■ AUGUST 2022
News and Insights from the National e-Ticketing Task Force
A New
Era Begins
PayPal President and CEO Dan Schulman is often cited for characterizing the immense power of digital transformation in a particularly evocative way: “We went from the Flintstones to the Jetsons in nine months.” With similar regard for the value digital technologies bring to bear on transportation and business in the 21st century, The Federal Highway Administration in their Every Day Counts-6 Initiative (EDC-6) rolled out a call to the State DOTs to eliminate paper and transition to 100% digital. To facilitate this effort, in October 2021, Greg Nadeau, Chairman & CEO of Infrastructure Ventures, LLC, and former Federal Highway Administrator, along with public and private industry leaders, launched the National e-Ticketing Task Force. In just over a year’s time, participation by stakeholders in both the public and private sector across the country has skyrocketed.
The group, composed of DOT change agents, as well as national and state materials producers and contractors, is guided by a common vision: “The National Construction Materials e-Ticketing Task Force (e-Ticketing Task Force) seeks to standardize e-construction practices, spreading awareness to industry players on the benefits of digitizing their operations to improve project data tracking and recordkeeping.” The group’s goal is to eliminate paper tickets specifically associated with hot mix asphalt, aggregates and ready-mix concrete across the industry.
The Task Force is currently led by e-Ticketing Task Force co-founders Dan Ganoe, Co-Chair (2021-22), Vice President of Operations, Lindy Paving, Inc., and Craig Yeack, Co-Chair, President & Co-Founder of BCMI. The leadership team also includes Greg Nadeau, serving as the e-Ticketing Task Force Strategic Advisor, along with Janet Treadway, DOT Engagement, Business Administrator, AASHTOWare Project, Ohio DOT, and Keith Onchuck, Concrete Industry Engagement, CIO, Ozinga Bros., Inc. In addition, public and private sector representatives from 11 states have signed on. Click here for a complete list of participants.
“We are so encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by many industry leaders for partnering together to further this initiative,” says Greg Nadeau. “It’s exciting to be on the forward edge of transformational changes in our business and taking full advantage of 21st century tools.”
The e-Ticketing Task Force’s mission is to “educate and facilitate a national discussion to transition to e-Ticketing in the construction materials industry for both transportation agencies and the private sector.” That effort begins with our website and social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter), and this quarterly e-newsletter, delivered direct to your inbox, which will feature deeper dives into the benefits of e-Ticketing, successful best practices, reflections from thought leaders and updates from the Task Force.
“Interest in e-Ticketing is enjoying real momentum right now, making it the perfect time for representatives from both the public and private sectors to join the Task Force. By sharing our experiences, learning from one another and building upon our achievements, we can lift the entire construction materials supply chain,” says Dan Ganoe. “This year promises to be very exciting.”
What Is e-Ticketing?
For generations, the construction materials supply chain has relied on paper-based systems to manage and track deliveries. As the highway construction industry doubles down on its backlog of improvements and repairs to the nation’s network of roads and bridges, modern management approaches are essential.
Fundamental to this modernization is evolving the industry away from paper tickets in favor of digitally-based systems that provide for:
- Enhanced analysis of data
- Greater operational efficiencies
- Improved financial management and processing
- Ease of accessibility to information
- Improved tracking and verification
- Improved problem troubleshooting
- Enhanced driver and worker safety
e-Ticketing is a classic “work smarter, not harder” approach that has been supported by the Federal High Administration’s (FHWA) Every Day Counts initiative. In fact, with 43 state DOTs agreeing to full or partial implementation of e-Ticketing by the end of this year, it is the most widely adopted innovation in the 12-year history of Every Day Counts.
The National e-Ticketing Task Force produced the video to the right to summarize the pragmatism of e-Ticketing and its positive impacts on a wide range of stakeholders throughout the construction materials supply chain.
Throughout the coming months, through this newsletter, social media channels and our website, the Task Force will share deeper dives into the benefits of e-Ticketing for different partners in both the private and public sector segments of the industry, as well as innovative approaches to the challenges of implementation.
Bookmark e-ticketingtaskforce.org and make a point to check back frequently for news and updates.
Quick Bytes
Exciting things are happening! Discover new participants who have joined the Task Force, follow media coverage of initiative innovators, mark your calendar for upcoming meetings, events and educational opportunities and stay up to date on federal and state government activity.
