As projects grow larger and more complex, United Rentals remains committed to helping improve the safety, productivity and sustainability of modern worksites. The company’s 2024 Work United® Tour offered customers the opportunity to see first-hand some of the innovative solutions launched by United Rentals in 2024 and hear other customers share stories about how they solve problems on their worksites.

The Tour, which took place on September 18 in Toronto and on October 29 in Atlanta, featured a demonstration worksite that showcased several new technology offerings. Together, these offerings help customers manage site access and equipment access, automate tool tracking and inventory distribution and improve the sustainability of their operations.

New technology solutions on view

Among the solutions on display were modular smart turnstiles, which integrate with worksite fences. To move through them, workers tap an RFID-enabled ID badge issued by a workforce management solutions company.

As United Rentals demonstrated, the same badge can be used to manage access to equipment via United Rentals’ single-badge access management solution. To unlock equipment, operators swipe their badge on a card reader added to an ignition keypad lock. Access is granted based on user profile data, which may include operator training and certification.

Attendees also glimpsed the ProBox OnDemand™, a smart tool storage box designed to automate tool management. Workers open the box by tapping their ID badge or entering a unique PIN. When a tool is removed, its location is tracked by telematic devices or Bluetooth gateways as the tool moves across the worksite. At the end of the workday, after tools are returned, the system automatically creates a tool inventory status report.

Inside the Supplies OnDemand trailer, supplies were organized on shelves to demonstrate an electronic inventory management system modeled after systems used in the retail sector. The trailer provides 24/7 access to PPE, consumables and parts and automatically tracks who removes items and how many remain in stock.

Digital tools workshop

A digital tools workshop focused on how Total Control®, the industry standard in cloud-based worksite management platforms, and the United Rentals Mobile App can help customers find and manage their equipment, right-size their fleet, manage purchase orders and invoices and streamline operations.

Speakers walked the audience through a wide variety of features aimed at project managers, superintendents, accounting teams, safety directors and others. They pointed to upcoming enhancements to the user experience in Total Control, including new project and equipment dashboards, and highlighted other notable features, including customizable email and text notifications such as equipment delivery notifications.

Practical sustainability solutions

One session helped customers learn more about deploying practical sustainability solutions including battery-electric equipment, alternatively powered generators and battery energy storage solutions.

While most attendees indicated that they are not yet tracking carbon emissions, they learned that it’s easy to turn fuel tracking into emissions tracking with the United Rentals Estimated Emissions dashboard. Tracking emissions is a necessary step on mega projects with emissions targets. It also allows managers to identify the biggest opportunities for reducing emissions. Often, diesel generators produce the lion’s share of emissions on jobsite. Generator run time can be dramatically reduced using battery energy storage solutions, one of the biggest areas United Rentals has invested in.

United Rentals’ environmental and sustainability leader, Grant Zoldowski, noted that United Rentals continues to look for potential solutions to reducing emissions, especially as some partners report that they struggle to find the right applications for electric vehicles. As an example he pointed to renewable diesel, which could be leveraged during the earthwork stage of projects, when electric equipment is often not practical.

An ongoing partnership with customers

The two events highlighted ways in which United Rentals can provide support during project pre-planning and encouraged open dialogue. Customers from companies including Turner Construction took part in panel discussions, both as panelists and audience members, and discussed pain points and strategies for solving them.

“This is what Work United is all about—working together to find ways to make worksites more productive, sustainable and always safer,” said Nick Roberts, United Rentals vice president.

Rob Barton from Black & McDonald commented, “Our business progresses, their solutions progress with it, and they keep offering more and more.”

Learn more about United Rentals’ Worksite Performance Solutions™ portfolio and how you can benefit from connected worksite innovations.