Imagine walking out of Lowes with 40 sheets of plywood and 10 2×4’s. The evidence of the purchase is the receipt which states the quantities of each item that was bought. As analogies go, the load ticket is the receipt for the asphalt that has been purchased for any given asphalt project.

Consumers, in general, have never heard of this elusive load ticket. Why? Most companies never inform a consumer as to how many tons are required to meet the promised depth and square footage for a project. The asphalt contractor’s business is based on knowing how many tons are to be utilized on a project. The contractor has provided a quote on the square footage , type of material, and promised depth of material. However, it is extremely rare that the consumer is notified of how many tons does it take to complete the project. Why are these load tickets so elusive?

Load tickets are rarely mentioned and almost never provided to the end consumer. Why not? It goes back to the initial bid for the project. Three bids seemed to offer pretty much the same solution so the consumer picks the cheapest bid. All three contractors know that they have arrived at the same number of tons to complete the job, yet, one contractor is much cheaper. The cheaper contractor is going to stretch the material. He or she will build up the sides to make it look like 2-3 inches but thin out the middle. The consumer is fooled at first, but over the long run things fall apart. The cheapest contractor cheated the consumer out of the materials that should have been on the bill of sale=load ticket.

Ask how many tons the job requires, look at the totals at the end of the project. It takes just a few minutes of time but can save thousands of dollars in the long run. Many times if load tickets are requested the cheapest contractor will not show up to perform the work or sign the contract. They were caught in the act of bait and switch and unfortunately it still happens every day in the asphalt industry.