When it comes to work zone safety there is so much to consider. First and foremost it is about the people and keeping everyone safe in our work zones. Every year there are over 700 fatalities on highways, streets and bridge work sites.* If you have been in the industry for more than a few years, you likely have a story that hits too close to home. Once you’ve stood on a job site and felt the rock of passing traffic, the sense of heightened awareness takes hold. We become uncannily aware how a simple lapse in judgment or attention could change everything in an instant…
There are other things that come into consideration as well though…being as efficient as possible in set up and break down, keeping track of traffic control materials (signs, cones, etc), visibility, ease of equipment operation and the list keeps going.
There are different players that have interest in every work zone. Some of their interests and needs overlap and some are unique to them and their situation. Imagine a venn diagram with the agency project owner on one side and the contractor on the other. Understanding these two unique perspectives was critical in the development of the Traffic Pro Bed. In fact today you can find the Traffic Pro Bed in agency yards and contractor facilities alike.
Skip Tovernick has been a traffic control business owner for over 30 years and one of his main concerns is a need to keep his crew and work zones as safe as possible. When there wasn’t a solution in the market that adequately addressed his needs to improve work zone safety, he built his own. “I saw a need to protect my people, searched for years and finally just built the solution I needed.” Skip Tovornik, Owner Traffic pro Beds and CHS Traffic Control.
Skip Tovernick has been a traffic control business owner for over 30 years and one of his main concerns is a need to keep his crew and work zones as safe as possible. When there wasn’t a solution in the market that adequately addressed his needs to improve work zone safety, he built his own. “I saw a need to protect my people, searched for years and finally just built the solution I needed.” Skip Tovornik, Owner Traffic pro Beds and CHS Traffic Control.
The original prototype of the Traffic Pro Bed is still operating in his traffic control business today. Contractors and agencies from across the US are now deploying various Traffic Pro Bed models in their fleets. (Click the link to find the right model for yours)
Let’s imagine the venn diagram and look at some of the benefits that are unique based on the different problems each TPB owner is focused on in their business. We will also see where the overlap happens and why Skip and his team continue to innovate and create a better experience for all their TPB users.
*A big reason the feedback on adding Traffic Pro Beds to work zones is so high is that these benefits can shift. As you can imagine many of these benefits can land in the center and depend on the use case. It ticks so many boxes and is incredibly versatile.
Agency Owner Scenario
An early adopter – Ed Jones (Prince George Maryland Public Works and Transportation Department) was certainly glad he made the investment in the Traffic Pro Bed truck.
Ed strives for no work zone incidents; safety is a priority for him and his workers. Not long after he purchased their first Traffic Pro Bed truck it was put to the test when a tractor trailer didn’t slow down sufficiently and drove directly into the work zone as it was being cleared up.
The trailer struck the Traffic Pro Bed on the side and scraped up the entire side of the vehicle, so the TPB absorbed the main impact of the collision. Fortunately, due to the organized, easy equipment loading belt system, the site had been cleared much quicker than usual so there weren’t as many personnel as possible on the road when the incident occured. Thankfully no one was injured, the TPB took most of the impact, severely reducing the severity of the incident and keeping the crew safe.
Ed Jones is a huge advocate for the TPB trucks, saying “When we have people show up to work, we want to get them back home safely. This truck gives us another layer of protection.” Prince George County now has 4 Traffic Pro Beds in their fleet and plan to add at least one more in the near future to give each district access to its own truck.
Additional benefits Ed Jones and his team have seen while using the TPB are:
Improved job site efficiency – the teams are on and off sites quicker, the set-up times for work zones have decreased due to the TPB being so organized.
Reduced annual expenses on cones, stands, and signs because less equipment is lost or damaged there are specialized slots for all equipment on the TPB.
Requires fewer crew members to set up and tear down the work zone.
Useful in many more situations than initially planned, including special events and Game Days at FedEx Field, as well as supporting maintenance and landscaping crews.
The additional benefits of improved job site efficiency, reduced manpower, fewer injuries, and less equipment loss are all additional benefits on top of the increased safety that the TPB provides for your team.
You can see how the benefits have stacked up for Ed Jones and his team. If Prince George Maryland Public Works and Transportation Department didn’t own the trucks but instead was partnered with a contractor that used them, their benefits would still stack up great and look like the agency list in our diagram.
Contractor Owner Scenario
At VA Paving in Cocoa Florida the business truly is a family affair, like so many great contractor stories this one is full of pride in purpose. Their reputation is that they can be “counted on to be better” and they take that praise to heart. Al Mallard leads a team that includes family members in all key stakeholder positions including both of his sisters and his son. Al’s son, Adam is third generation and doing things right is packaged into his genes. To remain true to VA Paving’s reputation for going above expectations Adam was looking for a solution to several problems when he discovered the Traffic Pro Bed.
Al remembers his son coming to him with a solution, he said ‘we’ve gotta have this’ and so they went and bought the first unit for their fleet. Their second unit is in production now after a collaboration with Paul Varga, TPB new Business, Marketing and Sales Manager to create a model designed for VA Paving’s bigger jobs with more capacity and additional features.
When VA Paving began showing up on projects with the Traffic Pro Bed heads turned. They of course were excited about all the added safety it brought to their crews and the work zone, but they had some other problems they intended to address as well.
Reducing lost or left behind signage and cones
Making project clean up faster and smoother
Reducing the number of vehicles on roadway for work zone set up and tear down
Staying on brand with top notch equipment and performance
Al Mallard’s company is known for delivering above and beyond on their projects. They run a tight ship, show up well organized, they operate clean-well maintained equipment and in particular, they are known to show with a few extra pieces to ensure the little things don’t get overlooked. This often includes grinding edges that often get overlooked and sweeper/vac units to leave a clean and ready for public surface.
The Traffic Pro bed leaves a great impression when VA Paving shows up on projects. Just the organization of the unit gets your attention, but its functionality ticked another box as well. It means less signage and equipment gets left behind when they are trying to leave a project that is pristine and ready for use. Not to mention the cost savings of not replacing lost and left behind signs.
“Before the Traffic Pro Bed, it happened all. of. the. time.., we were losing equipment. By having this truck, two guys are responsible, they put out so many signs, they put them back in the slots and if a slot is empty, they know they didn’t put something back in the slot. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone behind my crew after they clean up and there are signs still sitting there, I have to fold them up, put them on the truck and carry them home.”
The Traffic Pro Bed has been a welcome addition to the VA Paving equipment roster, and it has also deepened the value they drive with their county, city, and DOT customers. It aligns so seamlessly with the pride they place on going the extra mile, whether it’s keeping their projects cleaner and run smoothly or keeping their crews safer.
Everyone that works in the road construction industry wants to keep their workers safe and while some accidents are preventable, they will still happen and we want to keep injuries and fatalities to a minimum. Both Prince George Maryland Public Works and Transportation Department and VA Paving were drawn to the Traffic Pro Bed trucks to reduce the risk and help keep workers safe, but they have both found that the additional benefits will ensure all their Traffic Pro Bed units stay busy on projects.
*cdc.gov
Quick Q’s:
“Do you have work zone safety initiatives? If so, share those with us?”
“Are there unique applications you can see for this product? If so, what are they?
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