Step-by-Step U-Cart Guide
If you need help calculating your volume, use our concrete volume calculator. Accurate measurements are extremely important and I suggest you add 5-10% extra for error. This is important because if you find out that you need more concrete, it may be too late. Your cart might already be booked out to someone else, or it may be too late in the day. You also need to consider how you will be washing out the cart, or if you will need us to do it for you.
You can do this a week in advance or more, but if you give me at least a day’s notice, you shouldn’t have a problem getting concrete. Give me a call with a date and time in mind and make an appointment. We can do some fairly last minute stuff, but if you know when you want to do it, and you have to arrange helpers etc., it is best to book ahead.
Your holes should be dug, your sidewalks or patios should be formed up, and your rebar or wire mesh should all be in place. Last minute digging or forming will greatly reduce the 3-hour period you have to place the concrete and return the cart. The quicker you get the concrete out of the cart and in the ground, the easier it will be.
You will need to be here, at the yard, on time, or even a little bit early. When we’re busy, we need to follow a strict schedule. If you are not here within 30 minutes of your booking, you may not be able to take a cart. Make sure you know how to get here, and if you’re not sure, ask us for directions.
Download and print our rental agreement form. Complete it and have it ready when you get here, or fill it out here when you arrive. It is important that you read and complete the form entirely! You must be fully aware of all your obligations before we will let you take a cart.
At this point you can let us know if you need any concrete tool rentals, hitch or ball rentals, as well as any of your specific concrete needs, such as increased strength or different size aggregate. We can then fill out the bill and receive full payment from you. Remember, we accept cash, debit, Visa or MasterCard only.
We will now head out to the cart pickup and drop-off area and hook up a cart to your vehicle. We will ensure that hitch lock pins, breakaway cables and safety chains are all properly secured. Then we will level out the cart and go over how the cart works with you.
You will now need to back the cart up under the mixer chute. We can guide you under or if need be, back it under for you.
At this point, I will start the mixing process. The rock, sand, water, chemical admixtures and cement powder all enter the auger at the same time and are mixed at high speed. They travel through the auger and are dumped into the cart as ready-mix concrete. This process will never start before you arrive and will take no more than 5 minutes. From this point, you will have 3 hours to place the concrete, wash out the cart and return the cart to our yard.
If you’re lucky, you may be able to back right up to your forms and dump out the concrete. Most of the time, you will have to haul it in with a wheelbarrow. Either way, the quicker you get the concrete out of the cart, the easier it will be for you. Because of this, we recommend that you have as many helpers around as possible. Some customers have done this by themselves, but we do not recommend it. If you try to pickup, unload, finish, wash and return the cart yourself, you will likely run late.
By this point, you should have already considered what you would be doing with any extra concrete you may have, as well as where and how you will be washing out the cart. So, wash it out yourself, or get it back to the yard for us to wash it.
The cart must be returned to our yard within 3 hours from the time that the concrete hits the cart. This may not seem like a lot of time, but if you are properly prepared, with lots of help, this should be no problem. Thousands of customers do it all the time. You may want to consider having someone else return the cart for you, so you can continue finishing your concrete without interruption. Unless previous arrangements have been made, you will be charged according to conditions listed on the Rental Agreement Form if you are late. Remember, there may be someone just like yourself, sitting here waiting for you to return your cart.
When you get back, we will disconnect the cart from your vehicle and inspect the cart to ensure it has been cleaned out properly and that there is no damage to it. If you have arranged to bring the cart back in the morning, the inspection will be done then. Improperly cleaned carts at this point will result in a $100.00 to $500.00 cart clean-up penalty. At this point, we will settle up any money that you may owe. If your cart wasn’t cleaned properly, or if you were late returning it, we will add these fines to your bill. If you owe nothing, we can close off your bill and you can go happily on your way.
