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Overlays, whether they are structural or non-structural, make up a large portion of paving done on roads today. The degree of surface preparation for an overlay is dependent on the condition and type of the existing pavement. Generally, the existing pavement should be structurally sound, level, clean and capable of bonding to the overlay. To meet these prerequisites, the existing pavement is usually repaired, leveled by milling, preleveling or both. It is then cleaned and coated with a binding agent.

Generally, pavement overlays are used to restore surface characteristics like smoothness, friction and aesthetics or to add structural support to an existing pavement. However, even a structural overlay needs to be placed on a structurally sound base. If an existing pavement is cracked or provides inadequate structural support, these defects can often reflect through even the best-constructed overlay. Premature pavement failure in the form of deformations and cracks can result. To maximize an overlay’s useful life, failed sections of the existing pavement should be patched or replaced, and existing pavement cracks should be filled.

At most, overlays are designed to add only some structural support. The remaining structural support must reside in the existing pavement. Therefore, small areas of localized structural failure in the existing pavement should be repaired or replaced so this structural support is restored. Existing pavement failure can be caused by inadequate support or poor drainage. In these cases, the existing pavement over the failed area should be removed and the subgrade should be prepared as it would be for a new pavement.

Existing pavement crack repair methods depend upon the type and severity of cracks. Badly cracked pavement sections, especially those with pattern cracking or severe slab cracks, must be patched or replaced due to the fact that these distresses are often symptoms of more extensive pavement or structural failure. Existing cracks other than those caused by structural failure should be cleaned out by being blown out with pressurized air or swept. The cracks should then be filled with a crack-sealing material when the cracks are clean and dry.

Be warned: cracks less than about 10 mm in width may be too narrow for crack-sealing material to enter. The narrow cracks should then be widened with a mechanical router to accommodate the crack-sealing material. If the existing pavement has an excessive amount of fine cracks but is still structurally adequate, applying a general bituminous surface treatment (BST) or slurry seal instead of filling each individual crack may be the more economical way to go.

All in all, pavement repair should be extensive enough to provide an existing pavement with adequate structural support. Pavement management techniques should provide for overlays before an existing pavement has lost most or all of its structural support capability.

Initiative includes expansion of locations, products and service offerings

FS Solutions, a subsidiary of Federal Signal Corporation’s Environmental Solutions Group, today announced the rollout of a new business expansion strategy, which includes an expansion of FS Solution centers, inventory and service offerings in North America, to continue to meet the needs of the company’s industrial contractor customers. FS Solutions centers—currently located in Leeds, Ala.; Long Beach, Calif.; Streator, Ill.; Gonzales, La.; Toledo, Ohio; Lexington, S.C.; and La Porte, Texas—provide genuine OEM parts and factory-trained, certified technicians to offer recommendations and resolutions to any challenges customers may present.

“Based on careful consideration of comprehensive customer research, and the steady growth in recent years from one FS Solutions location to seven locations, our new strategy summarizes our approach to our customers. We help our customers succeed and achieve sustained productivity by responding with urgency, flexibility and a commitment to go the extra mile,” said Tony Fuller, director of industrial sales for FS Solutions. “At FS Solutions, we want to help our customers ‘Be Unstoppable,’” he added, referring to the company’s new tagline created as a result of the business expansion strategy. The new tagline embodies the actions FS Solutions is taking to improve and expand its level of customer service and support.

FS Solutions recently relocated its Houston location to a more spacious center in nearby La Porte. The larger facility offers greater support with a wider selection of parts, accessories and rentals, and more room for large service jobs—from basic repair and refurbishing vacuum trucks, to pump-related mechanical problems and replacing worn parts. The Lexington center, which opened earlier this month, provides waterblast equipment rentals, parts, accessories and the training customers need to run their waterblasting business more profitably. And as one of six other FS Solutions locations that serve as authorized StoneAge® repair facilities, the Lexington center helps customers maintain their StoneAge tools used for specialized waterblast cleaning applications.

