How do I coordinate a large crew so we aren't tripping over each other during a pour?

Screeding a wide pour is all about having a lead man who sets the pace and a second man who follows his lead. If you have two guys on the board fighting each other, you're going to get those dips every time. The lead man stays on the high side or the primary grade pin, and the second man matches his height while maintaining the saw motion. You shouldn't be 'pulling' the concrete with the board; the board is for leveling. If there is a massive hump, your shovel guys aren't doing thier jobs. You need to assign two guys specifically to 'muck' or 'grub' directly in front of the screed. Their only job is to keep a consistent 1-inch wave of concrete against the board. If that wave disappears, you get a low spot. If it gets too high, the board will ride up and leave a hump. They need to be watching the bottom of the board like hawks, pulling back excess or flicking a shovel-full into a hole before the board even gets there. This prevents the screed men from having to stop or push back, wich is ussually when the surface gets ruined. Investing in a **vibratory screed** or a magic screed will save everyone's back and keep the cream on top, but the choreography stays the same. Even with a power screed, your shovelers are the ones who actualy determine how flat that floor is going to be. They have to stay about two feet ahead of the board, moving in a lateral rhythm so they aren't stepping in the fresh path of the screed. Keep an eye on the PPE while you're at it, especally when the mix is wet. It only takes one splash of cream in the eye to shut down the whole site, and nobody wants to be the guy explains a medical bill over a pair of two-dollar safety glasses. Make sure your finishers are wearing knee pads or using sliders too. If they're raw-dogging it on their knees, they'll start rushing the job just to get off the concrete, and that's when the finish quality drops off a cliff.

Don't forget about the guy at the chute, man. If the driver's just dumping piles wherever, your shovelers are gonna be gassed before the first truck's even empty. I always put my most experienced guy on the hook or the chute to guide the pour. If you lay it out even from the jump, you aren't fighting those massive mounds. It makes the whole 'dance' way smoother 'cause nobody's scrambling to move a ton of mud two feet to the left while the screed's alredy bearing down on 'em.

You're right about that 1-inch wave, it's the only way to keep the grade true. I'd also suggest keeping a bucket and brush right at the end of the pour for the screed board. If you let the cream dry on the bottom of the board during a long pass, it starts dragging the aggregate and leaving tears in the surface. Keeping the board slick with a quick wipe between sections ensures it cuts the mud instead of pulling it, wich saves the finishers a ton of work when they follow up with the bull float.

Back before everyone had those fancy laser levels, we relied on 'wet pads' to keep the floor true. I’d set my grade pins, then my best finisher whould hand-trowel a level spot every few feet. You use those pads as your guide for the screed. It’s a lost art now that everyone just trusts a buzzer, but it’s how we did the big warehouses in the 70s. Also, make sure your shovelers aren't just moving mud; they need to be 'stabbing' it to get the air out. If they just drag it, you’ll get those hidden air pockets that sink two hours later when you're trying to bull float.

If your slump is inconsistent, the best choreography in the world won't save a 3500 PSI driveway. I tell my guys if it’s coming off the chute at a 4 and the next yard is a 6, the screed is going to dive every time. Get yourself a Marshalltown Rock-It bracket on a 48-inch magnesium bull float. It lets your lead finisher stay completley out of the muck while still sealing the cream right behind the board. Also, if you're worried about it setting up, throw in some BASF Delvo to buy yourself thirty minutes. It’s better to spend a few bucks on chemicals than to be grinding humps with a Husqvarna PG 280 the next day.