training include those who will come to your location. A spokesperson for Tarmac International said: “At Tarmac, we enjoy meeting our customers in person and helping them with their equipment at their site. Being in person and at your site helps us to have a better picture of your whole plant and operation. Something you might not think would make a difference could be the key to improving the way your plant works.”

B&S Light Industries team members go to customers to offer training as needed to ensure controls systems are understood and all members of the team are using the systems at top efficiency.

E.D. Etnyre offers training at its facility in Oregon, Illinois. Brian Horner explained: “We have two types of schools; one for dealer mechanics and one for customers, with several sessions of each. Customer schools are normally two-day class (one for distributor and one for chipspreaders); dealer schools are normally four-day schools. Customer schools include operation, safety, maintenance and troubleshooting. Dealer schools are more mechanical in nature.”

Because Etnyre works around trade show schedules, dates hadn’t been set in stone at press time, but Horner explained the dealer schools normally are held in February with customer schools in March. Historically, the company hasn’t charged for training schools.

TransTech Systems Inc. also offers specific free training, by appointment. “TransTech Systems Inc. offers free density clinics. Our team provides a class that covers overall density, as well as operation and use of the non-nuclear density asphalt or soil gauge.” If you’re in need of such training, you should contact TransTech Systems directly. “Our clinics are by appointment, and dependent upon social distancing protocol, may be in person (at our office) or virtual.”

BOMAG Americas Inc. shared: “We provide hands-on training at our facility in Ridgeway, dealer locations and customer locations.”

Jerod Willow of Willow Designs offers density training for customers as well. “I believe that asphalt construction in all of its phases is an obvious skill set—a skill set that is only defined and improved upon by direct action and hands-on experience, like most trades. Briefings and techniques taught in small segmented time frames and then applied directly to field applications provide the best and quickest results, especially when the group of trainees is small, which instills a higher comfort level to interact with the instructor. I find it hard as an instructor to convey and highlight certain details of asphalt construction in web-based form.

“Even before COVID, I have always encouraged my clients to contact me to provide phone support. A majority of the time we can talk through project details, analyze the problem, and I can provide multiple solutions. I believe there is value in e-learning or webinars but only at the fundamental level or for recertification.”

TQP’s Ball follows that line of reasoning. His training is based on going to a site with a crew, assisting the team in real time, taking pictures of what’s right and what’s wrong with equipment setup, taking video of practices and processes, and training in-person, on the job, with the company’s existing equipment, personnel, and material. At the end of a week with a crew, he gives a detailed report to the team and/or management, giving them a USB drive containing the 150 to 200 pictures and 20 to 25 short videos from the week, and offering ideas for areas of continuing improvement.

Considering he led training for Pike Industries before building his own consulting business, Ball brings decades of paving and compacting experience to each crew he works with. That kind of knowledge keeping up with today’s thermal profiling and automation advances offers a sharp advantage to the crewmembers willing to learn from him.

For companies looking to take crewmembers off-site, there are state association lunch-n-learn sessions, local associated general contractors (AGC) seminars, trade industry conferences, and more that offer everything from regional to national to online learning opportunities. Don’t forget to check out the resources your state asphalt pavement association offers when it comes to annual meetings or monthly workshops. The big industry conventions include the co-located World of Asphalt and the National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association’s AGG1 Academy & Expo taking place in Nashville in 2022.

“NSSGA continues to utilize innovative technology to bridge the gap between members who are able to join in person and those that would prefer to participate digitally. We understand that the online and e-learning platforms can’t fully replicate the camaraderie and networking experiences. NSSGA works to provide all members and attendees with different user-friendly experiences whether attending in-person or virtually to maximize their experience.”

“Though in-person connections and relationships between peers that are created when attending an event can be considered priceless, it is NSSGA’s ongoing promise to create an omni-channel approach to our events, and recently we have started to successfully host blended meetings by offering both in-person and virtual option. This will continue with our 2022 AGG1 Academy & Expo.”

You can grab more information about the AGG1 Academy & Expo’s education sessions at the website. Because the show is co-located with the World of Asphalt and its education arm, you can take advantage of asphalt-centric training during the same convention. Check out the WOA education session at the website.

As always, AsphaltPro magazine brings you training tidbits in our Training department as often as possible. Those articles are uploaded to the Training department tab on our website. Be sure you sign up for the free Toolbox Tips e-mail that brings you a quick, easily applicable talking point each Monday morning at https://theasphaltpro.com/upgrade-daily-toolbox-talks/.