The implementation of the new strategy is designed to increase the clarity, consistency and strength of the FS Solutions brand. “There is no doubt that FS Solutions is a recognized brand in North America, but we need to take it even further by informing our customers, partners and employees about the catalyst behind everything that we do—our commitment to being ‘Unstoppable,’” Fuller said.

According to Fuller, the fundamental success of FS Solutions will continue to be closely tied to offering customers the products, services and expertise they want, when and where they need it most. “Over the next year, we will expand our FS Solutions locations and service offerings in key areas throughout North America,” Fuller said. “We have the right market growth, organization and people to successfully carry out our new brand strategy and meet the expectations of tomorrow’s customers.”

Fuller cited specific examples of FS Solutions’ expanded service offerings, which include state-of-the-art chassis diagnostic software at the centers in Leeds and La Porte, and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) 407/412 inspection services for cargo tank equipped vehicles offered at the centers in Long Beach, Leeds and soon to be available at the center in La Porte. “Ensuring that our customers’ vehicles comply with U.S. DOT 407/412 cargo tank regulations helps them reduce downtime and minimize the potential for costly fines,” he said.

FS Solutions carries parts for all makes and models of airmoving and waterblasting equipment, as well as a team of experts at each FS Solutions center to provide repairs and maintenance.

With nearly 100 years of collective experience in industrial vacuum loading, sewer and catch basin cleaning, vacuum excavation and industrial high-pressure waterblasting, FS Solutions offers unsurpassed expertise and a unique breadth of product lines and trusted brands to meet the needs of industrial cleaning contractors and other industry professionals. For more information about products and services available from the FS Solutions centers or to find the nearest location, call 800/822-8785, or visit www.fssolutionsgroup.com.

Federal Signal Corporation (NYSE: FSS) is a leader in advancing security and well-being for communities and workplaces around the world. The company designs and manufactures a suite of products and integrated solutions for municipal, governmental, industrial and airport customers. Federal Signal’s portfolio of trusted, high-priority products include Bronto aerial devices; Diamond Consulting automatic vehicle detection and classification technology; Elgin street sweepers; Federal Automated Parking Division parking, access and revenue control systems; Federal Signal safety and security systems; Guzzler industrial vacuums; Jetstream waterblasters; PIPS Technology automated license plate recognition systems; SIRIT radio frequency identification technology; Vactor sewer cleaners and vacuum excavators; and VESystems software applications and customer management systems and services. Federal Signal was founded in 1901 and is based in Oak Brook, Ill. For more information, visit www.federalsignal.com.

We had a great week in San Diego at Pavement Live. The California weather was beautiful, which enabled us to do some sightseeing! We spent lots of time visiting with sweepers from across the country. I would like to thank all the presenters for their time, knowledge, and willingness to share with others. NAPSA members received valuable industry specific information from the following sessions:

• Giselle Chapman, Chapman Business Solutions—Taking Your Presentation Skills to the Next Level
• Kevin Kroeger, DSS Sweeping Service—Rely on “Systems” to Improve Sweeping Profit & Operations
• Beth White, California Resource Board—Truck and Bus Regulation

A big thank you goes to Allan Heydorn for coordinating the show and live demonstrations. Let’s also not forget the vendors who were on the show floor with their great products and industry knowledge.

The Sweeper Roundtable was attended by more than forty people and had discussion topics including onsite fueling/above ground tanks, sweeping waste and disposal, union/non-union labor agreements, and, of course, some discussions on third party service providers. The discussions were very interesting and full of great ideas.

