ASPHALT ANSWERS
There ’ s lots of work to be done and we ’ re moving faster than ever . This month let ’ s take a step back and make sure we aren ’ t overlooking some of the issues we might take for granted . Pre-plan your maintenance . Whether you do your maintenance in-house or contract a dealer to handle everything , you ’ ve got to be able to schedule it and stick to it . This is true for 2 reasons : One , as busy as you are , it ’ s easy to say , “ We ’ ll do it next week .” Well , next week never comes and before you know it , you ’ ve got a breakdown with trucks lined up . Secondly , with supply problems the way they are , filters , lube oil and other necessities may be in short supply . What ’ s on the shelf today may be tomorrow ’ s shortage . Have what you need on the shelf for quick and easy maintenance . Double check your bid process . In quoting jobs , we tend to get into a rut and phone it in . In the past , you were able
In today ’ s environment , asphalt , trucking , aggregate , emulsion or other supplies could change at a minute ’ s notice ,
to absorb some overrun or unforeseen repairs because you were confident on your other job costs . In today ’ s environment , asphalt , trucking , aggregate , emulsion or other supplies could change at a minute ’ s notice , leaving you in a bad situation if you overrun the job or encounter any other misunderstanding after the job started . Many contractors I speak with have shortened their quote guarantee window to avoid surprises . Escalation clauses cover some items but not all , so be prepared . Stay close to the job . A great way to lose control of costs on the job is to be absent . The best crew in the world can go astray and before you know it , job costs go through the roof . Am I saying you must keep your thumb down on the crew you promised autonomy ? Of course not , but if you are known to show up on the jobsite unexpectedly , your crew is more likely to be on their toes . Give them ownership but expect an owner ’ s work ethic . Oh , and by the way , bring lunch with you ! Follow up on the results . That ’ s just good business . I ’ m busy , you ’ re busy , but we aren ’ t too busy to make sure we did everything we promised and more . Did one of your machines run over an azalea ? Plant 2 in it ’ s place . Prove to the customer that water runs the right way . In other words , make sure there are no issues and the customer is confident that he will call you for his next project or will refer you to anyone in need . Finally , with the limited supply of new equipment available , your Section 179 purchases won ’ t be as easy as in the past . Now more than ever you need to start
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