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"Miles per hour doesn't tell an equipment operator much of anything," Kaplan says, "But feet per minute does. A feet-per-minute setting enables a road grinder, for example, to know when his truck is full. He sets it up so with a 2-in. grinding depth at X number of feet he knows how much of a load is in a truck, so then doesn't have to guess when the truck is full and he doesn't have to stop and check."

He adds that a distance measuring device mounted on a paver can help a paver operator monitor yield of material by tracking how many feet he has traveled since he started paving with the current truckload as well as the rate of speed the paver is traveling. A paver should only lay asphalt at approximately 150 lineal feet per minute. If a paver operator is laying mix at a speed over 175 LFP, he is smearing the asphalt on the substrate and not giving the asphalt time to tumble and roll out under the screed. Maintaining the proper speed will create a better looking mat as well as being able to achieve proper density.

Handy for sealcoating contractors bidding a job, Kaplan says Fast-Measure offers an added benefit for pavement marking contractors of being able to track how much material is put down. He says the device can be outfitted with an automatic activation switch that turns the meter on each time an operator applies paint and turns it off when paint is no longer being applied.

Tomorrow: "6 Tips to Improve Your Measuring Ease and Accuracy!"

Your Business Is Based on Your Measurements

One of the most inexpensive tools contractors need is a measuring device to help them accurately measure parking lots and driveways for estimating and bidding. These tools, available in a variety of wheel sizes with any number of bells and whistles, form the basis of your success on getting the job and performing it properly.