The Dirt World Comes Together
TruckIT attended the 2025 Dirt World Summit, presented by BuildWitt and Ariat. More than 1,300 construction leaders came together to talk about the future of this industry, what’s working, what’s not, and what has to change to keep the dirt world moving forward.
The event focused on one big idea: if we want to build better, we’ve got to think differently about how we do the work.
Facing the Hard Truth About Our Industry
Aaron Witt, known across the country as the Dirt Nerd, didn’t hold back when talking about the state of construction today. The U.S. has more project funding available than ever before, billions flowing into infrastructure and private development, yet many contractors are struggling to keep up.
Part of the problem is people. The construction workforce keeps shrinking, and fewer young folks are choosing to enter the trades. The reasons aren’t hard to see. The work is tough, the wages haven’t kept pace with inflation, and the day-to-day grind hasn’t changed much in decades. Long hours, physical wear and tear, and growing mental health challenges are taking their toll.
Aaron’s point was clear: our outdated methods are driving people away and holding back growth. Paper tickets, manual dispatching, and disconnected communication make simple tasks harder than they need to be. Crews get buried in busywork instead of focusing on production. Dispatchers spend hours chasing information that could be shared instantly. The result is burnout, frustration, and lost opportunity.
The good news is that change is possible. Around the world, companies are proving that new technology doesn’t just make operations more efficient, it makes work better for the people doing it. Digital ticketing, automation, and smarter communication tools can reduce stress, improve accuracy, and help teams get more done with less friction.
If we want to attract and keep the next generation of workers, we have to show them that construction is evolving, that this industry values their time, safety, and skill. That change starts by rethinking the tools and systems we use every day.
Examples Worth Paying Attention To
When Aaron travels, he sees what happens when leaders stop clinging to old habits and start trying new things.
In Chile, a mining company facing a labor shortage took a bold step: they opened their doors to more women on the crew. That decision forced them to rethink their facilities, tools, and even safety gear. It wasn’t easy at first, but it paid off. The company built a stronger, more stable workforce, improved efficiency, and showed the rest of the industry what progress can look like when you challenge tradition.
In Australia, a quarry introduced autonomous haul trucks to handle repetitive load cycles. The technology didn’t replace operators; it freed them up to focus on planning, maintenance, and higher-value work. By trusting the process and investing in experimentation, that company gained consistency, reduced downtime, and created safer conditions on site.
Both examples prove a key point: growth requires discomfort. The companies that thrive aren’t the ones clinging to old routines; they’re the ones willing to test new ideas, fail fast, and learn their way into something better.
Innovation doesn’t always mean massive investments or overhauls. Sometimes it’s as simple as rethinking a process, automating a step, or giving your people tools that make their work easier and safer. The future of this industry will belong to the builders who keep improving instead of just getting by.
Why It Matters Here at Home
Here in the U.S., there’s plenty of work to go around, but keeping up with it is another story. Most companies are busier than ever, yet margins are tight, labor is scarce, and back-office tasks are piling up.
Every hour spent tracking down paper tickets, every load logged by hand, every miscommunication between the field and office eats into profits. It also wears people down. In an industry already facing burnout, wasted time is more than an inconvenience; it’s a problem that affects safety, retention, and company growth.
The fix isn’t complicated. It starts with being willing to look at what slows us down and asking, “Is there a better way to do this?” For most companies, there is. The answer lies in tools and software built specifically for construction, simple systems that connect the field, dispatch, and office so information flows without bottlenecks.
This isn’t about chasing the latest tech trend. It’s about making smart, realistic changes that help your people do their jobs better, faster, and safer.
Why TruckIT Was There
That’s exactly why TruckIT showed up at the Dirt World Summit. We wanted to demonstrate that real solutions are available right now, helping contractors reduce friction with their customers, boost productivity, and save time.
We weren’t there to push technology for the sake of technology. We were there to listen and to share what we’ve built after years of working directly with haulers, dispatchers, and project managers. The feedback we heard was familiar: there’s never enough time, the paperwork never ends, and everyone’s trying to do more with less.
TruckIT helps fix that. Our platform replaces manual, paper-heavy processes with digital workflows that make the day run smoother, from dispatch to delivery to billing. We help contractors track loads, streamline communication, and reconcile tickets automatically, using the equipment and devices they already have.
See how TruckIT helps contractors, haulers, and material suppliers streamline dispatching, ticketing, and billing, without overcomplicating the work. [Book a quick demo →]
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