PART 6: INTERNAL REQUIREMENTS
To serve this industry well, we must:
Maintain strong RTK alignment month-over-monthPrevent vertical shift errorsUse ground control properlyDeliver consistent file namingMaintain repeatable workflowsTrain pilots on plant layout recognitionUnderstand material flow to interpret data
This is how we differentiate.

Key Sales Concepts
1. Volume vs. Mass (The Core Education Piece)
Customers measure:
Truck scales (in/out weights)
Belt scales (production output)
Loader bucket scales
Sometimes multiple checkpoints per load
These all measure mass.
We measure:
Volume
To convert volume to mass, they must apply a density factor, which is:
Material-specific
Moisture-dependent
Compaction-dependent
Variable throughout the pile
Example principle:
1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet
If material is 95 lbs/cu ft → 2,565 lbs per cubic yard
÷ 2,000 = 1.2825 tons per cubic yard (density factor)
Density is never constant:
Wet sand ≠ dry sand
Top of pile ≠ bottom of pile
Bottom-feed conveyors change density continuously
This is why discrepancies occur.
2. The Moisture Problem (Hidden Differentiator)
At sand plants:
Belt scales measure wet material
Water drains after stacking
Drone measures post-drainage volume
So when customers say:
"Your numbers don’t match ours."
The real issue is often:
They measured water.
We measured material.
Sales Angle:
Volume rarely changes month-to-month.
Moisture constantly changes.
We can show consistent ±1% volumetric tracking over time. That’s reliability.

Strategic Sales Themes
Educate without attacking.
Emphasize consistency over time.
Frame internal programs as hidden cost centers.
Reinforce that we are specialists — not generalists.

Competitor Breakdown
1️⃣ Internal Drone Programs (Biggest Competitor)
Most common threat:
“We do this ourselves.”
Typical setup:
Propeller
DroneDeploy
Dedicated employee
Software subscriptions ($10k–$50k+)
Vehicles, labor burden, equipment
Sales Positioning:
They’re not drone experts.
Inconsistency is common.
Total labor + software + overhead is significant.
We deliver consistent, repeatable results.
Simple framing:
If you don’t want to change the toner in your copier, you probably don’t want to manage your own drone program.
2️⃣ Firmatek
Long-standing industry player
Historically truck-mounted LiDAR
Now using drones
Heavy in utilities now
Strong presence with Vulcan, Martin Marietta, etc.
They:
Offer stockpile volumes, cut/fill, ortho, methane, etc.
Are experienced but not dominant everywhere
Still hiring frequently (possible churn or growth)
Sales angle:
We offer the same services.
We can be more responsive and consistent.
3️⃣ Wingfield (Scale Companies)
Primary business:
Truck scales
Belt scale calibration
Secondary:
Truck-mounted LiDAR
Volumetric scanning
Often regional.
Sales angle:
They are scale experts, not drone experts.
Their volumetric methods rely on assumptions.
4️⃣ StockpileReports.com
Approach:
Contract pilots (FlyGuys, etc.)
App-based phone scanning
Fixed camera systems
DOT contracts
Issues:
Phone scanning incomplete (can’t see backs of piles)
Fixed infrastructure expensive and unreliable
Reports may look polished but have blind spots
Customer feedback:
Systems unreliable
Trust issues
Sales angle:
We capture full geometry.
No infrastructure required.
Higher data integrity.