ForConstructionPros.com

Once you've made the decision to upgrade to a big sealcoating rig, say 1,500 gal. or more, you've made only the first of many decisions. But the industry's manufacturers of big rigs say that with early guidance from your equipment supplier of choice it's easy to add a sealcoating big rig to your fleet.

Not surprisingly, one of the first questions to ask is "how big?" Manufacturers such as Able Industries, Nealco, Neal Mfg., and SealMaster all produce a variety of large skid- or truck-mounted sealcoating systems, and Seal-Rite produces a 1,500-gal. skid-mounted unit. So options are plentiful.

"When your company is growing, when you're getting more parking lots and more work that one truck can handle, that's when you need to think about adding a larger unit," says Brian Dye, president of Able Industries. "You know when you're ready to upgrade depending on how many times per week you're getting your sealer. That depends on where your supplier is located, but if getting a larger tank enables you to travel less and sealcoat more then it's time to think about a larger tank."

Steve Rapp, equipment division, SealMaster Inc., agrees. "You know you're ready when you're getting the size of job where your 500- and 1,000-gal. tanks are just going to cause you too many trips to your supplier. It's important to get as much material on the jobsite as possible."

He adds that having a larger tank reduces mix times, which results in more time to sealcoat. "When you have a large tank you mix in sand and additives one time. When you have a small tank you have to measure, add, and wait each time the tank runs low," Rapp says. "You have to stop and mix, stop and mix, and that cuts down on the time for you to seal."