IN THE MIX
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2. Figure Out Your New Material Costs Prices fluctuate. They have actually fluctuated more in recent years than others. So, reach out to your suppliers and see if they have prices yet or at least an idea of what they will be for your sealer, asphalt, crack sealant and striping paint. Don’ t take for granted that what you paid in October is what you will pay this April or May. If you read this magazine, you are definitely at the stage where you should be job costing to the best of your ability. If you are quoting projects that are competitive, chances are the material costs are high, and being off just a little can add up. These numbers could not only cause you to lose a bid by being too high but could cause you to miss out on your expected margins by being too low— meaning your efforts would have been better put elsewhere on a different project.
3. Test Your Equipment Fully Ever been out on day one or two of the season on that big project you have been waiting to get to right away when the weather breaks, and you go to start the crack-sealing machine … and it doesn’ t fire up? What about when you have the parking lot cleaned and sealer agitated, then you go to open the valve to spray and nothing comes out? How about when the hopper is fully loaded and you go to run the extension out to get to that 13’ width and the hydraulics don’ t work? It’ s the worst, that sinking feeling. Avoid this by running your equipment fully during testing. Put it through its paces by running every part of it and double checking that everything is in working order. Heat up the crack sealing machine and pump it all the way out of the wand. Put water in your sealcoat trailer and run it through the spray wand, spray bar, return, etc. Run some millings through your paver. Make a pass or two, scoop it up and do it again until you feel it’ s all good. Get the water or mineral spirits pumping through your line stripers and paint some fake lines. Whatever it takes for you to not have downtime early is going to ensure that jump you have been looking forward to is a good one. The adage that“ time is money” still rings true, and“ downtime is money” does as well, just in the other direction. We don’ t want that, none of us do. Here’ s to hoping the spring goes smooth and is productive.
As always, if you have any questions, insight or criticisms about this article or anything in it, please feel free to email me at marvinjoles @ gmail. com, and of course, reach out to me using any form of social media(@ marvinjoles).
Stay In The Mix.-Marvin
Marvin Joles is the owner of Wis-Coat Asphalt Maintenance. Visit his website at
https:// marvinjoles. com.
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