Thursday August 25, 1-2:30 PM EST
Register now for the FHWA ‘Webinar #3: e-Ticketing: Mainstreaming e-Ticketing.’ The third webinar in the e-Ticketing webinar series will discuss the institutional, programmatic, and organizational aspects of e-Ticketing. The 90-minute webinar will explore strategies to advance e-Ticketing maturity, data management, quality assurance and specifications to facilitate the expansion, standardization, and full implementation of e-Ticketing.
Click here to register and view past webinars.
Earthwave Technologies Joins the Cause
The e-Ticketing Task Force announced Earthwave Technologies is officially joining in its drive to digitize the construction materials supply chain. Based in Indianapolis, the company provides fleet management software to the construction industry.
Click here for the press release.
New Co-Chair, Craig Yeack of BCMI
Yeack, with decades of experience leading dynamic and disruptive technology companies, will join current Co-Chair Dan Ganoe, in leading the Task Force. Previous Co-Chair, Joe Spinelli, Founder and CEO of HaulHub Technologies, will transition to serve in an advisory capacity.
Click here for the press release.
e-Ticketing In Action
Forty-three state DOTs have already signed on to implement e-Ticketing programs as part of this current round of the federal Every Day Counts (EDC-6) initiative, putting e-Ticketing on track to being the No. 1 deployed innovation in the program’s 10-year history. Does that mean the Task Force’s work is done? Hardly. While conditions may have aligned to propel this initiative forward, there is much disparity in the scope of programs DOTs are developing, as well as among the private sector businesses in the transportation construction materials supply chain.
“Some forward-looking contractors jumped on [to e-Ticketing] before we did,” said Aaron Chamberlain of CalTrans, the largest DOT in the nation, speaking as a panelist for a November 2021 webinar on the topic and lauding these early adopters. “But others are waiting for us to develop a full set of specifications before they even look into it. It’s a broad spectrum of contractor willingness.” Similarly, Kat Weisner, with FWHA, noted in the same webinar that some state DOTs are running pilots with just one type of material, while others are establishing broader programs.
The webinar, “Practical Implementations of e-Ticketing on the Ground,” was presented by the National Asphalt Paving Association and moderated by Task Force Strategic Adviser Greg Nadeau. The session featured reflections on e-Ticketing in action from representatives offering federal (Weisner), state DOT (Chamberlain), supplier (Mike Wills, Granite Construction, Inc.) and contractor (Dan Ganoe, Lindy Paving) perspectives.
The panelists identified numerous e-Ticketing benefits that were apparent from jump, with safety topping the list. “If we can make the environment safer for road inspection staff and our contractor partners, that’s what we’re going to do,” said Chamberlain. Wills pointed out how e-Ticketing not only minimized risk of COVID-19 exposure, but also risks of accidents and mishaps around trucks on the move.
Reduced paper generation, handling and storage is another key benefit. “We have a job in Sacramento that has 700,000 tons of asphalt being placed on it and we estimated that the number of tickets [for that one job] would fill an 8x8x4-ft. room,” said Wills. “You’re printing four copies of an asphalt ticket and then just storing it forever. It’s hard to get data off that ticket later,” he added. “Data dies with the paper ticket,” agreed Ganoe.
Nadeau led the group to detail other benefits, including greater operational efficiencies and enhanced strategic analysis. He and Chamberlain also spoke of the value digital transformation in general has for the much-needed recruitment and retention of engineers and specialists for state DOTs. “We know there’s a perception [among college students] that ‘I don’t want to work for the state; they are in the Stone Age,” conceded Chamberlain. “Our new leadership is prioritizing innovation and technology. We used to joke about being on the cutting edge of 1979 because our contract payment system still ran on COBOL. Now, we’re upgrading everything…replacing that paper legacy with something completely digital.”
The panelists were confident that seeing e-Ticketing in action is its best sales tool. “Sometimes, it’s just about showing people what’s possible to get them over the hump,” said Wills. In the coming months, the National e-Ticketing Task Force will continue to collect and share reflections and best practices from different stakeholders through its website, social media channels and this newsletter. Start by viewing the one-hour webinar in its entirety; click here to access.
Paving The Way –
e-Ticketing Champions
Janet Treadway is the AASHTOWare Project business administrator and Electronic Project Delivery Management lead in the Division of Construction Management for the Ohio Department of Transportation.
