I apologise for a somewhat spartan article this month, but my original intention (and a very good one it was too) was foiled at the last minute due to forces beyond my control (or understanding). Let me explain…..

A few miles from where I live, they are building a new road.(If you live in the UK you will know that due to government policy and high profile pressure groups, new road construction is as likely as coming across a unicorn being ridden by a yeti). The purpose of this road is to relieve the existing route into my town, which during the summer months this route can be jammed for miles due to the towns popularity (it’s a major beach resort, kicking in the summer, dead in winter – I guess they’re like that the world over). The road construction is currently a major headache for the locals and visitors alike due to the disruption it is causing, it is a major piece of work with an incredible amount of machinery – dozers, excavators of every size, dump trucks etc. etc. It is hoped that the disruption will be worth it as the road build has been on hold for many years due to the various enquiries that were held over its suitability and whilst I am not going to get embroiled in the arguments for and against it, it will certainly change the journey into the town (hopefully for the better) not to mention the local landscape (no comment).

Whilst stuck in one of the traffic jams that seem to run constantly alongside the new construction I was astonished to see a huge array of stakes and benches peppering the site – why you may ask? Well this site is huge, there is a large carving going through the hillside, new tunnels, bridges, roundabouts, crossings, access roads, exit roads etc. Stakes and benches mean old school - no machine control – and this is clearly a jobsite crying out for it!

I decided to investigate further and the first thing to do was to arrange a site visit. After a few phone calls I was assured my application for visiting was being processed. Being the impatient sort I decided to have a sneaky look at the site prior to the official visit, so donning PPE I approached one of the many guarded access points. The security guys were great i.e. they did their jobs properly and wouldn’t let me on site further than a few yards from the gate, nowhere near the action and left me thoroughly disappointed (I tried this at three different locations, no luck). So I waited for my appointment, and waited, and waited. I was bounced around from department to department until I managed to speak to the main contractor on site and ..…yes, he had machine control! And he was using it, and yes I could see the job, I could see the machines,  I could discuss why they were using machine control, I could find out how the data was being prepared and managed – this was a result! All I was told over the phone was that they had two machines with machine control – a dozer and an excavator??  A rather low number considering the size of the site, the number of machines and the quantity of earth work. I knew who the machine control manufacturer was as I had seen the machine working on the roadside (a competitor unfortunately), but the visit was still going to be a good experience and would give me plenty of editorial for Machine Control Online.

That is until I received the e-mail from the main contractor telling me the visit was cancelled as due to a confidential agreement between them and the machine control supplier I would not be allowed to look, see, experience or write about it, the job or the site or anything to do with it (that is anything of interest to MCO) or show any of the photos of the machines on site. All a bit unfortunate really as I was left without a story and they were left without free editorial, but that’s life and I don’t bear a grudge.

These are important questions as without knowing the answers, those of us supplying machine control are just hoping that when we submit a proposal or quote that it lands on the desk of someone with vision and understanding who can see the benefits of finishing a job ahead of schedule, to plan, with minimum disruption to the population and a reduction in pollutants generated by the vehicles of the individuals stuck in the jam just wishing the whole damned thing was finished.