If you could not attend Pavement Live, or even if you did, I encourage everyone to come to Memphis in February for National Pavement Expo, and there is a link for information under “Events” on the NAPSA website (www.powersweeping.org). Some of the FREE and discounted NAPSA events will include:

• Kevin Kroeger, DSS Sweeping Service—Rely on “Systems” to Improve Sweeping Profit & Operations
• “Best Practices” for Contract Sweepers—Gabe Vitale, C & L Sweeper Service Corp, Moderator

“Best Practices” Topics and Facilitators include:
› Grayson Carter, Bill’s Sweeping Service—Leveraging the Power of the Web: Taking the Mystery Out of Social Media
› Mark Carter, Bill’s Sweeping Service—A Single-Page Report about the Status of Your Company:
What Would It Look Like?
› Ron Lichtenstein, Algonquin Sweeping & Striping Co.—Measuring Driver Productivity
› Jim Larko, Katsam Enterprises—“Cleaning Up” on Sweeper Sales
› Ken Lindsey, Commercial Power Sweeping, Inc.—Are You Prepared for an “In-House” Emergency?
› Debbie Jacketta, Jacketta Sweeping—Tips, Tricks & Traps to Find Time to Work “On” Your Business

• Giselle Chapman, Chapman Business Solutions—Creating a High-Performance Culture: How to Engage
& Energize Your Employees
• Roger Bostdorf, B2B Sales Boost, LLC—The Game Plan for Building and Sustaining Family
Business Success
• Roger Bostdorf, B2B Sales Boost, LLC—Selling is a Process, NOT an Art: Here’s How to Do It
• There will be a Sweeper’s Roundtable for all who are interested in sweeping and having an open discussion on subjects that matter to you.

NAPSA will be hosting the second annual Sweeper’s Night Out on Thursday, February 16, 2012 during National Pavement Expo from 7pm – 9pm, and sweepers will be treated to an awesome networking event at BB King’s on Beal Street! Friendship, food and fun will be sponsored by the following terrific organizations:
Stewart Amos Sweepers Elgin Sweeper Company
Nite-Hawk Sweepers Schwarze Industries Inc.
United Rotary Brush Keystone
Superior Tire and Rubber 1800Sweeper.com

All NAPSA members are welcome and encouraged to attend the annual membership meeting, which is being held on Thursday, February 16, 2012. This meeting is your chance for discussion with the board and a wonderful opportunity for members to share their concerns or opportunities for the coming year. As your new President, I would like to hear from all of the members and discuss how we can improve our organization and our industry.

I would encourage you to help make NAPSA stronger by participating in leadership on one of the many committees. Your ideas are important, and your help is not only needed but welcomed. Our 2012 Board of Directors election was just completed and NAPSA has added some wonderful talent. Listed below is the incoming Board of Directors:

• Jim Larko—Katsam Enterprises
• Ken Lindsey—Commercial Power Sweep, Inc.
• Carl Barton—Aardvark Sweeping Services
• Gregg Blair—Superior Tire and Rubber Company
• Mark Carter—Bill’s Sweeper Service
• Gabe Vitale—C & L Sweeper Service Corp.
• Debbie Jacketta—Jacketta Sweeping Service
• Ron Lichtenstein—Algonquin Sweeping and Striping Co.
• Jim Dodson—Midwest Industrial Service
• Sylvia Richards—Asphalt Enterprises, Inc.
• Frank Chulick—Stewart-Amos Sweeper Co.
• Tracy Day—Nite-Hawk Sweepers
• Bryan Young—Tymco
• Robert Faulhaber—Schwarze Industries
• Frank Chulick—Stewart Amos Sweeper Company

We would like to thank Chris Crews of Schwarze Industries for going through the election process. Due to commitment changes, Chris has stepped down but nominated Robert Faulhaber of Schwarze Industries as his replacement. Robert has graciously agreed, and the board voted to accept his nomination. Thank you to every person agreeing to work toward the betterment of the industry.

Finally, I will close with a wish for Happy Holidays and a great New Year with the hope that your family and friends are healthy and safe and that you can spend time with them.

Story by Jim Larko

When you think of Malibu, California, you might hear Robin Leach’s voice in your head talking about the “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” And while the tiny enclave located along the Pacific Ocean outside of Los Angeles may be one of the most notoriously affluent in the country, it is also occupied by a community with the environment in mind.

Arthur Aladjadjian, Public Works Superintendent for the City of Malibu, says, “The projects we do, we do try to specify energy saving equipment and usage.” In fact, because the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), which is a state highway, is a main road used to get to, through and around Malibu, the city has an agreement with the state of California to handle the sweeping operations along that stretch of the PCH
and invoice them for the job.