An innovator and an enthusiastic advocate for e-Ticketing, Treadway is a recent addition to the National e-Ticketing Task Force leadership team, lending her expertise and passion to efforts in DOT Engagement. The e-Ticketing Task Force welcomes Treadway to her new role, asking her to reflect on the opportunities and challenges ahead for this initiative.
What excites you about e-Ticketing and the progress of this initiative to date?
I believe that there are many successes that can be achieved with e-Ticketing, with different stakeholders benefitting equally. The data initiated in the ticket can be used by all parties without need for duplicative entry, concerns for lost tickets or issues with ticket integrity—no fear of coffee spills. Plus, it enhances safety, passing through the workflow without need of physical contact.
Why did you join the Task Force and choose to be active in this campaign?
I welcome the opportunity to speak from a DOT perspective, applying my 20+ years of experience. I’ve found that networking with peers and stakeholders across state boundaries, can have a great impact on everyone’s success.
What do you see as the most significant barriers to implementation among DOT administrators? Can these be overcome?
One barrier is a mindset of “if it happens…” rather than an attitude of “now that it is happening….” DOTs are extremely large entities that successfully manage a tremendous volume of projects every year, meeting the many needs of their traveling public. Change can be a hard ship to steer quickly, especially for initiatives that are not “new” or “broken”—in this case, the ticket itself is essentially the same, while the change is in its delivery method and the opportunities to benefit from technology. In my observation, external stakeholders—the producers/suppliers and contractors—are the driving forces that will make this effort successful. A few years ago, when I first contemplated e-Ticketing, I quickly recognized that it would take buy-in and a determined effort by stakeholders to make it work. This is where we are today—and it is exciting to both watch and be a part of it.”
■ FEBRUARY 2022
News and Insights from the National e-Ticketing Task Force
A New
Era Begins
PayPal President and CEO Dan Schulman is often cited for characterizing the immense power of digital transformation in a particularly evocative way: “We went from the Flintstones to the Jetsons in nine months.” With similar regard for the value digital technologies bring to bear on transportation and business in the 21st century, The Federal Highway Administration in their Every Day Counts-6 Initiative (EDC-6) rolled out a call to the State DOTs to eliminate paper and transition to 100% digital. To facilitate this effort, in October 2021, Greg Nadeau, Chairman & CEO Infrastructure Ventures, LLC, and former Federal Highway Administrator, along with public and private industry leaders, launched the National e-Ticketing Task Force, and in just over a year’s time, participation by stakeholders in both the public and private sector across the country has skyrocketed.
The group, composed of DOT change agents, as well as national and state materials producers and contractors, is guided by a common vision: “The National Construction Materials e-Ticketing Task Force (e-Ticketing Task Force) seeks to standardize e-construction practices, spreading awareness to industry players on the benefits of digitizing their operations to improve project data tracking and recordkeeping.” The group’s goal is to eliminate paper tickets specifically associated with hot mix asphalt, aggregates and ready-mix concrete across the industry.
The Task Force is currently led by e-Ticketing Task Force co-founders Dan Ganoe, Co-Chair (2021-22), Vice President of Operations, Lindy Paving, Inc., and Craig Yeack, Co-Chair, President & Co-Founder BCMI. The leadership team also includes Greg Nadeau, serving as the e-Ticketing Task Force Strategic Advisor, along with Janet Treadway, DOT Engagement, Business Administrator, AASHTOWare Project, Ohio DOT, and Keith Onchuck, Concrete Industry Engagement, CIO, Ozinga Bros., Inc. In addition, public and private sector representatives from 11 states have signed on. Click here for a complete list of participants.
“We are so encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by many industry leaders for partnering together to further this initiative,” says Greg Nadeau. “It’s exciting to be on the forward edge of transformational changes in our business and taking full advantage of 21st century tools.”
The e-Ticketing Task Force’s mission is to “educate and facilitate a national discussion to transition to e-Ticketing in the construction materials industry for both transportation agencies and the private sector.” That effort begins with our website and social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter), and this quarterly e-newsletter, delivered direct to your inbox, which will feature deeper dives into the benefits of e-Ticketing, successful best practices, reflections from thought leaders and updates from the Task Force.
“Interest in e-Ticketing is enjoying real momentum right now, making it the perfect time for representatives from both the public and private sectors to join the Task Force. By sharing our experiences, learning from one another and building upon our achievements, we can lift the entire construction materials supply chain,” says Dan Ganoe. “This year promises to be very exciting.”
