My job site wifi router failed mid-pour concrete pour last Tuesday

I was running a 12-yard foundation pour in Phoenix and the router I setup for the mix truck dispatch just died at 10am. The dispatcher couldn't send the second truck because the signal dropped and I had to drive back to the shop to grab a backup. Has anyone else had a critical piece of tech fail right when you needed it most on a deadline?

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3 Comments

grant4783mo ago

Had a similar problem on a commercial slab pour in Austin last August. Router overheated around 1pm, right when we needed to coordinate the pump truck. I ended up tethering my work phone to a cheap travel router I keep in my lunchbox now. That little thing got us through the rest of the pour. Now I always carry a backup router and a USB fan to keep it cool. Also keep a laminated card zip tied to the router with the dispatcher's direct number, just in case the whole network goes down.

5

umar493mo ago

Not really that deep, just call the dispatcher and move on.

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corap213mo ago

I'm going to push back a little here. Tech failing is part of the deal when you're on a jobsite. That router dying at 10am? That's on you for not having a backup plan already in place. Phoenix heat kills electronics all the time, everyone knows that. You should've had a hotspot on your phone ready to go, or at least a spare router in the truck from the start. Driving back to the shop wasted what, an hour? That pour could've been fine if you just called the dispatcher on your cell. Tech is a tool, not a crutch. If you're leaning on wifi that hard for a simple concrete pour, you're asking for trouble.

1