Volume scanning provides the competitive edge needed in Florida’s fierce construction market
Florida is home to some of the US’s aggregate leaders. The Sunshine State is known for riding on higher aggregate shipments, strong pricing, cost-saving initiatives and strategic acquisitions.
S&L Materials is a construction aggregate mining and trucking company, headquartered in Central Florida, who are using load volume scanning (LVS) systems to give them the edge in this competitive market.
They have four of Loadscan’s trailer-mounted mobile truck scanners (LVS-3TMM model) in play to accurately measure both material coming in and leaving site.
Loadscan’s LVS system utilises laser scanning combined with proprietary software to measure the exact volume of material loaded in a truck or trailer bin. It provides S&L Materials with actual volume (not a converted weight to volume calculation) as well as 3D load profiles and traceability (thanks to RFID readers for the automatic identification of every vehicle) for every load.
Being equipped with real-time actionable data for every load has enabled S&L to optimize loading and productivity while also monitoring and managing carry-back.
Ruben Cruz, dispatch supervisor at S&L Materials, credits their Loadscan technology with revolutionizing the way they track material movements and enriching customer service.
“We were looking to maximize the amount of material we process and to accurately account for material we supply or receive. We feel using an LVS is a more transparent way of doing business with our customers – load transparency has absolutely improved our relationships with clients.”
Load volumes are traditionally established from weighing trucks and applying bulk densities, which can be inaccurate due to variable moisture contents of load material, or counting buckets of a known cubic yardage which is subject to human error of counting buckets or variable loading of each bucket.
The benefits of installing an automated payload management system from Loadscan are multi-faceted.
Cruz says, “With the LVS customers get what they pay for. It eliminates under-delivery and manual data entry, saving time in the long run by getting quantities right first time. We are looking at a fast turn-around on ROI, our billing has definitely improved, reducing time and cost.”
S&L Materials’ aggregates are utilised in the construction of various major infrastructure projects including roadways, bridges, parking lots, and mass grading. Loadscan’s LVS system has equipped the company to focus on cost-conscious and efficient production – ultimately driving maximum profitability for their client’s projects.
S&L Materials opted to purchase the trailer-mounted mobile option due to its versatility. The mobile LVS is popular within the civil construction and roading industries as its mobility makes it ideal for short-term projects or use across multiple locations.
The fully self-contained mobile truck measurement unit can be driven to site and fully setup and operational in as little as 45-minutes. There are a range of power options (mains, generator or solar) and the user has the ability to transmit load reports via Wi-Fi, cellular modem or network cable.
Find out more information on load volume scanners.
Read more civil construction case studies.
