Fort Madison Ready Mixed, Fort Madison, Iowa, has found the answer to many of the problems faced by ready mix trucks on paving jobs. They use dump trucks to deliver concrete to pavers, allowing the job to move at a fast pace, and freeing up ready mix trucks for other uses. The dump truck is loaded at the mix plant by a ready mix truck, and is allowed to carry a load for « an hour before having to dump it. Dump trucks show numerous advantages over ready mix trucks. Ready mix trucks often have problems delivering a low slump mix, requiring that extra water be added to the mix, which results in lost time and wet loads. Requiring mix trucks' presence at a paving job also means that the truck can't be working somewhere else. Dump trucks, however, are able to unload 7 « yards of concrete in 1 minute, 7 seconds. They provide excellent control of slump, they are easier to clean with less wasted concrete, and they free up mixers to service regular customers.
