Milling Is Their Only Business - Hot-Mix Magazine

millingistheironlybusinessCompanies that specialize in millingcan offer paving contractorssome unique and positive benefits.SOME PEOPLE WILL WATCHa milling machine as it cuts aneat path down a stretch ofasphalt highway and they will becertain that the job is as simpleas going out and mowing thelawn. In fact, if you are the onedoing the watching and you are apaving contractor who currentlysubs out milling work, you mightsee dollar signs and begin to toywith the idea of getting a millingmachine of your own.But experienced contractors whospecialize in milling will warn youthat owning and operating one ofthose machines is much morecomplex and costly than outwardappearances would suggest. Thefinancing for that $500,000 pieceof milling equipment may actuallybe the easy part, said David Ando,president of Turtle Southeast, Inc.,a milling contractor headquarteredin Largo, Florida, on the west sideof the state. Ando points out thatthe operating costs that come upafter the initial sale tend to makeit more practical to either specializein milling yourself, or to hire aspecialty contractor who will dothe milling work for you.Experience countsAccording to Ando, there is nosubstitute for a milling companywith a history of quality serviceand production, something thesuccess of his family’s companyhas proven over the years.In 1976, David’s father, Carmen,traveled south from Canton,Massachusetts along the EasternSeaboard in search of warmerclimes and steady work for hismilling machine. When he arrivedin Florida, he had to explain to thelocal contractors exactly what his“milling machine” could do—andhe would offer to do the job freeif they did not like the process.Some of the contractors wereskeptical and wondered why theyshouldn’t just rip up old asphaltpavement and throw it away, aswas customary at the time. Buthe was persistent in selling histrade. By the 1980s milling wasbecoming a standard procedure inthe rebuilding of Florida’s highways—andCarmen Ando wasstill there, the owner of one ofthe oldest and busiest millingbusinesses in the country.David Ando and his brother, Tom,became involved in their father’sbusiness in the early 1980s andtook over as sole owners in 1998.David said that in more than 20years, he and his brother learnedthe business from the ground up,starting with maintaining andoperating the equipment. Thathands-on experience has been akey ingredient in developing thecompany and the way it servesits customers.“We learned a lot, on equipmentthat was really quite new to theroad-construction market,” saidDavid. “At that time, we didn’thave mechanics we could call tofix the machines. We had to dothe repairs ourselves.”Valuing the lessons they learnedin those early days, the Andobrothers make sure that each newemployee with Turtle Southeastgets ground-up training, as well.“They learn the maintenance onthe equipment first, and then theywork with an operator full timewhile they learn how to work theequipment,” said David. “It isabout a 90-day process for mostpeople before they are consideredto be an ‘operator’.”Those first 90 days of trainingare just the beginning, though.David explained that keepingmembers of the crew on boardlong term is essential in order tomaintain quality operations.“We have probably the mostexperienced crews out there. Someguys have been with me for 20years,” said Ando. “You needthat kind of longevity. You cannotgive consistent performancewhen you have a high employee-HOT-MIX MAGAZINE 20 VOLUME 13, NUMBER 1

turnover rate. We try to find peoplewho not only have the skillsbut also the attitude that is neededto do this job. Anyone will tell youthat operating a milling machineand working for a milling companyis a tough job—and you have tolove what you’re doing or elseyou will not be able to do it forvery long.”Maintaining the fleetAndo pointed out that anotheradvantage a speciality millingcontractor has over a pavingcontractor who just happens toalso run a milling machine is thetime, dedication, and resourcesneeded to keep all that expensiveand demanding equipment upand running.“The maintenance on this equipmentand the expense of keepingit up and running is enormous,”said David. “You must rememberthat a milling machine is doing adestructive process—taking upasphalt pavement that was neverintended to be removed—andthat sort of thing really tears themachine apart. A lot of partswear out over time, just by thenature of the work it is doing.”To minimize some of the requiredrepairs and replacement of parts,Turtle Southeast has a rigorouspreventive maintenance program.“Our crews spend a minimum ofan hour and a half at the end ofeach day washing down the millingmachine and greasing all of thecomponents and checking the oiland fluid levels,” said David.Backup plansFlorida and some other stateswill not allow traffic to drive onmilled surfaces. In addition, theworking hours can be limited bylane closure restrictions. As aresult, jobs can require one fulllanemill or two half-lane mills inorder to maximize production. Itcan also mean the paving train isoften working closely behind themilling machine, replacing thepavement almost as quick as it ismilled up. Being at the front ofthat paving train carries with it ahuge load of responsibility forthe milling-machine operator.“We carry an extensive inventoryof spare parts, from conveyorbearings and rollers to repairclips for a conveyor belt, pluswelders, torches—all the thingsyou need to fix any componentthat might go down during theoperation,” said David. “Why?Because if our milling machinebreaks down in front of thatpaving train, everything stops:the trucks loaded with asphalt,the paving crew, and the rollers—not to mention an asphaltplant that’s already loaded up itssilos with tons of asphalt…There is a lot of money ridingbehind that milling machine!”Being prepared for the worst isthe only way to avert a majordisaster, and it is unlikely that acontractor who only owns onemilling machine will be able tolive up to that responsibility.“We are prepared,” said David.“Our personnel in the field aretrained to diagnose and repair anissue and get that machine upand running. Plus, they are supportedby the mechanics in ourshop and office personnel whohave actual in-the-field experience.And in the event of a major failure,we always have enough millingequipment on standby and enoughlowboys on hand that we caneither move a milling machine froma nearby job or use equipmentthat we have in our yard to getthat paving train back up andrunning, quickly and efficiently.”Quality in quantityDavid said that in its last fiscalyear, Turtle Southeast and its newoperating division on the eastside of Florida, East Coast MillingFOR MORE INFORMATIONabout Roadtec equipment, call your Roadtec Regional Sales Manager:800-272-7100Fax: 423-265-7521 • E-mail: sales@roadtec.comTurtle LLC, removed about 1.5million tons (1.3 million tonnes)of asphalt from Florida’s pavedroad surfaces. He pointed out thatthe ability to handle that massiveamount of milling work is themain reason why most pavingcontractors would be better offusing specialty milling contractorslike Turtle Southeast for most oftheir milling needs.“Paving contractors sub out workto us because they are lookingfor the best value,” said David.“And because this is all we do, wehave the experience, the equipment,and the resources to givepaving contractors the best valuefor their money.”Direct manufacturer support“Roadtec is our preferred sourcefor milling equipment,” said David.“They have been very responsiveto our issues and our needs. Weget the service we expect fromRoadtec—and I believe that theirservice is better because they area manufacturer and not a dealer.“A milling machine is a specializedpiece of equipment. Direct contactwith the people who make it andwho know it inside out is a veryvaluable resource for us.“As far as I’m concerned,” saidDavid Ando, “the only thing youget when a dealer is involved withmilling equipment is a markup inthe price of the parts.” ▼▲▼Speciality milling contractors can offer the experience,the equipment, and the resources that are needed totackle time-sensitive jobs. Being the lead unit on apaving train carries a big responsibility for the millingmachineoperator. That’s why the operator should bewell-trained and have the know-how to diagnose a problemand fix it without causing long delays. This photoshows some of the equipment of Turtle Southeast workinga night job in Florida.HOT-MIX MAGAZINE 21 VOLUME 13, NUMBER 1