What Is e-Ticketing?
For generations, the construction materials supply chain has relied on paper-based systems to manage and track deliveries. As the highway construction industry doubles down on its backlog of improvements and repairs to the nation’s network of roads and bridges, modern management approaches are essential.
Fundamental to this modernization is evolving the industry away from paper tickets in favor of digitally-based systems that provide for:
- Enhanced analysis of data
- Greater operational efficiencies
- Improved financial management and processing
- Ease of accessibility to information
- Improved tracking and verification
- Improved problem troubleshooting
- Enhanced driver and worker safety
e-Ticketing is a classic “work smarter, not harder” approach that has been supported by the Federal High Administration’s (FHWA) Every Day Counts initiative. In fact, with 43 state DOTs agreeing to full or partial implementation of e-Ticketing by the end of this year, it is the most widely adopted innovation in the 12-year history of Every Day Counts.
The National e-Ticketing Task Force produced the video to the right to summarize the pragmatism of e-Ticketing and its positive impacts on a wide range of stakeholders throughout the construction materials supply chain.
Throughout the coming months, through this newsletter, social media channels and our website, the Task Force will share deeper dives into the benefits of e-Ticketing for different partners in both the private and public sector segments of the industry, as well as innovative approaches to the challenges of implementation.
Bookmark e-ticketingtaskforce.org and make a point to check back frequently for news and updates.
Quick Bytes
Exciting things are happening! Discover new participants who have joined the Task Force, follow media coverage of initiative innovators, mark your calendar for upcoming meetings, events and educational opportunities and stay up to date on federal and state government activity.
Thursday March 10, 1 PM EST
Register now for “Digitizing the Supply Chain: Practical Lessons Learned on e-Ticketing Implementation.” This webinar is presented by HaulHub for the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association. Panelists include new Task Force leader Janet Treadway.
Click here for registration details.
Earthwave Technologies Joins the Cause
The e-Ticketing Task Force announced Earthwave Technologies is officially joining in its drive to digitize the construction materials supply chain. Based in Indianapolis, the company provides fleet management software to the construction industry.
Click here for the press release.
New Co-Chair, Craig Yeack of BCMI
Yeack, with decades of experience leading dynamic and disruptive technology companies, will join current Co-Chair Dan Ganoe, in leading the Task Force. Previous Co-Chair, Joe Spinelli, Founder and CEO of HaulHub Technologies, will transition to serve in an advisory capacity.
Click here for the press release.
e-Ticketing In Action
Forty-three state DOTs have already signed on to implement e-Ticketing programs as part of this current round of the federal Every Day Counts (EDC-6) initiative, putting e-Ticketing on track to being the No. 1 deployed innovation in the program’s 10-year history. Does that mean the Task Force’s job has already finished? Hardly. While conditions may have aligned to propel this initiative forward, there is much disparity in the scope of programs DOTs are developing, as well as among the private sector businesses in the transportation construction materials supply chain.
“Some forward-looking contractors jumped on [to e-Ticketing] before we did,” said Aaron Chamberlain of CalTrans, the largest DOT in the nation, speaking as a panelist for a November 2021 webinar on the topic and lauding these early adopters. “But others are waiting for us to develop a full set of specifications before they even look into it. It’s a broad spectrum of contractor willingness.” Similarly, Kat Weisner, with FWHA, noted in the same webinar that some state DOTs are running pilots with just one type of material, while others are establishing broader programs.
The webinar, “Practical Implementations of e-Ticketing on the Ground,” was presented by the National Asphalt Paving Association and moderated by Task Force Strategic Adviser Greg Nadeau. The session featured reflections on e-Ticketing in action from representatives offering federal (Weisner), state DOT (Chamberlain), supplier (Mike Wills, Granite Construction, Inc.) and contractor (Dan Ganoe, Lindy Paving) perspectives.
The panelists identified numerous e-Ticketing benefits that were apparent from jump, with safety topping the list. “If we can make the environment safer for road inspection staff and our contractor partners, that’s what we’re going to do,” said Chamberlain. Wills pointed out how e-Ticketing not only minimized risk of COVID-19 exposure, but also risks of accidents and mishaps around trucks on the move.
Reduced paper generation, handling and storage is another key benefit. “We have a job in Sacramento that has 700,000 tons of asphalt being placed on it and we estimated that the number of tickets [for that one job] would fill an 8x8x4-ft. room,” said Wills. “You’re printing four copies of an asphalt ticket and then just storing it forever. It’s hard to get data off that ticket later,” he added. “Data dies with the paper ticket,” agreed Ganoe.