Asphalt Pavement Alliance & Partners (APA)

• offers in-person and online training
• throughout the year
• to anyone interested in increasing their knowledge of asphalt
• some webinars have a fee/others do not

Visit: https://www.driveasphalt.org/events/all

AsphaltPro Magazine

• offers a virtual training course
• available online anytime you want it
• for paving contractors
• there is a one-time fee for the online course

Visit: https://training.theasphaltpro.com/p/asphalt-paving-101

Astec

• offers in-person training in the asphalt plants category
• at the Jerome Avenue location
• for Astec customers who pre-register
• there is a fee for training

Visit: www.astecindustries.com/service/training

Astec Industries

• offers in-person training at the Astec Road Construction Technical Training
• offers virtual paving training separately
• for customers and dealer techs
• there is a fee for training

Visit: www.astecindustries.com/service/training

B&S Light Industries

• offers hands-on training in-person at the customer’s site
• for customers who request it

Call: (918) 342-1160

Bergkamp Inc.

• offers in-person and on-line training with Paver School and Pothole Patcher School
• for customers
• there is a fee for training

Visit: www.bergkampinc.com/

Blaw-Knox Corporation

• Road Institute offers in-person training courses
• for dealers and customers
• starting November 2021-February 2022
• the fee varies depending on the course

Visit: www.blawknox.com/training

BOMAG Americas Inc.

• provides in-person training and e-learning
• for customers, dealers, potential customers
• there is a fee for training

Contact: marketing.ba@bomag.com

Caterpillar Paving Products

• offers in-person training and online training on-demand
• for Cat dealers and customers/potential customers
• there is a fee

Visit: https://catpavingtraining.logicbay.com/dlms/login/index.jsp

Clarence Richard Company

• offers web-based plant training
• for any plant personnel
• fee for training varies based on which multi-day course is needed

Visit: https://ezfloweighing.com/training/asphalt-plant-operation/

Command Alkon

• offers in-person training through the school, Regional TRAININGDAYS
• customers can arrange online training within their product group(s) outside of the school
• there is a fee for training

Visit: https://commandalkon.com/trainingdays/

Dynapac North America LLC

• offers in-person and online training
• to dealers and end users/customers
• no fee for training

Visit: https://dynapac.com/us-en/contact-us

Etnyre International

• offers the Etnyre Distributor and Chipspreader Training School
• offers in-person training at the factory training center for dealers and customers
• offers online training when needed
• no fee for training

Visit: https://www.etnyre.com/

Gencor Industries

• offers the Gencor Advanced Training School
• offers in-person training only
• for hot mix asphalt producers that own and operate HMA facilities
• there is a fee

Visit: https://www.gencor.com/training/

John Ball

• offers in-person, on-site training through Top Quality Paving & Training
• offers virtual training through Asphalt Paving 101 with AsphaltPro Magazine
• there is a fee for a week’s booking or a speaking engagement

Contact: tqpaving@yahoo.com

Meeker Equipment Company Inc.

• offers in-person training
• for customers
• for a fee

Visit: www.meekerequipment.com

National Asphalt Pavement Association

• CrewSafety:Work Zone Training is offered online only
• for NAPA members and non-members
• there is a fee

Visit: https://www.asphaltpavement.org/programs/napa-programs/internal-traffic-control-program

National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association

• AGG1 Academy & Expo is offered both in-person and online
• there is a fee

Visit: www.nssga.org

Stansteel—Hotmix Parts & Service

• Hotmix University hosts in-person training in Louisville
• offers periodic “Hotmix How-to” webinars
• for asphalt plant managers/superintendents and plant managers
• for a fee

Call: (502) 245-1977

Tarmac International Inc.

• offers in-person training and online meetings for trouble-shooting
• to customers/potential customers
• fees vary depending on the situation

Call: (816) 220-0700

TransTech Systems Inc.

• the TransTech Systems Density Clinic offers in-person and online training
• clinics are by appointment
• no fee if conducted at the TransTech facility

Call: (800) 724-6306

WEM Automation LLC

• the WEM Training school offers in-person and online training
• 2022 WEM Asphalt Conference (in-person) is Feb. 8-10
• for all employees who use the products
• there is a fee

Visit: https://wemautomation.com/training/

Willow Designs

• offers in-person, on-site training
• provides conference calls when needed
• training is focused on contractors who are usually clients
• there is a fee unless the client has selected the package of Notch Wedge systems with the 8-hour shift of support included

Call: (717) 919-9828

Wirtgen Group

• offers in-person training at the Wirtgen America’s Center for Training and Technology (CTT)
• for customers, dealers, employees and the road construction industry
• there is a fee

Visit: https://www.wirtgen-group.com/en-us/customer-support/training/