Are we about to encounter some new labor challenges in the face of what many describe as a “jobless recovery”? The evidence is gathering that it may well happen. And the roof-contracting industry may be among the first affected.

Are we about to encounter some new labor challenges in the face of what many describe as a “jobless recovery”? The evidence is gathering that it may well happen. And the roof-contracting industry may be among the first affected.

To begin with, if you operate commercial motor vehicles in your roofing business, public safety officials are poised to increase focus on your operating authority and your drivers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is set to adopt the Comprehensive Safety Analysis program (CSA 2010). This program will replace the measuring system that focused primarily on the carrier and will place a good deal of emphasis on individual drivers.

The purpose of CSA 2010 is to improve the safety of commercial motor carriers and their drivers for the benefit of everyone on the road. The method involves a scoring system that will allow public safety officials to identify and target poor performing carriers and drivers. To achieve the safety results sought from the program, carriers will have to take better care of their equipment and do a constantly improving job of training their drivers.

Some carriers and some drivers will not survive. The pool may shrink, and the driver of the future is going to be better trained and should deliver superior safety performance. The overall cost for drivers is bound to go up and their availability may go down, at least for the relatively near term. Add to this the fact that many trucking companies have scaled their operations back, and as the economy improves, they will need more drivers. Keep an eye on your commercial motor vehicle drivers with good driving records since their stock may be rising very soon.

Not concerned because all of your deliveries and trash hauling are outsourced to vendors? Their hassles are going to transfer right into your business if you do not line up with suppliers who are prepared to meet the new demands of the FMCSA.

Speaking of your workers who move materials to the job for you, how about those of you who operate boom trucks and cranes? The rules are changing, and the demand for better training of operators is heading up. The same will apply for equipment maintenance and inspections.

Think drivers and boom operators will be the only challenges emerging in the business? Many of you have already shared stories of difficulties working with fewer troops. Roofing workers today must be able to handle a wider variety of system installations than ever before. Add to that the emergence of garden roofing, solar, and even wind-powered apparatus. And how about your estimators? For many roofing contractors, the learning curve for geo-estimating has already been overcome. I think these technologies are real and are moving into the mainstream of our business. Next up is the move to Building Integrated Modeling (BIM).

Do not get me wrong. I believe in better maintained equipment. I believe in operators trained so well they never have a crash or incidence of damage. I realize advanced building technologies save time, money, and materials. But I also believe in planning and I believe the game is changing on many levels - and changing quickly. You simply cannot take these emerging trends for granted. And remember that includes not only requirements for your equipment and workers but those being faced by your trading partners as well.

Rick Damato
Editorial Director
rickdamato@yahoo.com