Nadeau led the group to detail other benefits, including greater operational efficiencies and enhanced strategic analysis. He and Chamberlain also spoke of the value digital transformation in general has for the much-needed recruitment and retention of engineers and specialists for state DOTs. “We know there’s a perception [among college students] that ‘I don’t want to work for the state; they are in the Stone Age,” conceded Chamberlain. “Our new leadership is prioritizing innovation and technology. We used to joke about being on the cutting edge of 1979 because our contract payment system still ran on COBOL. Now, we’re upgrading everything…replacing that paper legacy with something completely digital.”
The panelists were confident that seeing e-Ticketing in action is its best sales tool. “Sometimes, it’s just about showing people what’s possible to get them over the hump,” said Wills. In the coming months, the National e-Ticketing Task Force will continue to collect and share reflections and best practices from different stakeholders through its website, social media channels and this newsletter. Start by viewing the one-hour webinar in its entirety; click here to access.
Paving The Way –
e-Ticketing Champions
Janet Treadway is the AASHTOWare Project business administrator and Electronic Project Delivery Management lead in the Division of Construction Management for the Ohio Department of Transportation.
An innovator and an enthusiastic advocate for e-Ticketing, Treadway is a recent addition to the National e-Ticketing Task Force leadership team, lending her expertise and passion to efforts in DOT Engagement. The e-Ticketing Task Force welcomes Treadway to her new role, asking her to reflect on the opportunities and challenges ahead for this initiative.
What excites you about e-Ticketing and the progress of this initiative to date?
I believe that there are many successes that can be achieved with e-Ticketing, with different stakeholders benefitting equally. The data initiated in the ticket can be used by all parties without need for duplicative entry, concerns for lost tickets or issues with ticket integrity—no fear of coffee spills. Plus, it enhances safety, passing through the workflow without need of physical contact.
Why did you join the Task Force and choose to be active in this campaign?
I welcome the opportunity to speak from a DOT perspective, applying my 20+ years of experience. I’ve found that networking with peers and stakeholders across state boundaries, can have a great impact on everyone’s success.
What do you see as the most significant barriers to implementation among DOT administrators? Can these be overcome?
One barrier is a mindset of “if it happens…” rather than an attitude of “now that it is happening….” DOTs are extremely large entities that successfully manage a tremendous volume of projects every year, meeting the many needs of their traveling public. Change can be a hard ship to steer quickly, especially for initiatives that are not “new” or “broken”—in this case, the ticket itself is essentially the same, while the change is in its delivery method and the opportunities to benefit from technology. In my observation, external stakeholders—the producers/suppliers and contractors—are the driving forces that will make this effort successful. A few years ago, when I first contemplated e-Ticketing, I quickly recognized that it would take buy-in and a determined effort by stakeholders to make it work. This is where we are today—and it is exciting to both watch and be a part of it.”
■ FEBRUARY 2022
News and Insights from the National e-Ticketing Task Force
A New Era Begins
PayPal President and CEO Dan Schulman is often cited for characterizing the immense power of digital transformation in a particularly evocative way: “We went from the Flintstones to the Jetsons in nine months.” With similar regard for the value digital technologies bring to bear on transportation and business in the 21st century, The Federal Highway Administration in their Every Day Counts-6 Initiative (EDC-6) rolled out a call to the State DOTs to eliminate paper and transition to 100% digital. To facilitate this effort, in October 2021, Greg Nadeau, Chairman & CEO Infrastructure Ventures, LLC, and former Federal Highway Administrator, along with public and private industry leaders, launched the National e-Ticketing Task Force, and in just over a year’s time, participation by stakeholders in both the public and private sector across the country has skyrocketed.
The group, composed of DOT change agents, as well as national and state materials producers and contractors, is guided by a common vision: “The National Construction Materials e-Ticketing Task Force (e-Ticketing Task Force) seeks to standardize e-construction practices, spreading awareness to industry players on the benefits of digitizing their operations to improve project data tracking and recordkeeping.” The group’s goal is to eliminate paper tickets specifically associated with hot mix asphalt, aggregates and ready-mix concrete across the industry.