The PCH is a famous scenic route that meanders along the California coastline, starting in Orange County and running north of San Francisco. In Malibu, it is also sometimes known for its treacherous traffic conditions, narrowly stretching through the city for 27 miles. To get the job of sweeping the mile or so wide highway done, the city hired a new vendor, Venco Power Sweeping Inc. based out of Oxnard, CA. In addition to sweeping the PCH, Venco handles the sweeping applications for all of Malibu’s public streets, park facilities, and City Hall.

Another major fixture in Malibu is the Malibu Civic Center. According to Media Information Officer for the City of Malibu, Olivia Damavandi, “It is not only the heart of the city, but also the centerpiece of Malibu’s environmental movement.” The civic center is comprised of City Hall, the Malibu Courthouse, the Malibu Public Library, Legacy Park, the Labor Exchange and three major shopping centers, all of which are united by the city’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

The roads that connect Malibu Civic Center were recently repaved using rubberized asphalt and pervious pavers, which allow stormwater to percolate and infiltrate through areas that would traditionally be impervious to the soil below. “For the seven years that I’ve been here, any street that’s been paved has used rubber asphalt, “Aladjadjian says. “The components have to be just right, but we’ve been using it successfully for several years now.”

One side of Legacy Park is bordered by one of the city’s busiest intersections at Webb Way and Pacific Coast Highway. The City of Malibu worked with local nonprofit Malibu Green Machine to replace that intersection’s unattractive concrete median with a new one that combines concrete and landscaping.

A landscaped highway is safer. Median landscaping increases the visual separation of the roadway, decreasing the risk of drivers entering oncoming traffic. Transportation research shows landscaped medians can slow cars and even deflect vehicles that mount the median curb. Planting on medians can reduce glare of oncoming headlights for drivers. Also, by softening the streetscape, the city hopes to make PCH appear more like the residential road it really is and get drivers to slow down.

A landscaped highway is also more environmentally-friendly. Given PCH’s proximity to the ocean, the city feels it important to limit vehicle pollution. The city and Malibu Green Machine plan to devote a larger part of Malibu’s medians, which are mostly paved, to plants. Every time a car breaks, it releases zinc and lead, and paved medians cannot absorb discharge from vehicles, which sends pollutants to the city’s stormwater treatment plant, as well as streams, rivers and oceans. But with landscaping on medians, certain plants can break these polluting compounds into micro-nutrients. Landscaping also absorbs more rainwater, reducing harmful run-off.

From handling the street sweeping of their section of the PCH, to using rubber asphalt in their road paving, as well as landscaping their medians to reduce pollutants in stormwater runoff, the City of Malibu is setting an example by doing all that they can to preserve the environment in which they live. Aladjadjian adds, “Even any equipment we use is environmentally specified with very low energy usage in mind.” That’s a concept any community can get behind.

Story by Megan McClure and Olivia Damavandi

It is a known and obvious fact that highway sweeping poses much greater risks than that of minor road and parking lot sweeping applications. Therefore, addressing common highway sweeping hazards and highlighting practical safeguards that can be implemented can make all the difference in reducing potential mishaps.

In an accident, there is a direct relationship between the speed, size and distance that an object travels at the time of impact. Bring the resulting damage to property and persons into the mix and you have one deadly combination, and working in a highway-type environment is an invitation for all of these things to come into play. There are other factors to consider, too, like low visibility at night, other motorists driving under the influence of alcohol or driver fatigue on the part of the sweeper operator.

So what is the solution to reduce the risk of accident? That depends on a number of factors, but there is one that remains constant. It is always in the sweeper operator’s power to do all that they can to safeguard themselves, their crew, the equipment they use and anyone on the road around them.

