Innovation Description and Benefit:

Various operations within maintenance require the use of a pull roller including pulling shoulders.  This commonly used piece of equipment has manual adjustments, requiring frequently stops, two-people to adjust (driver and passenger) with the passenger required to leave the cab each time a change in roller position as needed to maneuver around various obstacles including mailboxes, guardrail, etc.  The second person places a block under the tire on one side of the roller then moves away to direct the driver to pull up to the correct position allowing one side of the roller to be on top the block.  This alleviates the tension on the tongue so it can be adjusted to the correct offset. This innovation adds a hydraulic cylinder to the pull roller to allow for safe, efficient and easy adjustments. By utilizing a truck’s existing hydraulic system, the position of the roller can be adjusted as needed from inside the cab through the use of the joystick controller by the driver alone, eliminating the need for the second person.  Multiple benefits are realized in the areas of safety, efficiency, resource allocation along with those related to cost savings.