The Task Force is currently led by e-Ticketing Task Force co-founders Dan Ganoe, Co-Chair (2021-22), Vice President of Operations, Lindy Paving, Inc., and Craig Yeack, Co-Chair, President & Co-Founder BCMI. The leadership team also includes Greg Nadeau, serving as the e-Ticketing Task Force Strategic Advisor, along with Janet Treadway, DOT Engagement, Business Administrator, AASHTOWare Project, Ohio DOT, and Keith Onchuck, Concrete Industry Engagement, CIO, Ozinga Bros., Inc. In addition, public and private sector representatives from 11 states have signed on. Click here for a complete list of participants.
“We are so encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by many industry leaders for partnering together to further this initiative,” says Greg Nadeau. “It’s exciting to be on the forward edge of transformational changes in our business and taking full advantage of 21st century tools.”
The e-Ticketing Task Force’s mission is to “educate and facilitate a national discussion to transition to e-Ticketing in the construction materials industry for both transportation agencies and the private sector.” That effort begins with our website and social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter), and this quarterly e-newsletter, delivered direct to your inbox, which will feature deeper dives into the benefits of e-Ticketing, successful best practices, reflections from thought leaders and updates from the Task Force.
“Interest in e-Ticketing is enjoying real momentum right now, making it the perfect time for representatives from both the public and private sectors to join the Task Force. By sharing our experiences, learning from one another and building upon our achievements, we can lift the entire construction materials supply chain,” says Dan Ganoe. “This year promises to be very exciting.”
What Is e-Ticketing?
For generations, the construction materials supply chain has relied on paper-based systems to manage and track deliveries. As the highway construction industry doubles down on its backlog of improvements and repairs to the nation’s network of roads and bridges, modern management approaches are essential.
Fundamental to this modernization is evolving the industry away from paper tickets in favor of digitally-based systems that provide for:
- Enhanced analysis of data
- Greater operational efficiencies
- Improved financial management and processing
- Ease of accessibility to information
- Improved tracking and verification
- Improved problem troubleshooting
- Enhanced driver and worker safety
e-Ticketing is a classic “work smarter, not harder” approach that has been supported by the Federal High Administration’s (FHWA) Every Day Counts initiative. In fact, with 43 state DOTs agreeing to full or partial implementation of e-Ticketing by the end of this year, it is the most widely adopted innovation in the 12-year history of Every Day Counts.
The National e-Ticketing Task Force produced the video to the right to summarize the pragmatism of e-Ticketing and its positive impacts on a wide range of stakeholders throughout the construction materials supply chain.
Throughout the coming months, through this newsletter, social media channels and our website, the Task Force will share deeper dives into the benefits of e-Ticketing for different partners in both the private and public sector segments of the industry, as well as innovative approaches to the challenges of implementation.
Bookmark e-ticketingtaskforce.org and make a point to check back frequently for news and updates.
Quick Bytes
Exciting things are happening! Discover new participants who have joined the Task Force, follow media coverage of initiative innovators, mark your calendar for upcoming meetings, events and educational opportunities and stay up to date on federal and state government activity.
Thursday March 10, 1 PM EST
Register now for “Digitizing the Supply Chain: Practical Lessons Learned on e-Ticketing Implementation.” This webinar is presented by HaulHub for the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association. Panelists include new Task Force leader Janet Treadway.
Click here for registration details.
Earthwave Technologies Joins the Cause
The e-Ticketing Task Force announced Earthwave Technologies is officially joining in its drive to digitize the construction materials supply chain. Based in Indianapolis, the company provides fleet management software to the construction industry.
Click here for the press release.
New Co-Chair, Craig Yeack of BCMI
Yeack, with decades of experience leading dynamic and disruptive technology companies, will join current Co-Chair Dan Ganoe, in leading the Task Force. Previous Co-Chair, Joe Spinelli, Founder and CEO of HaulHub Technologies, will transition to serve in an advisory capacity.
Click here for the press release.
e-Ticketing In Action
Forty-three state DOTs have already signed on to implement e-Ticketing programs as part of this current round of the federal Every Day Counts (EDC-6) initiative, putting e-Ticketing on track to being the No. 1 deployed innovation in the program’s 10-year history. Does that mean the Task Force’s job has already finished? Hardly. While conditions may have aligned to propel this initiative forward, there is much disparity in the scope of programs DOTs are developing, as well as among the private sector businesses in the transportation construction materials supply chain.
