We enjoyed a productive week at BCMC in Omaha, strengthening relationships and renewing our commitment to the truss industry, and we hope you can say the same! Timber Products Inspection (TP) returned with our popular ANSI/TPI 1 Chapter 3 challenge truss, designed to test participants’...

Over the past few decades, many employers have shifted from offering separate vacation, sick time, and holiday benefits to providing a single pool called Paid Time Off (PTO). On the surface, this change is framed as a modern improvement. Employers highlight administrative simplicity, cost...

Before I begin, let me say that I did not always believe that expanded benefits would pay off, or were even possible for most companies. When companies talk about employee benefits, the conversation often turns to cost. Paid vacation, sick leave, parental leave—these all sound like...

Inspired by frequent requests for a quick reference, I’ve created a single-sheet ANSI/TPI 1 Chapter 3 guide—similar to a CliffsNotes version of the standard. Please note that important details are omitted; for a complete understanding, consult the full standard, National Design...

How much time should you invest in learning about your business, and what are the best methods for training? You may not realize it, but our annual industry tradeshow is one of the best places to combine multiple objectives including valuable learning opportunities. Each year, component...

A recent phone call has prompted me to address the issue of fixing gaps. There are some misunderstandings about what qualifies as a member-to-member gap, and the options to fix them are not always clear either. ANSI/TPI 1 recommends that members in a truss to touch each other when possible....

As we migrate from ANSI/TPI 1-2014 to ANSI/TPI 1-2022, it is important to discuss and be aware of Chapter 3 updates. These changes impact QC inspections and should be understood by your in-house QC inspector and your truss builders. The changes are in two categories in Chapter 3 — a...

In Quality Assurance, we aim to improve our product by enhancing manufacturing methods. Continuous effort is made to ensure work meets plant standards, with each employee fulfilling their role. Even so, businesses that have a very narrow view of quality might be overlooking an important...

Generally speaking, ANSI/TPI 1 makes common sense and is very logical. However, there are several items that can be a little confusing because they seem to defy logic. When we upgrade lumber per ANSI/TPI 1 Section 3.4.2, we know that lumber strength needs to be maintained in order to meet the...

Managing a truss with multiple pieces can affect productivity. For example, maintaining compliance with ANSI/TPI 1 Chapter 3 requirements for nearly thirty pieces can be challenging. To improve cycle time while preserving quality, using sub-components may be a practical solution. Most likely,...