Archive for April, 2008
Friday, April 11th, 2008
Sunrise Unlimited, Mays Landing, NJ, is a full service landscape and construction company formed in 1982. It provides a number of services including land clearing, site work, excavating, trucking, utilities and hydro-seeding. It is currently working on a 50-plus acre residential project, which will consist of 88 homes when completed.
To date, the contractor has cleared the site, stripped and stockpiled thousands of yards of topsoil and completed all sewer and storm pipe work that consisted of over 10,000 linear yds. of pipe. It has also completed a 3-acre infiltration system and detention basin, which will help with drainage throughout the development.
Sunrise Unlimited is now focused on the project’s next phase, which is backfilling around the housing unit foundations and starting the initial landscaping by spreading topsoil around the completed homes. In the past, it would use a skid steer, articulated loader and two tandem dump trucks, along with extra labor to complete these projects.
However, in early 2007, Mike Aspinwall, president of Sunrise Unlimited, was developing a 10-year business strategy plan for the company, and sought to migrate away from labor to equipment to meet the needs of the construction and landscaping markets.
“I looked at my equipment costs, equipment lifespan and how I could use the equipment for both landscaping and construction applications down the road,” he states. “I needed a fast, light and versatile piece of equipment that could handle light construction and landscaping projects and at the same time be operator friendly.”
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Friday, April 11th, 2008
Dump truck drivers staged a rolling protest around the National Mall Thursday, trying to draw attention to the plight of truckers who are buffeted by rising gas prices.
“Oh man by the time you buy fuel and pay for your insurance it’s nothing left,” said trucker Rick Woman.
More than 100 truckers drove from Forestville into the District, circling the Mall while honking their horns.
The drivers say they have been buffeted by the rising cost of fuel. They say construction companies have not raised the amount of money paid to the independent operators, seriously injuring their bottom line.
“We’re not making enouth. We’re not being fairly compesated for what we’re doing,” said Stella Hargrove.
The drivers, who own their own trucks, get $55 an hour from the companies. That is the same amount they were paid five years ago, according to the drivers, who say fellow drivers in Philadelphia are now making $100 an hour.
“We just can’t make it, point blank, it’s not enough. A lot of guys are losing their dump trucks and everything,” said trucker Brandon Thomas.
The United Metropolitan Truckers Association says many members have lost or are on the verge of losing their trucks. Truck repossessions have increased 110 percent from a year ago, according to UMTA.
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Friday, April 11th, 2008
Dunbar Public Works Director David Nelson has asked the city council to buy a couple of new dump trucks for his department.
At a council meeting Monday, Nelson requested a new GMC C5500 truck that could be using for hauling. Nelson said General Truck Sales has offered the city a deal if it purchases two new trucks.
The new trucks would haul the same amount as the city’s one current truck, he said. Drivers could operate the new vehicles without being required to have their commercial driver’s license.
Nelson told council that the dump truck the city uses now is 12 years old and has been driven 210,346 miles.
“My goal is to save the citizens of Dunbar some money,” Nelson said. “We need the trucks. I believe we should purchase the trucks.”
Council member Connie Boardman expressed reservations about acting too quickly. Boardman suggested the city solicit bids to get the best deal on the purchase.
“I just want to make sure that the City of Dunbar is getting the best price and the best trucks,” Boardman said.
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