“Some forward-looking contractors jumped on [to e-Ticketing] before we did,” said Aaron Chamberlain of CalTrans, the largest DOT in the nation, speaking as a panelist for a November 2021 webinar on the topic and lauding these early adopters. “But others are waiting for us to develop a full set of specifications before they even look into it. It’s a broad spectrum of contractor willingness.” Similarly, Kat Weisner, with FWHA, noted in the same webinar that some state DOTs are running pilots with just one type of material, while others are establishing broader programs.
The webinar, “Practical Implementations of e-Ticketing on the Ground,” was presented by the National Asphalt Paving Association and moderated by Task Force Strategic Adviser Greg Nadeau. The session featured reflections on e-Ticketing in action from representatives offering federal (Weisner), state DOT (Chamberlain), supplier (Mike Wills, Granite Construction, Inc.) and contractor (Dan Ganoe, Lindy Paving) perspectives.
The panelists identified numerous e-Ticketing benefits that were apparent from jump, with safety topping the list. “If we can make the environment safer for road inspection staff and our contractor partners, that’s what we’re going to do,” said Chamberlain. Wills pointed out how e-Ticketing not only minimized risk of COVID-19 exposure, but also risks of accidents and mishaps around trucks on the move.
Reduced paper generation, handling and storage is another key benefit. “We have a job in Sacramento that has 700,000 tons of asphalt being placed on it and we estimated that the number of tickets [for that one job] would fill an 8x8x4-ft. room,” said Wills. “You’re printing four copies of an asphalt ticket and then just storing it forever. It’s hard to get data off that ticket later,” he added. “Data dies with the paper ticket,” agreed Ganoe.
Nadeau led the group to detail other benefits, including greater operational efficiencies and enhanced strategic analysis. He and Chamberlain also spoke of the value digital transformation in general has for the much-needed recruitment and retention of engineers and specialists for state DOTs. “We know there’s a perception [among college students] that ‘I don’t want to work for the state; they are in the Stone Age,” conceded Chamberlain. “Our new leadership is prioritizing innovation and technology. We used to joke about being on the cutting edge of 1979 because our contract payment system still ran on COBOL. Now, we’re upgrading everything…replacing that paper legacy with something completely digital.”
The panelists were confident that seeing e-Ticketing in action is its best sales tool. “Sometimes, it’s just about showing people what’s possible to get them over the hump,” said Wills. In the coming months, the National e-Ticketing Task Force will continue to collect and share reflections and best practices from different stakeholders through its website, social media channels and this newsletter. Start by viewing the one-hour webinar in its entirety; click here to access.
Paving The Way –
e-Ticketing Champions
Janet Treadway is the AASHTOWare Project business administrator and Electronic Project Delivery Management lead in the Division of Construction Management for the Ohio Department of Transportation.
An innovator and an enthusiastic advocate for e-Ticketing, Treadway is a recent addition to the National e-Ticketing Task Force leadership team, lending her expertise and passion to efforts in DOT Engagement. The e-Ticketing Task Force welcomes Treadway to her new role, asking her to reflect on the opportunities and challenges ahead for this initiative.
What excites you about e-Ticketing and the progress of this initiative to date?
I believe that there are many successes that can be achieved with e-Ticketing, with different stakeholders benefitting equally. The data initiated in the ticket can be used by all parties without need for duplicative entry, concerns for lost tickets or issues with ticket integrity—no fear of coffee spills. Plus, it enhances safety, passing through the workflow without need of physical contact.
Why did you join the Task Force and choose to be active in this campaign?
I welcome the opportunity to speak from a DOT perspective, applying my 20+ years of experience. I’ve found that networking with peers and stakeholders across state boundaries, can have a great impact on everyone’s success.
What do you see as the most significant barriers to implementation among DOT administrators? Can these be overcome?
One barrier is a mindset of “if it happens…” rather than an attitude of “now that it is happening….” DOTs are extremely large entities that successfully manage a tremendous volume of projects every year, meeting the many needs of their traveling public. Change can be a hard ship to steer quickly, especially for initiatives that are not “new” or “broken”—in this case, the ticket itself is essentially the same, while the change is in its delivery method and the opportunities to benefit from technology. In my observation, external stakeholders—the producers/suppliers and contractors—are the driving forces that will make this effort successful. A few years ago, when I first contemplated e-Ticketing, I quickly recognized that it would take buy-in and a determined effort by stakeholders to make it work. This is where we are today—and it is exciting to both watch and be a part of it.”