And there’s a lot out there on the millions of highways meandering throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico that cannot be controlled, so start with the things that are in your control. Proper sweeper maintenance sits at the top of the list, and that includes trained operators, proper supervision at a job site, effective lighting on the job site, as well as on any equipment that is used. An able body, capable of monitoring an always changing environment, and who knows how to direct a work crew accordingly, is crucial to every highway sweeping job.

Also crucial is working the worst case scenario into your assessment of any job situation. That often includes tractor trailer rigs that might be present when they’re passing a sweeping operation that is moving at approximately ten miles per hour. Not factoring in the extremes is often the cause of the severe incidents that occur over the course of each year when this type of work is being performed. Another unfortunate and perhaps the biggest issue plaguing highway sweeping is the other motorists whizzing passed the sweeper. Although you can’t change the habits of other motorists, you can at least attempt to control where, when and how fast they can operate when passing your crew and by controlling the moving pattern of the sweeping operation as best as possible.

Police presence is crucial on a highway sweeping job site. It has been proven that, psychologically, when a motorist views emergency lights like those of police cruisers on the highway they have a tendency to reduce their speed more than they do if just viewing general yellow flashing lights. That’s why it is so important that, at any cost, police units be present in addition to the standard use of arrow board and crash trucks spaced at a correct distance. Strive for a complete safety vehicle package that will slow the flow of traffic to the same pace as the sweeper crew when they pass them.

And exactly which sweeper is the best one to get the job done? You have options. The NH400-DX street sweeper with wet dust suppression from Nite-Hawk Sweepers is designed to handle the roughest sweeping jobs out there. The powerful sweeper can handle any challenge out there on the highway, be it glass, sand, gravel or weather, and the NH400-DX handles every job with maximum efficiency and performance.

Johnston/Allianz 4000 Street Sweeper from the modern, comfortable and well-appointed operator’s cab, to the toughest and most rugged mechanical sweeping system ever built, the 4000 is designed to take on the best of the best sweeping conditions to the worst of the worst which includes state highway sweeping, construction site clean-up, as well as road resurfacing application like millings and chip seal.

The Allianz 4000 is a hydrostatic drive machine that is also available in CNG alternative fuel and electric hybrid versions. In fact, the electric hybrid version is the world’s first electric hybrid street sweeper.

With highway sweeping, in most cases, you, the sweepers, are the ones being hit by passing vehicles, as opposed to the frequency of your vehicles hitting others. Moreover, the vehicles that hit a sweeping convoy can either be grossly underinsured or even worse have no insurance at all. This scenario leaves you and your insurance carrier at a disadvantage for potential recovery of injury and damages.

Hopefully the outcome of these practices will be an operation without incident. When you take the steps necessary to promote incident free work, the results come back to you in lower claims. This, in turn, results in lower insurance costs, both for your automobile and your workers compensation premiums.

There is a direct correlation between safe sweeping and higher profits. Keep everyone on the road safe and you’ll not only be saving lives but saving money,
as well.

Story by Megan McClure

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When Ralph Harrington launched City Wide Sweeping in Houston, Texas more than 25 years ago, he says, “I knew instinctively that I had to understand the mechanics of my equipment and how to keep my fleet running, as well as how to sweep streets and commercial lots.” And he is convinced that without this holistic view of his industry he could easily have been swept away by the competition. Instead, the company has grown to take in almost half a million dollars in annual revenues.

The Necessary Tools
As a young man, Harrington attended Bailey Technical School in St. Louis, Missouri, and credits this decision in large part for his current success saying, “My father also ran a successful business, and I learned a great deal from him, which helped me run a dump truck company, as well as become the owner of a gas service station.” He adds, “When I first moved to Houston more than 30 years ago, five years prior to starting City Wide, I worked my way up to general manager of Champion Maintenance, and this was my first experience working with sweepers.”

Harrington considers himself a real nuts and bolts guy, and studying mechanics has turned out to be a crucial skill set that he couples with his ability to talk to anybody at any level of the business community. He says, “I enjoy, equally, working in the shops talking technical issues with the mechanics, helping my operators on a job site, or discussing the benefits of our City Wide maintenance plan in a CEO’s office dressed in a suit and tie.”

