Abdul Taha 
Introduction
We have witnessed a boom in the development and infrastructure programs across the region. The demand for improvement and essential services has been increasing over time. As a result, it has also increased the number of jobs in certain construction sectors such as nonresidential and highway construction. In recent years, there has been a significant boom in bridge construction projects. The USA not only invested in the construction of new bridges but also redesigned and reshaped the old infrastructure as well.
According to Richard Branch, the chief economist at Dodge Construction Network, the growth of construction jobs, particularly in highway and bridge construction, averaged 16%, and the state invested around $152.3 billion in the projects during this fiscal year. Construction jobs for environmental and public works projects are climbing by 10%.
Despite the increasing rate of heavy equipment and government policies affecting the equipment market, contractors are still securing the majority of projects. Hence, it is important to understand the current market inclinations and what contractors must consider to complete the projects with less time and resources.
One of the experienced contractors from Texas, Gaylon Hammett, said, “You can have all the equipment and technology in the world, but if you don’t have the right people, it’s not going to work.” This is true to some extent; you can find advanced machinery across the region, but if you can’t find skilled operators to handle them, they become ineffective.
Investing in skilled operators and training for future success
The importance of experienced workers and machine operators cannot be underestimated. As the construction industry requires more workers, contractors need to create a favorable work environment and provide effective training to present workers and to those who are new to it.
The expansion of the role of less experienced operators will help increase safety and reduce costs in the future. Companies that have implemented proper training practices such as Hammett Excavation ensure that the success rate of the team working on a construction project is as high as possible. Module telematics gateway systems (MTGS) and satellite receivers assist recently hired operators by transmitting data to their team’s fleet manager or a reliable dealer.
Operators can usually access their operations management system through their in-cab display screens and even reach out to remote support from a dealer. When the machine is connected, the operator and the trusted equipment expert can see the machine in real-time.
Understand your Fleet’s Idle time reports
Monitoring your team’s idle time with automated reports offers two key benefits: establishing a proactive maintenance partnership with a preferred vendor and tracking the total production hours of critical high-powered machines. This helps ensure that these machines don’t exceed their production hours during the current warranty period.
By regularly comparing idle time reports, managers can discover ways to improve machine efficiency at each job site. This system allows fleet managers to monitor the performance of each machine, protecting their investment and developing in-cab resources.
Machine performance data, such as idle time and current grade, is displayed on large screens for operators. During busy periods, contractors can’t afford to overlook the role of an operations management system in enhancing daily tasks, processes, and overall efficiency.
The importance of automated reporting and machine control technology
Machine control technology has a very positive impact on increasing the productivity of certain machines. Both experienced operators and those using machine control technology learn faster and complete their work in less time.
Some of the people at Hammett Excavation’s job site practice smart grading and use the firm’s operations management system; meanwhile, trained excavator operators prepare a vast residential housing pad development. While working in the office, Stroud can monitor that the operator is digging to a particular depth and also think about possible requirements for repair in advance. When machines are interconnected, competent operators communicate with the other members on the construction site or the fleet manager in the control room.
Other than the excavator, contractors observe that motor graders, those with grade management, or grade control are more precise for operators in every category. To this end, many dealers will provide and install the said machine control technology after purchase to enable contractors to acquire this without having to go for the new model.
Completing more work in less time, along with data from the operations management system, helps managers identify the right actions to boost job site efficiency—whether it’s adding more equipment, hiring operators, or using machine control technology.
Real-time data and survey progress
Earlier this summer, a strong solar flare storm knocked out GPS systems for agriculture and construction machines. Contractors who had invested in backup systems like MTGS and extra receivers were able to avoid downtime. In contrast, others managed to stay on track by regularly checking their progress and addressing any delays early on.
This situation shows why it’s crucial to closely monitor job sites using automated data collection and daily progress meetings. Doing so helps prevent costly mistakes and makes it easier to manage resources efficiently. Let’s look at how one contractor stays on top of things: by regularly surveying job sites to gather data.
Broken Arrow, a company that takes on specialized construction projects in Utah, uses drones to survey land with incredible accuracy. Dave Cummings, their Senior Vice President of Construction Services, sets up daily flight paths for their Wingtra Gen II drone to map out the land as dozers level dense clay. Getting the grading just right helps the clay dry faster, so it’s ready for sale sooner. Before selling, Cummings runs another drone flight to calculate the volume for payment.
Before they had the Wingtra drone, keeping track of the clay’s processing and making sure the grading was accurate took a lot more time and effort. Now, the drone provides quick data, allowing them to harvest at the right time and reduce material loss. Their customers, like landfill managers who buy clay from Broken Arrow, trust the quality of the product and appreciate how quickly and accurately they receive the volume calculations.
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