The Contractor's Best Friend

Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts discuss how using data on the construction site is saving contractors money by allowing workers to be more efficient, and through improved equipment maintenance. Data can also help save money on the job by measuring and analyzing costs, including the cost of equipment idle time. 

Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts discuss the important transition to the role of construction foreman and the skills needed in that position. The person working in the foreman position has construction experience, understands excavating, grading and other aspects of a project and can manage people. The ability to manage resources, teach and train other workers, as well as other skills, ar...

Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts talk about the importance of using the correct equipment for the construction job at hand. For starters, defining the application use and length of use are important questions to answer when selecting equipment for the job. 

Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts discuss topics that are top of mind with contractors across the country. Among those topics is the idea of safety fatigue in construction and the challenge to keep safety fresh in the minds of workers on jobsites. They talk about incentives, technology and other methods that have been proven effective in keeping safety a priority. 

Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts discuss how contractors can help current and future operators to turn adequate performance into some of the best in the industry. Listen to the podcast to find out what suggestions could create quick wins for your equipment operators.

Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts are joined by Chris Seger, fleet manager with Pavecon. Seger joins the podcast to give a user's perspective on leveraging support, parts, sales and services from your equipment provider.

What is the difference in the thinking of doing it yourself versus partnering with a dealer? Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts take a look at advantages and possible disadvantages of both contractor mentalities. Tune in to the latest podcast to learn a few "quick wins" you can pick up for your business.

As we look at making investments in technology, there are a lot of decisions that need to be made. What are some of the better investments contractors and construction business owners should look at relating to construction technology? Contractors should ask themselves, "What am I going to be doing in the future?" to help make these decisions. Tune in to this podcast to hear Brad Humphrey and thre...

Sam Meeker and Lonnie Fritz from Caterpillar talk with Brad Humphrey about electrification and how it impacts construction contractors. Electric equipment has been around for some time now, but the next generation of electric machines is meeting new standards, new expectations and new opportunities for contractors.

Construction contractors may be using more and more virtual training, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Virtual training offers many opportunities even beyond a COVID-19 world. Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts talk about this new training opportunity and some suggestions on how to make virtual trainings as impactful and beneficial as in person training.

Big jobs, small jobs, and every size project in between needs different sizes of equipment to match the application. This podcast explores how the depth and breadth of construction equipment available today provides contractors with versatile options to meet their needs.

Brad Humphrey sits down with experts from Caterpillar to discuss how to put more life into virtual meetings to make them effective as can be. Since the onset of the pandemic virtual meetings have become an everyday thing. So how can construction contractors optimize the time spent in these virtual meetings? Tune in to this latest podcast to find out a few helpful suggestions.

In the latest podcast, Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts share ideas on how to spot talent in your workers. As Brad points out, spotting talent is a never ending process. This podcast highlights different approaches on how to spot the talent you have and what to do once you've identified that talent.

In this podcast, Brad Humphrey sits down with Jason Hurdis, Lonnie Fritz and Scott Hagemann from Caterpillar to discuss matching equipment to project needs. Contractors need to understand the details of a project to make sure they are using the right equipment. Listen in to hear their hands on, practical advice and best practices on how to do a better job of matching the right equipment with the j...

Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts take on round two of their discussion on electric construction equipment. In this podcast, the focus is on the maintenance of this equipment. Maintenance considerations for an electric transmission are different from the traditional transmissions in diesel equipment. Listen in now to hear the second part of the electric equipment discussion.

Brad Humphrey sits down with the Caterpillar experts to talk about the hot topic of electric construction equipment. The Caterpillar experts reflect on the company's path with electric equipment, Cat's newest electric machines and how the move to electric equipment will impact the construction industry.

How do contractors get the most from preventative maintenance customer value agreements (CVAs)? What's the impact and the positives for a contractor? Brad Humphrey, the Caterpillar experts and contractor Chris Seger, fleet manager with Pavecon, dive into this topic to explore how CVAs help contractors improve uptime.

Brad Humphrey talks with the Caterpillar experts on how the coronavirus has impacted Caterpillar over the last year as well as the effect it's had on construction contractors. They share their experiences and how they've adapted to a "new normal".

What do the Caterpillar experts recommend when it comes to increasing consistency of equipment uptime? Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts offer tips on how to increase uptime through scheduled maintenance and leveraging digital technology. Tune in now for this latest podcast.

It's no question that you need to be monitoring your equipment undercarriage for signs of wear. But how often? Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts dive into best practices for measuring and maintaining equipment undercarriage. Undercarriage should be measured at least twice a year, but jobsites, material conditions and other factors play into whether it should be inspected more frequently. T...

Construction is a risky industry, and safety is at the forefront for many companies in the industry. But there is always more we can do. Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts look at how contractors can instill healthy habits onto their jobsites to keep everyone working safely. Tune in now for this latest podcast.

How can contractors find and recruit good new employees? This is a number one pain point for many contractors and may even be holding companies back from growing or taking on jobs. Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts talk about where contractors can find the best source of human resources to fill gaps in their crews. Different recruiting methods for the younger generations are needed. Tune i...

The state of training for most contractors today is not as great as it could be. There seems to be a lower focus on training in construction compared to other industries. But there is opportunities to change that. There are free sources and paid for sources that contractors should be investing in. Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts discuss how they see training in the construction industry...

How can contractors grow margins and make more money using telematics? How can the data help contractors make better decisions regarding their fleet? One of the biggest question contractors ask is how frequently should they be reviewing this data. Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts explore the best processes for reviewing and using telematics data. At a minimum, they recommend contractors r...

Pandemic aside, is your crew prepared for an emergency on the jobsite? How can contractors better prepare their crews? What types of emergency potential is in your areas - weather, industry related, outside factors? Brad Humphrey and the Caterpillar experts look at not only the risks construction contractors may face but how they can best prepare their companies, crews and jobsites. One of the big...