Equipment Expertise
Harrington is well-versed in the use and repair of sweeping equipment, noting, “When I first started my sweeping company, I worked for Masco as one of its repair or contact facilities and have built a reputation for being extremely knowledgeable about their equipment. I am proud to say that they still consider me the go-to person when other businesses have issues in the Houston area.”

City Wide Sweeping uses only truck mounted Masco sweeper units, which, in Harrington’s opinion, are “the most efficient, quickest and cost effective equipment available. We use a three-cubic-yard model, recirculating vacuum sweeper that is specifically designed to sweep cans, glass bottles, diapers, stones and rocks, sand and grit, as well as broken glass. The unit also features a high-speed hand blower, so we are able to clean difficult areas such as sidewalks and loading docks.”

On-Site Servicing
Harrington emphasizes that every one of his trucks is serviced on-site on a daily basis and equipped with GPS technology. “It has always been my experience that the Masco products give me the best performance because they contain fewer moving parts with lower noise output,” he says. The trucks are easy to maneuver and operate with water-cooled engines that have electric ignitions, and all come with a backpack blower. He also says, “The stainless steel hoppers resist corrosion, which is a real plus, since the Houston area is known for its humid weather, and rust has always been our enemy.”

City Wide’s maintenance plans are based on the diverse needs inherent in each business site, whether commercial or private. According to Harrington, “Each site has its own set of variables, including the type of business, size, terrain design and paved surface condition. We offer flexibility and formulate our plans solely around a customer’s needs.” He adds, “Some businesses require a regular sweeping schedule, while other customers just need a one-time cleaning.” The company’s sweeping sites include business parks, container yards, malls, hospitals, business campuses, shopping and strip centers, loading docks and garages. Their services include vacuuming, litter removal, emptying and relining trash receptacles.

Self-Sufficiency
A major factor that sets City Wide apart from other sweeping services, Harrington explains, “is that we are completely self-sufficient. We do all of our own sweeping and cleaning. Plus, we repair and maintain all of our own equipment, and do not hire subcontractors.”

Many of City Wide’s mechanics have their own equipment, as well. Right now, the company has six full-time employees, but for seasonal or special events, or if the region experiences weather-related problems, they will hire part time staff. Harrington also speaks as a proud father of his daughter, Kristie, who contributes her marketing skills to the company, saying, “She’s very talented. She designed and manages City Wide’s website and Twitter site, as well as owns her own company, Abstract Device.”

A Proactive Approach
On the economic front, Harrington is quick to point out, “Like most companies in my industry, I’ve seen our revenues fluctuate according to changes in market demand, but being proactive and maintaining a solid reputation has helped us weather the periodic downturns.” Today, City Wide is proud to include Hooks Airport, the Boeing Company, Kingwood Hospital and Academy Sports & Outdoor among its customers.

When asked what advice he would give to a young person who wanted to go into the sweeping and cleaning business, he states, “It is critical to keep your fleet manageable and keep your eye on everything and everyone. This is a 24 hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week, year ‘round proposition if you are going to do it right and keep your customers happy.”

For more information on City Wide Sweeping, log on to http://www.citywidesweeping.com,
or call 281-441-8181.

Story by Daurelle Golden Harris

There is a purpose for every type of street sweeper and every type of street sweeper has a purpose. While vacuum and regenerative air sweepers are generally more efficient than mechanical broom sweepers at removing fine sediment, mechanical broom sweepers can handle almost any street sweeping application with above par efficiency.

Street sweeping is an effective practice for reducing total suspended solids and associated pollutant runoff from urban streets. Recent studies have found that street sweeping programs using equipment based on new technologies can significantly reduce pollutant runoff from urban streets, with potential reductions of up to 80 percent in annual total suspended solids and resulting pollutants.

