Senior Equipment Operator Lawrence Garcia, Jr. remembers when he and fellow operators climbed out of a compactor’s cab to monitor grade and compaction. Garcia, who’s worked at the Billings Regional Landfill for more than 16 years, says operators
used to “eyeball what they were compacting” when they did multiple passes on a specific pile.
“We average about 1,500 to 1,600 tons daily, which is a big deal. Carlson LandfillGrade helps us to manage our pile and keep the garbage moving to compact it quicker and put it to bed faster,” says Regional Landfill Manager Bart Twitchell.
Twitchell highlights why this is important: Landfill airspace, the volume of space on a landfill site permitted for disposal, continues to be a limited but vital commodity. When Twitchell started at the landfill more than ten years ago, he searched for
a way to improve communication and optimize efficiency. That’s when he connected with RDO team members.
“Carlson LandfillGrade gives us everything we need to know about what we’re doing all day long on that pile,” Twitchell says. “Operators know exactly where they’re at and where they need to go.”
Twitchell explains operators can see where they’ve gone and when they've reached enough compaction in the cab’s display screen.
“This way, they don’t have to guess when it’s time to move,” he says.
The Billings Regional Landfill team partners with RDO to deliver Carlson technology for their operations, maximizing compaction and extending the landfill’s lifespan. In addition, RDO is helping the Billings Landfill monitor equipment to provide
fuel savings and ensure equipment uptime, resulting in a much more environmentally friendly landfill operation.
“This technology helps us get the compaction we need to make that landfill last as long as possible,” Twitchell says.
Carlson LandfillGrade introduces accuracy and complete efficiency to landfill operations. With GPS-powered machine guidance, landfill operators can optimize airspace usage and significantly reduce the risk of landfill leachate (a liquid that forms when
rainwater filters through wastes placed in a landfill).
“With Carlson LandfillGrade, I’m able to follow the compaction progress in the cab and see slopes in real time,” Garcia, Jr. says.
With this info at his fingertips, he says he can be consistent while working with other operators and check in with Twitchell or RDO technology specialists when needed. Because of this technology, Twitchell emphasizes they’ve extended a landfill
section from an expected lifespan of two to nine years or more.
Watch how Carlson Command technology empowers operators to work with managers and engineers.
