Radical Innovations in Offsite Construction Logistics

The CEO and co-founder of Stream Modular, Carson Holmquist, was recently interviewed on #OffSite Construction with Dave Cooper. In the interview, Carson and Dave discuss how innovations in the offsite construction logistics industry has been notoriously slow to adopt innovations and how Stream Modular is setting itself apart by doing things differently. 

The offsite construction industry is evolving faster than ever before. As a response, Stream Modular has become a radical innovator to meet the industry’s new complexities, earning our position as the go-to solution for High Stakes Freight.

Dave put Carson in the hot seat and asked all the questions you’d want answered before making the switch from your routine freight provider. Watch the interview below (Carson’s bit starts at minute ~11). You’ll even get a behind-the-scenes tour of the cool tech and tools we’ve created to make every client project seamless and stress-free. Below, we’ve summarized our favorite highlights from the show. Enjoy! 

Our Philosophy

Dave wanted to get down to what makes Stream Modular so good at what we do. And really, it comes down to our philosophy. Our philosophy is to begin with high standards and continually iterate to become better at what we do. 

This allows us to serve you better, refine what works, and leverage our capabilities to make you the hero to your clients. 

We are constantly learning and have the density of repetition with this exact kind of project on our side. This makes us unparalleled in the industry because we are not a jack of all trades but rather a master of one: Offsite Construction Logistics. 

“We don’t think it’s broke, so why fix it?”

In the interview, Dave asked a question you might already be thinking: 

“If we’re already in offsite construction, offsite manufacturing, and shipping, why would we change something that we think is working fairly well?”

To this, Carson referenced a famous Henry Ford quote, “Everything can always be done better than it is being done.” 

We believe this as a company and encourage you to think that way, too, not just in how you do logistics but also in how you do everything. Because of this thinking, our company is better today than we were a year ago, and will be even better a year from now. Our clients fast-forward their growth and improvement by working with us, as opposed to others stuck in a stagnant “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. 

We’ve seen all kinds of complex offsite construction industry projects, stacked innovations, and implemented highly creative solutions. Everything we do is centered around solving the unique problems that arise with offsite construction High Stakes Freight, so we know what we’re doing. And we do it well. 

That’s why, no matter how complex the project or how high the stakes, we provide smooth, reliable, flawless logistics every time. 

The Stream Process

Next, Dave asked about our process. 

First, we must understand the nature of the project so we can make a bulletproof plan. Next, we get a gauge of all the players involved, including the manufacturing team, foreman, and general contractor, then create a digital proposal drawing on our experience and expertise.

When we’re officially engaged, we’ll fly to the job site to get our boots on the ground. It’s important to build a relationship with the on-site team. We do a detailed site survey to resolve problems before they arise and ensure the project goes without a hitch. 

Site Surveys

This site survey has saved the day more times than we can count. We’ll check egress and ingress during the survey, turning radii, obstructions, crane pick-points, etc. 

During a recent Tampa project, we discovered portable bathrooms obstructing the truck route, PVC pipes sticking out of the ground that needed to be cut and capped, and even inventory storage limiting the available space. There was even a fire hydrant near the exit that could have easily been clipped. But, because we had surveyed the site, we could resolve these issues before the first delivery so they wouldn’t delay construction.

We don’t rely on chance or luck. 

Instead, we fly a drone over the site, walk the property, and inspect the route from highway to site. Unexpected challenges will likely arise in the first third of the project. Therefore, we’ve designed strategies to mitigate that risk and ensure a strong start. 

Our project manager is there in person to ensure optimal loading, pace, efficiency, and practices when shipping begins. We’re adaptable, so we’re quick to adjust as necessary if anything changes on the fly. For example, high winds can affect the crane schedule, which may, in turn, require the delivery schedule to be adjusted. 

We are the control center for all communications between the manufacturer, job site, and driver for the project’s duration. In addition, we ensure everyone knows where trucks are during transit and grant everyone access to our project portal, which contains a consolidated view of the project’s progress. 

Our job is to make sure the job site never closes down or is delayed due to construction. 

We understand that Project Managers often get the heat for delays and shut-downs. However, what we’ve found is that it’s usually a matter of simply not having the right help to handle High Stakes Freight properly. 

Our Offsite Construction Industry Tools

During the interview, Carson takes viewers through a tour of our digital proposal, project portal,  and all of their tools and features, including job site drone footage, live bird’s eye 4K security cameras, driver instructional videos, state permitting guides, automatic updates, GPS,  geo-fencing, and more. 

By leveraging technology, we’ve been able to free up our team to focus on what matters most: the on-time, in-sequence, and intact delivery of your High Stakes Freight. 

Our motto is to trust but verify. We trust our process and our carriers. By having additional measures in place for visibility and tracking, we can be even more precise in our service, communications, and deliveries. 

Don’t just take our word for it.

We love what we do, and we know we’re the best at it. But don’t just take our word for it! Eric Marshall, a Project Manager on the Tampa project, was live on the call. He commented, “150 loads from Phoenix to Tampa without a flaw.” To that, Dave responded that “The best testimony is from people on the other hook if things don’t go well.” We understand that the success of Offsite Construction projects is a must for you and your team. To learn more about how we can help you, reach out! 

Stream Modular is a transportation logistics company specializing exclusively in modular construction. We help modular manufacturers and builders transport mods, pods and panels so they arrive on time and safely to the build site.