COVER STORY | ADVERTORIAL
Falcon patch truck during a demo in Texas with Falcon ’ s dealer partner Kirby Smith Machinery .
to push the limit on what ’ s possible with patching equipment . The people at Falcon saw the need for a new approach to asphalt patch trucks and leaned on their industry expertise to make it happen .
The Falcon Patch Truck Advantage
The Falcon patch truck solves many of the problems other patch trucks have while also providing all the benefits found on its standard trailer- and truck-mounted hot boxes . Like all the equipment that Falcon manufacturers , the patch truck was built with the needs and wants of its customers in mind .
No CDL Required
One of the biggest advantages to a Falcon Patch truck is it doesn ’ t include an auger , conveyor or the hydraulics to operate them . These components add a substantial amount of weight to the machine . Instead , it uses a much lighter gravity dump system to deliver asphalt material to the pothole or utility cut . Fewer moving parts mean that the Falcon patch truck weighs under 26,000 lbs GVWR — meaning anyone with a standard driver ’ s license can drive and operate it . Even if you have CDL drivers on staff you can benefit from the flexibility that the lack of a CDL requirement provides . Scrambling to find someone qualified to drive your truck is not an issue with a Falcon Patch Truck .
Reduced Maintenance
Since Falcon patch trucks do not have an auger , conveyor , hydraulics or other moving parts to disperse the asphalt , they require less maintenance than a competing patch truck . Fixing these moving parts can be complex , time consuming and expensive . That often means having a vital piece of equipment sitting idle in your yard for extended periods of time , costing you money . Thanks to the simplicity of the gravity dump , the only upkeep requirements are to keep the battery maintained and charged .
Improved Productivity
Falcon hot boxes are designed to keep asphalt hot all day , even in cold temperatures , whether you ’ re using cold or hot mix . Asphalt being at the correct working temperature allows for a more permanent patch . Due to the innovative design of all Falcon machines , you can reasonably reduce the number of trips to repair the same pothole by up to five times and save 60 – 80 % in material and labor when compared to using a dump truck . The gravity assist dumping feature also means workers won ’ t have to wait for a slow auger or conveyor belt to deliver material to the ground . Increasing the number of potholes that your road crew can fill each day will improve productivity .
Improved Safety
Falcon Patch Trucks are also designed to increase the safety of road crews . The lowered shoveling deck height of this truck will help alleviate worker fatigue , potential injuries and workers ’ compensation claims . In addition , the majority of the equipment , such as the controller , tack tank and spoils bin are located on the passenger or curb side of the truck in order to keep your road crews out of traffic .
Improved Maneuverability
It ’ s challenging to navigate tight city streets with any type of trailer-mounted machine . This is why many road crews utilize standard dump trucks to navigate those locations . However , standard dump trucks do not allow for the material to stay at the optimal temperature to create a permanent patch . Falcon Asphalt Patch Trucks allow your workers to operate in any area with ease while keeping material easily workable . Whether you have tight city streets with parking on both sides or a lot of alleys , a patch truck could be the right solution for your operation .
Ability to Hold Material Overnight
Falcon patch trucks allow your workers to hold material overnight ; they simply need to turn the internal temperature down to keep the material warm ( 180- 200 degrees for hot mix ) and turn the heat back up before returning to work . They can avoid the long lines at the asphalt plant or sitting in rush-hour morning traffic . Keeping material warm overnight will help save money and eliminate a trip to the asphalt facility to return unused material . You can also plan future work around the ability to hold material overnight ;
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