Introduction Since the revenue act of 1932, the US federal government has used taxes placed on gasoline to pay for the development and maintenance of roads in the US. Since then, states have also adopted their various forms of taxation, which pay for the infrastructure cost of maintaining our highways. As technology and efficiency continue to advance, the use of fossil fuels in our vehicles will decrease as a result. How will we compensate for this loss of funding moving forward, ensuring that our infrastructure is well maintained? Gas Tax: How it Works Here's a basic breakdown of how a [...]

Introduction For years, concrete was known as a dirty word in the asphalt business. This is because concrete has the potential to be a material used when paving a road - creating competition between the two materials. Despite this, almost all of the road work in northwest Ohio utilizes asphalt, which allows these two versatile construction materials to continue to exist in harmony. With this natural separation in industry, The Gerken Companies have recently made the venture into the world of concrete. Asphalt vs. Concrete When it comes to road construction, asphalt is king. The flexibility and composition of the [...]

Imagine horns honking, people yelling and gesturing to you from the inside of their vehicles, and cars blowing past you at 55+ mph. Now multiply this by hundreds of instances over an 8 to 12 hour day for an entire workweek. This is the life of a road construction worker - especially so for a flagger. The Importance of Flaggers A flagger is a crucial position in road construction that manages and directs traffic flow on each end of a particular work zone. Flaggers coordinate with paving crews, truck drivers, and oncoming traffic simultaneously. Because they control traffic, flaggers often [...]

One could argue that the story of the American Road is more the story of the American automobile. In the early 1900s, automobiles became more and more popular among American citizens seeking freedom of transportation. In the early days of the automobile, most roads were still relatively crude. It is safe to say that the car's proliferation is what drove the booming advancement of our road systems and infrastructure. Before we get into the Chicken and the egg argument, let's take it back to ancient Mesopotamia, where evidence of the first-ever roads can be found. The Lasting Impact of Ancient [...]

Introduction and Brief History of The Ohio Turnpike The Ohio Turnpike is a 241-mile highway that runs East and West along the state's northern corridor. Officially named James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, this highway provides direct linkage between Chicago in the West and Pittsburgh in the East. Many travelers use it as the fastest and most efficient way to cross the northern part of Ohio.  -Historical Photo of The Ohio Turnpike [2]- One of the operational concepts of the Ohio turnpike is that it is a toll road. A toll road refers to a roadway in which users pay an [...]

https://youtu.be/YbsBg1-3Rxo Implications of COVID-19: How Road Work Stays Strong One of the many implications of covid-19 has been a general lack of work for many people, especially in the lower-income labor force. "The unemployment rate jumped in April 2020 to a level not seen since the 1930s — and still stood at 6.3 percent in January 2021." [1] People have seen a wide range of adverse economic implications caused by COVID-19 - which included a lack of goods, record-high unemployment, and inability for many to afford general living expenses. Individuals aren't the only ones taking a hit from COVID-19, as [...]

Truck drivers are an essential part of the American economy as a whole. Transportation is a vital element that often goes overlooked, and without it, many businesses would cease to function. These drivers fulfill the logistics of how products and materials and other physical goods get from point A to point B. The sheer number of truck drivers currently headed towards retirement and the irreplaceable nature of the position sets up a real shortage and overall demand for truck drivers. "We're facing a driver shortage that this country has never seen before," said Instructor and Program Director Ray Puckett. "Baby [...]

When someone thinks of road construction, they typically envision a crew working around a paver and some flaggers directing traffic. But did you know that there are well over 50 different job positions here at Gerkens that all coordinate the planning, production, and execution of building a new road? Last post we touched on some of the many benefits of joining the workforce right out of high school. This time we're going to shift gears and touch on some of the heavy highway construction industry's opportunities and what those positions entail.   https://youtu.be/vsymK2MpY9I Paving Crew At the heart of road [...]

It used to be in previous generations that if you weren't going to college right after high school, you did something wrong. Today, however, that isn't the case. With the current state of low unemployment and a strong economy despite COVID-19, it's easy to see why more young adults turn to the workforce right after high school. According to npr.org, college enrollment has been steadily declining over the past decade and appears to continue that trend in the future. college enrollment decline.[1] Though a college degree is certainly an accomplishment and can lead to a strong career, it is [...]