“In my opinion, you just can’t beat the cleaning performance of a broom. Especially when it comes to sweeping clean a wide variety and sizes of debris commonly found on construction sites, in city gutters and along county/state highways,” John Paraschuk, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Stewart-Amos Sweeper Company, says. He believes brooms sweep up larger, bulkier debris that routinely clog their regenerative and straight vacuum counterparts. He adds, “Broom sweepers are also quieter to operate and offer high dump debris disposal as standard equipment.” Brooms also do not rely on high air volume to pick-up debris. Meaning their internal components are not subject to the same sand blasting effects that slowly and methodically wear away regenerative or vacuum alternatives.

Stewart-Amos manufactures five different mechanical broom models in three different hopper capacity sizes. All five sweeper body models are designed the same and constructed of the same heavy duty components. This means the highly maneuverable Starfire S-4 with its four cubic yard hopper is just as effective as the largest manufactured broom sweeper”—the Starfire S-6 with its six cubic yard hopper—and mounted on a conventional 33,000 lb. chassis.

Paraschak, says, “All five models provide the same high levels of consistent sweeping performance—day after day, week after week. Physical size and hopper capacity are the only performance specifications that set them apart.”

In addition, Paraschak believes nothing compares to the Starfire S-4 when it comes to effectively sweeping narrow city streets or cul-de-sacs. Mounted on a short wheel based, non-CDL chassis the S-4 can go where larger conventional chassis mounted units simply can’t. This makes the rugged S-4 a favorite of contractors and municipalities.

The Broom Bear by Elgin is one of the most rugged and efficient mechanical sweepers on the market today. Whatever your company’s sweeping needs are—heavy construction debris or light street maintenance—the Broom Bear is ready to take on the challenge. Due to its smart design, the Broom Bear gives a greater water and hopper capacity, requiring fewer scheduled stops.

Placed on a commercial chassis with fully dualized controls and a single engine design, the Broom Bear is easy to operate—even transporting at highway speeds—and easy to maintain, giving flexibility and quality that allows for maximum uptime and profitability.

The Schwarze model M6000 street sweeper is a heavy duty, chassis-mounted broom sweeper with a five cubic yard capacity. Available in both single-engine (M6000SE) and dual-engine (M6000TE) configurations mounted on a variety of conventional and cabover chassis, it is designed for maximum flexibility.

In addition, all variations of the M6000 have an extremely rugged, simplistic design, making this model ideal for use in a wealth of road sweeping applications. By offering both single- and twin-engine configurations, as well as conventional and cabover mounting, end-users are assured of having the correct machine for their exact application. The M6000’s innovative design features makes sweeping easier and more reliable, which saves the owner both time and money.

According to Schwarze’s website, the company’s engineering team started with a “clean sheet approach” to the hydraulic design and coupled that with a durable body design that has resulted in a reliable machine set to operate with superior performance in any sweeping situation.

But no matter how well suited a mechanical broom sweeper is for a job, keeping it in tip-top shape is vital. To enhance the performance of any of your mechanical broom sweepers, be sure to operate them at optimal speeds of six to eight miles per hour, as well as ensure that brushes are properly adjusted, and that the appropriate rotation rates and sweeping patterns are used. The rotation rates are the rate of speed that the mechanical broom sweeper must spin its brooms for optimal sweeping performance and if incorrect, can cause premature wear and tear on your sweepers.

The overall maintenance requirements for mechanical sweepers are greater than those for vacuum-assisted and regenerative air sweepers since mechanical sweepers contain more moving parts that require periodic replacement. Therefore, maintenance is crucial. So whether your purchasing the Elgin Broom Bear, Schwarze’s M6000 or any one of Stewart-Amos’ five peak performing Starfire mechanical broom sweeper models, stay on top of your sweeper’s maintenance to get the most bank for your buck.

Story by Megan McClure

Question: Why is a 2005 Eagle listed at $80,000.00 from a local dealer when I recently watched one sell at auction for $40,000.00? Then I find another one listed in the classifieds for $60,000.00 from a broker?

Answer: They are not the same sweeper.

Even though you think you are comparing apples to apples when it comes to comparing used street sweepers with regards to miles, hours and vintage, there is a lot more to consider.

