Bucking the Economy

"For the work we'd be doing, it made the most sense to use a tracked paver," explains Trulove.

"Wheels can slip and get stuck in this area," Poulson says. "The PF4410 definitely has the power for the pull needed for these types of paving jobs."

Learning to pave
Once Trulove obtained the right equipment, it was time to go back to school to learn how to operate it. Faris Machinery teamed up with Volvo and its renowned Road Institute to provide training to the Rocky Mountain Paving crew.

Because the paving season was already upon them, it wasn't feasible for the crew to travel to either Road Institute location for training, so Faris Machinery and Steve Passmore, regional product manager for the road machinery division of Volvo Construction Equipment, teamed up to mirror the Road Institute curriculum especially for Rocky Mountain Paving in Glenwood Springs.

"The paving crew needs to have a good understanding of paving principles to maximize their profitability with the machine," Passmore says.

Passmore, along with Poulson and the service team at Faris Machinery, conducted a day-long training seminar for Rocky Mountain Paving. The first half of the day was conducted as classroom-style instruction on the operation, service and maintenance of the paver, screed, and compactor. The afternoon session focused on hands-on application basics of asphalt paving.

"Because Ty and his team were new to paving, we looked at this opportunity as a clean-sheet approach," Poulson says. "We started at square one talking about best practices and the process of paving."

For Rocky Mountain Paving's final exam, Trulove and his crew took the new equipment out on an actual paving job. Trulove arranged with a local business owner to pave a 24-ft.-wide driveway into a commercial office complex at no charge. The result was a successful first-time paving operation.

"They did an excellent job," Passmore says. "Ty and his crew really focused on best practices and safety. They understood the machine and how it works in the paving operation."

Poulson agreed. "This training process has allowed them to have a lot of success in the quality of their paving."

The business owner was pleased, too. As a true testament to client satisfaction, the business owner ended up reimbursing Trulove for the cost of the asphalt and fuel.

Dawn Buzynski, Two Rivers Marketing, Des Moines, IA, handles public relations for Volvo Construction Equipment, Asheville, NC.