The Hole Story

At Husky Hydrovac LLC in South Hutchinson, Kan., two words sum up why the company owns six X-10 hydroexcavating trucks, manufactured by Hi-Vac Corp.: quicker, safer.

“These trucks are our workhorses, and they help us do our work extremely efficiently,” says Terry Barker, operations director for the company, which does 90 percent of its work in oil and natural gas fields throughout the central United States, including Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. “The trucks excavate quicker and safer, because there’s no chance of metal meeting metal or tearing up underground cables and lines.”

BUILT FOR BIG JOBS

With model years ranging from 2008 to 2010, the nearly identical trucks cost about $400,000 each. They feature 14-yard debris tanks; a 360-degree radius, hydraulic boom; four side-mounted 250-gallon water tanks for 1,000 gallons total capacity; independent water pump and vacuum controls; and remote-control operation of both the boom and water pump. They generate maximum water pressure of 3,500 psi at 20 gpm and maximum vacuum pressure of 3,850 cfm at 27 inches Hg.

During excavation, crews generally keep the pressure around 2,000 psi at 7 gpm, Barker says. “The trucks can also do dry vacuuming, like sucking up gravel or sand, but we don’t use them for that very often,” he says.

Increased productivity is another key benefit. Barker notes that the trucks can remove 2 1/2 to 3 cubic yards of dirt an hour. He says it used to take about 20 workers a couple hours to dig that much material by hand with shovels.

But while productivity is important, on-the-job safety is the chief reason why Husky Hydrovac opted for hydroexcavating trucks. In fact, Barker says that without the trucks, staying in business would be increasingly difficult because more and more major gas and oil companies – taking their cues from insurance companies – will work only with contractors that own hydroexcavating equipment.

“We sell safety all the time,” Barker says. “We help companies keep their utilities and assets safe and maximize on-stream time so they can maximize their revenues and profits – and keep their employees and the general public from harm. We’re trying to keep people from blowing holes in the ground.

“It’s pretty much getting to the point where without hydroexcavating equipment, our backhoes and shovels aren’t allowed in a lot of areas,” he continues. “At a lot of companies, if you don’t have them, you’re not working. Insurance companies like hydroexcavators, and more and more, companies are writing into their safety manuals that before you put steel in the ground, you need to use a hydroexcavator to locate and expose pipe.”

HYDROTESTING MARKET

Established in 2009, Husky Hydrovac is now a year-round contractor, thanks to the X-10s. That’s because they can heat water to 160 degrees F and excavate frozen ground. An antifreeze system keeps water from freezing in sensitive lines when the truck isn’t in use, and a recirculation system keeps heated water moving to prevent freeze-ups during operation, Barker says.

The trucks also allow the company to gain entry into a new market for hydrotesting. “If they need more flow, we can hook up to the trucks and bring the pipes up to pressure,” Barker explains. “Sometimes that requires 3,000 psi or more, depending on the thickness of the pipe. It opens up a new market for us.”

Overall, Barker says the X-10s are indispensable assets.

“We’ve been able to convince our bankers that hydroexcavators are the way to go,” he says. “I would say they’ve increased our profits by about 20 percent.”

And dramatically improved productivity and safety along the way.