Whether you are an established sweeping contractor or a construction company looking to add a sweeper to your arsenal of equipment, you must first look at your application. With several different types of sweepers currently in production, it is essential that you determine which would work best for your sweeping needs. Many people have made the mistake of purchasing a street sweeper without paying any consideration to what materials they will be picking up. The reason there are different configurations of street sweepers is for different applications.

“You can go to your local GP for brain surgery, but you would get better results with a neurosurgeon.”

Once you have determined what type of sweeper will best suit your needs, now you are ready to go shopping.

The all-mighty dollar is always a driving factor when you make any purchase but the main focus should be on value. Referring back to the opening question of “Why do prices vary so much for what appears to be comparable sweepers?” It’s what you can’t see that makes all the difference. Street sweepers may be one of the most maintenance intensive pieces of equipment you own. There are a lot of mechanical parts and wear items and if they are not properly maintained, they could cost you a lot in downtime and repairs. There are a lot of sweeper owners that neglect the maintenance side of their street sweepers. If the sweeper is running fine then they do not feel the need to invest in maintenance. This will definitely save the current owner a few dollars but could become your issue after purchasing one of the street sweepers.

Many sweeper buyers pay too much attention to the cosmetics of the sweeper. There are some resellers that take advantage of this by advertising their sweepers as “refurbished” or “rebuilt” when all they have done is repainted the unit and added some new wear parts. As the saying goes “You can put lipstick on a pig…

Does the unit look like a great sweeper? Absolutely.

Does it perform like a great sweeper? Possibly.

Will it still be a great sweeper three or four years
down the road? Maybe.

Let’s review our three price point examples for a 2005 Eagle.

The Price Point Review
$40,000.00 from a local auction house may be a great deal or a great big lemon. You can find municipal surplus, financial repossessions and contractor units at auction. With a wide variety of vendors you will also receive variable consistency with condition. Your low purchase price point could be blown out of the water after you get the unit home and get a closer look. Some makes and models have an unstable history or may even be obsolete making it difficult (and sometimes very expensive) to locate parts. Sometimes the low price point at an auction can be attractive but without doing your homework you could end up making a poor investment.

“Price is absolutely a factor to consider but sometimes a good deal is simply too good to be true.”

This brings us to our $60,000.00 price tag for our 2005 Eagle sweeper. What happened to the last unit that you decided not to buy at the auction? You may be looking right at it with a fresh paint job and some new brooms and not even know it. There are a lot of dealers and brokers in the marketplace today who pick-up inventory at auctions. Some of which do a great job at remarketing them at fair prices and adding value to be passed on to the end user. Unfortunately there are many dealers and brokers who are simply flipping equipment to make a quick buck. We hear stories all the time of that sweeper that looked to be in perfect condition and was a great price and they just couldn’t pass it up.

It is important to have confidence in where you are purchasing your street sweeper from. If your sales person can’t answer simple questions about the machine, there is a good chance the technician that completed the “rebuild” or “refurbishment” doesn’t know either.

Finally we get to our $80,000.00 price point. Now that we have seen the rest and done our homework this should be our best investment, right?

Hopefully.

There is a good chance that you have found the best value when you purchase a unit from a dealer that has experience with street sweepers. They should be able to provide you with some insight on the unit’s history as well as what mechanical work has been completed. They may also offer training and manuals that will provide you with some extra value for your money. Most reputable dealers will also provide you with some form of assurance with regards to the sweeper’s performance after the purchase.

In these cases the initial purchase price may seem higher than other options going in, but lowering your life-cycle costs over the course of ownership is a solid investment. We would encourage you to do your homework in this case to ensure that you are dealing with a reputable company.

As with every part of your business there are risks and rewards. As a business manager you make risk / reward decisions on a daily basis. You can minimize those risks by doing your homework and making your next sweeper purchase from a reputable dealer.

Story by Chris Vanderhof, General Manger of Q-Equips

Q-Equips is a division of Joe Johnson Equipment Inc which has been in the municipal equipment business for over 25 years. We operate nine (9) branches across Canada and upstate New York.