On the Job with ECCO’s New SmartSpot™ Radar System

Enhanced Reversing Safety Device Protects Local Crew on Interstate 84

For over 20 years, Brandon Dibble has been working in construction performing countless jobs that require his eclectic skillset and experience with heavy machinery. He is the Superintendent of family-owned T.A. Dibble Excavation and their latest bid has taken him to a windswept stretch of highway near Glenns Ferry, ID. He and his crew are prepping the roadway for eventual repaving. His crew is small but Brandon and his team are out front, laying down large rolls of moisture-wicking fabric to extend the life of the interstate. Equipping ECCO’s latest technology, the SmartSpot™ radar system, T.A. Dibble Excavation is also leading the way in safety.

Brandon installed the SmartSpot on his front loader to enhance situational awareness for a very active job site. “You can never turn your back,” warns Eric Walter, who is one of Brandon’s experienced operators. Eric is charged with hauling, loading and rolling out the massive fabric rolls. He uses the SmartSpot radar, which is integrated with one of ECCO’s high-definition camera systems, to alert him of obstacles, fellow workers and moving vehicles operating on the shoulder and dead lane.

The SmartSpot thrives in this environment. It compensates for back-up camera blind spots and provides advanced warning beyond visual range. The system’s FCC-compliant operating bandwidth emits and receives signals that alert drivers despite visually impairing glare and dust.

As the loader maneuvers around the roadway, vehicles, equipment and personnel are also in motion, so spotting them with a camera’s limited line of sight can be challenging. The SmartSpot’s adjustable field of view can make up for this gap and give both visual and audible warning based on distance. As an object gets closer, the warning tone’s interval narrows and a red symbol overlays on the monitor display. As Brandon, Eric and other experienced operators know, those few extra seconds of advanced warning could mean all the difference.

Another day, another 1,300 ft. of fabric laid and glued to the pavement. The crew is safe and right on schedule as a dump truck cruises by in the dead lane. Brandon relays that today’s job has gone smoothly but working in the roadway alongside a lane full of distracted commuters is a whole other story. Equipping ECCO’s new SmartSpot radar, along with a line of reliable lighting and warning solutions, T.A. Dibble Excavation is ready to take on the next job and all the hazards that come with it.