WSA Member Update 6.1.23

June 1, 2023  Dear WSA Members,  I know most all of you subscribe to the WorldSweeper.com monthly e-newsletter I have produced for the last 18 years. However, I wanted to make sure you read my May editorial, if you haven’t already.  In it, I announced that starting with June’s edition I will likely be including some previous articles in each edition as I head into semi-retirement. This Saturday marks my 73rd birthday and I’ve decided to step back from the efforts I’ve put into the power sweeping industry since 1987. I have not yet made a decision about whether to continue personally with WSA next year, to try and find a replacement for me, or to just discontinue. More on that as time goes on.  You may recall that NELTS reported it was going to become entirely self-performing by now. Since our last Update I have received reports of WSA members being contacted to sweep for the company so clearly that has not occurred. I also received a call from a contractor who reported their company was owed well over $10,000 far past when it should have been paid.  Inspecting the condition of all brake components when performing a brake reline will explain premature lining wear or brake performance problems and head off future troubles. Most experts agree that minimum acceptable lining thickness is 1/4-inch, which should be slightly above the rivet heads. There is a possibility of drum scoring or camshaft turnover and reduced braking performance when the lining is less than the minimum thickness.  This article by Randall Reilly’s TPS organization provides an excellent overview of what to look for when drum brakes are serviced. I suggest you provide it to your fleet technician(s).  One of the online publications I subscribe to, SF.Tradepub, offers periodic free downloads of info that I think some of you might find interesting. This one is an online copy of the 2nd edition of a Microsoft Excel for Dummies Workbook. Since so many use Excel I thought this link to it might be a good reference resource.  As always, if you have questions or comments about this WSA Member Update, or anything else to do with the World Sweeping Association or power sweeping in general, please let me know.  Good Sweeping,  Ranger Kidwell-Ross, Executive Director World Sweeping Association