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"The larger the project and the larger the delivery is, the more time we need," notes Dave Frentress, marketing director for Glacier Northwest. "For a 2,000-yd. pour, we need more time than a 200-yd. pour. It goes back to today's regulatory climate. If we're out of drivers' hours, we may have all the rock, sand and cement we need, but no drivers to get it there. That can be a real challenge operationally. We have a lot of jobs going and when we run out of driver hours, it's over. We have to schedule based on those regulations. Here we are with a plant loaded with materials and no way to get them to the customers. Those are government regulations and they're beyond our control. The contractors don't really understand that. Sometimes we have customers with big jobs to do but our hands are tied because our driver hours are used up."

John Hannon, president of Berks Products, notes, "Good contractors get our trucks in and out of the jobsite quickly. Idle trucks aren't profitable for the ready mix supplier. Delaying trucks on the jobsite causes further delays in the schedule for other deliveries." Showing ready-mix drivers the best routes for entering and exiting jobsites can also help suppliers.

Take pride in your work

Concrete contractors who do their work well get respect from ready-mix suppliers. "The best are quality contractors that do quality work with good reputations," notes Mike Kline, sales manager for Consumers Concrete Corporation. "It's the concrete contractor that is trying to elevate their industry and trying to put back into the industry to improve it. It's a person who has a passion for what they do, as we do, and who shares our passion for the industry. They have equipment that we like to have our equipment associated with. There's a genuine pride in what they do. They are professional enough to give plenty of notice and articulate enough to describe the job to us so we all know what we're up against. These are contractors that are quality driven and not price driven, where the quality of the materials is their first consideration."

Pay bills on time

Concrete contractors who pay their bills on time are popular with ready-mix suppliers. Each ready-mix supplier offers different terms. Some expect payment by the 20th of the month after purchase for all customers, while others offer terms based on a customer's credit history. At L. Suzio Concrete, payment may be due in 10 days for newer customers, while those with a long, positive credit history might be given 45 days to pay.

Paying fast can even save money for concrete contractors. "Our company offers a discount for early payment," Hannon points out. "Sophisticated customers usually try to take advantage of this term because it can add up to significant savings for them."