Every trucking company adopts trucks specs to address federal and local regulations. “Every state has its own laws,” notes Kevin McCann, operations manager, Silver Streak Inc. Regulations vary depending upon the state and region. “It is crazy.”
Many truck fleet owners find a spec that works for them and never look back. But this can present opportunities for companies such as Silver Streak, which continually looks for better solutions to serve an evolving base of contractors and jobsites.
Maple Valley, WA-based Silver Streak Inc. is a construction dump truck service founded in 1982 by Paula McCann and son Tim McCann. “It was the first woman-owned construction company in the Pacific Northwest,” says Tina Benson, Paula’s daughter and the current owner of Silver Streak.
Maple Valley, WA-based Silver Streak Inc. is a construction dump truck service founded in 1982 by Paula McCann and son Tim McCann. It was the first woman-owned construction company in the Pacific Northwest.Curt Bennink
Silver Streak has built its business on hauling sand, gravel, rock and other building materials to jobsites, as well as hauling waste materials away. The business has continued to grow and it currently runs a fleet consisting of 45 predominantly Mack trucks and trailers, 12 side dumps and two Super Solos.
“We will have 70 trucks in the next month or two,” says Benson. Silver Streak dispatches between 75 and 135 trucks during peak season, including utilization of up to 20 truck rental partners.
The company is sought out to meet diversity requirements set forth by the federal government, Washington State DOT (WSDOT), City of Seattle and King County. “We are usually one of the first companies contractors call,” Benson points out. “We do a lot of business that includes both the public and private sectors. We don’t normally travel too far. It is a good, solid business and there is a lot of opportunity for women.”
McCann oversees purchasing of equipment and equipment maintenance operations. “Basically, the West is all about horsepower,” he says. Drivers need to traverse steep grades and accelerate through stoplights, while trying to maximize the amount of material moved with minimal turnaround times.
Automatic Transmission Add Efficiency
Automatic transmissions provide a competitive advantage for loaded dump trucks operating in congested urban environments.
McCann provides the example of being stuck behind five or six trucks at a stoplight. When the light turns green, you want to try to get that truck across the intersection or you will lose another two to three minutes on that round trip. “The automatics do a lot of good things on those round trips,” he comments.
Silver Streak has been transitioning its new trucks to Allison transmissions. “We have a variation of transmissions,” says Benson. “The late-model trucks, we have a couple of 18 speeds, but mostly Allisons. We are hauling 105,500 lbs.” This is being pulled in stop-and-go traffic with a lot of inclines. “So it is a challenge.”
The use of the automatic transmissions makes the trucks much more efficient in this environment. While competitors often rely on trucks equipped with up to 600 hp, Silver Streak has been able to outperform them in terms of cycle time with Mack Granite trucks equipped with 505-hp Mack MP8 engines coupled to the Allison automatic transmissions.
The automatic transmissions also help with driver recruitment and retention. Traditionally, trucks used in this market relied on 18-speed manual transmissions. “Now, unless someone specifically wants a manual transmission, everything that I order for stock is all automatic — [Mack] mDrives,” says Greg Beman, sales manager, TEC Equipment, the local Mack truck dealer who works closely with Silver Streak. “Silver Streak uses the Allison transmissions, but I have other customers who are using the mDrives with incredible success. The only way you can get a driver in a truck now is to take that shifting away from him. This wave of automatic transmissions has just been amazing.”
Shift the Demands Placed on Drivers
How to Select the Best Heavy Truck Transmissions for Construction Use
The automatic transmission makes it easier to expand the driver base. “The 18-speed transmission used to be the easiest transmission to shift for these new drivers,” says McCann. “We are trying the Allisons out because you just don’t have the flexibility that you used to have. We are pulling people who have never been in the sector. They are not coming into the sector with knowledge, so now we have to be the stewardship in this industry and bring them along. It takes more time and it takes more energy to make sure they are doing it safely and they are doing it the right way without damaging the equipment.”
New Configurations Provide Advantage
One of the major challenges in the Seattle region is the traffic congestion. “In the City of Bellevue, even the city trucks are having a hard time getting around corners,” says McCann.
Trucks with pup trailers are the most common dump truck setup in the Pacific Northwest, but Silver Streak is always on the lookout for solutions that can provide a competitive advantage on the various jobsites it encounters. “The cities make it strategic when we have to get into doing the large haul jobs and are going in and out of the city,” saus McCann. “It becomes a timing issue, and you have to make sure you are not stacking machines on the jobsites so that you don’t create backups or block traffic.”
How To Know Which Dump Trailer Option Will Deliver The Most Work
Silver Streak is among the first trucking companies in the Pacific Northwest to utilize Super Solo trucks in this market. “We are creating three or four Super Solos so we can start gravitating and getting rid of the trailers for those [congested inner city] jobsites,” says McCann.
The net payload on the Super Solo is 50,000 to 52,000 lbs. It is able to carry comparable loads to a truck and pup trailer configuration, but is more maneuverable in congested environments.
Silver Streak is the first in the area using a six-axle truck with a two-axle pup trailer. The six-axle truck is flexible because it can be used to pull the pup trailer or it can be used as a 20-ton truck.Curt Bennink
“We started out with three-axle dump trucks and then went to four axles,” says McCann. “Now we are at a six axle. We have a six-axle dump truck with a two-axle pup trailer. We are maximizing our eight-axle combo that direction. There are not too many in this area. Everyone now, their footprint is either a four-axle with a four-axle pup or a five-axle truck and a three-axle trailer. We are the first ones who are going with a six-axle truck with a two-axle pup trailer.”
The six-axle truck is flexible because it can be used to pull the two-axle pup trailer, or it can be used as a 20-ton truck. “We can basically use it as a Super Solo, as well,” says Benson.
Silver Streak also runs a fleet of side dump trailers to haul larger debris. “We still have a limit on the debris,” McCann notes. “We quote minus 12 in. for maximum debris size. If you allow them to start putting bigger pieces in, it starts denting the sidewall of the body. This equipment is so expensive now and we want it to last.”
The wide array of truck configurations in the Silver Streak fleet allows the most suitable and efficient trucks for the particular jobsite conditions to be dispatched.
Keep Drivers Happy
Keeping drivers happy is a key to retention in competitive markets. With aging trucks, it can be difficult to attract the best talent.
Silver Streak also runs a fleet of side dump trailers to haul larger debris, but it limits debris to 12-in. minus to protect its investment.Curt Bennink
“Now we put those guys in the new Mack. They love that good ride. They are constantly improving the ride, too. With the new cabs there is a difference in noise levels and the levels keep coming down,” he comments. “The family doesn’t look back now as far as the new product.”
McCann points out there is a paradox in the industry: New drivers should get the new trucks since they are easier to operate, but in fact the new trucks are awarded to the most experienced drivers. “If we did it the way we should, the newcomers should really get the new trucks because they don’t have the experience. We should stick them with the automatics,” he states. “Reality wise, we cannot because that is the reward system. The older driver wants the new truck. The new truck is fully automatic and it is an easier truck to operate.”
