Safety is a priority on construction sites and it starts even before the project breaks ground. Getting the materials to your location is the first step in the process.
It would be great if getting construction materials from point A to B was just a straight run of the road. The reality is that there’s a lot to consider logistically if you want to achieve an efficient and safe delivery. In order to make this happen, you need communication, terrain knowledge, and a commitment to safety procedures.
The Logistics of Construction Delivery
When it comes to handling and delivering heavy materials like concrete, steel, or lumber it’s the safety of the workers that comes first.
Construction drivers are already one of the most at-risk demographics on the road according to some insurers, so they don’t need anything that will further complicate their job. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics highlights that even though driving is only one part of a construction job, our industry still faces a great deal of risk on the road.
A high degree of professional expertise is therefore required to get raw materials onto trucks and off to their destination with attention to security and safety. Improper stacking, interlocking, or racking creates the risk of materials sliding around or even coming free of the truck entirely during transit. Materials damaged or destroyed while in transit not only costs the client money but, more importantly, it can pose physical risks to drivers, pedestrians, and public property.
A further problem is hiring a construction firm unfamiliar with your project’s location. This means they’ll have to navigate new ground en route. By the time they reach you, time-consuming wrong turns and other delays could take a bite out of your bottom line.
Here’s a common-sense checklist every good firm will consider when loading and off-loading at the site:
- Equipping delivery operators with the proper knowledge of best safety practices
- Making sure personal protective equipment is worn during delivery (hard hats, boots, gloves, high-visibility clothing, etc.)
- Taking care that delivery vehicles can enter and exit the site with ease and paying close attention to acceleration and reversing
- Finding a safe place to park that won’t interfere with site operations or those within the surrounding community – this may involve some temporary traffic management
- Confirming the loading/unloading zone with onsite personnel
The perfect delivery checklist doesn’t stop there. Delivery means more than just dropping the materials and driving off. The materials must be securely stacked and stored onsite in a way that eliminates, or at least minimizes, the risk to everyone involved.
Our years of experience help us ask all the right questions. Are there any time-sensitive restrictions on when materials can be delivered and unloaded according to planning permission? How large of a delivery vehicle(s) will the site allow? Asking questions and double-checking information between the delivery team and onsite staff is crucial to an efficient supply chain. Lack of communication is one of the major problems costing the construction industry more than $177 billion every year.
Mikula Contracting knows that time is money and have been serving New Jersey for decades. You can be sure we know the territory and that’s just one reason to choose us for your next construction delivery.
Mikula’s commitment to safety from beginning to end
At Mikula, we care about our staff and our impact on the wider community. Loading and unloading construction materials can take a real toll on workers who may end up getting sprains, strains, and fractures under these weights. Compromised safety for our staff could lead to danger for our clients, and it’s a risk we won’t take.
That’s why every operator on our team is OSHA-certified, which means they’re trained to the highest standards to keep themselves and others safe. Combine those skills with over 70 years of experience in the construction industry and you’ve got the company your project needs.
Commercial trucking and construction material delivery are a specialty for us. Whether your load is large or small – stone, fill, or sand is no problem at all. We take the utmost care from loading it up, getting it there, and making sure it’s left on your site in a responsible manner.
Connect with Mikula to get an efficient and affordable crew to handle all your logistical needs from the start of your project to the end. If you’re in Essex, Hudson, Bergen, Passaic, Morris or Union Counties and need a quick price quote just click the contact link below.
Mikula Contracting, Inc. provides commercial and residential customers with a wide range of excavation, demolition, environmental, snow removal, trucking, and soil materials services. For more information, call 973-772-1684 or email info@mikulainc.com
