Despite all of the media attention surrounding electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells, don’t expect the internal combustion engine to fade away any time in the foreseeable future. Len DeLuca, director, Ford Commercial Trucks, says it best: “ We will see an increase in alternative fuels with no revolutionary technology in the next five to 10 years . . . Diesel engines will continue to be the predominant engine.” It takes time to develop alternative power sources and the necessary infrastructure, and currently electric vehicles continue to struggle with range limitations. Hydrogen fuel cells may hold promise, but they are mainly in the development stage and widespread utilization is still in the long-range future. The...

While I was doing research for an article on safe operation of hydraulic excavators in trenching and slope work (coming soon in Equipment Today 's January 2012 issue), Matthew Hendry, product consultant, hydraulic excavators, John Deere Construction & Forestry, shared an interesting anecdote. He cited a recent incident on a highway construction project where the operator, a 15-year veteran, was running a new Interim Tier 4 excavator. "He was placing boulders around a box culvert inlet and was working on a 3:1 slope," he relates. "The new excavator was configured differently than he was used to operating. He reached out, picked up a boulder and the new excavator promptly tipped on its nose." Fortunately, the operator was able to right...

When I worked as an associate editor on some of our print publications I had to conduct interviews with contractors during their work days. I couldn't tell you how many of those interviews were done while the source was driving. And I got nervous every time. I know it's unsafe to talk on the phone while driving. Texting is even worse. I saw a headline recently of a driver who sent 11 text messages while driving. The result was pile-up on the road with 38 injuries and two deaths. In the December 2011 issue of Concrete Contractor , contributor David Whitlock addresses distracted driving - and your company's liability in the case of an accident. In order to prohibit distracted driving within your company, Whitlock suggests creating...

Just returned from four intense days at Pavement LIVE in San Diego and I have one question: Where are all the West Coast contractors? Pavement LIVE was a re-invented approach to what was formerly National Pavement Expo West. That show had been in Las Vegas for 10 years and the shift to a San Diego resort location was just part of a change that included an expanded seminar program (39 vs. 31) and 10 live demonstrations -- including infrared, sealcoating, marking removal, cracksealing, striping and even a large-scale paving project -- right on the property of the Town & Country Resort. Everything went off pretty much as planned -- but fewer than 500 people were there to see it. So my question is, why? Sure, the economy played a role, no...