Most bad mats behind a hired paver come down to four things. The asphalt supply stops and starts. The screed isn't set for the mix or the thickness. The base isn't sound or level, or the tack coat hasn't gone down properly. And the mat isn't rolled while it's still hot enough, which cold and wind make harder because they cool it faster.
That's the short answer. Some of those sit with the paver crew. Some sit with whoever runs the site. This guide is honest about which is which, because that's the only way to stop it happening twice.
It's written for contractors who hire a paver, operated or self-drive. You want a mat that's right first time.
Who owns what on a hired paver
Start here, because most arguments about a bad mat are really arguments about who was meant to do what.
Operated hire. We supply the paver and one or more trained operators, depending on the size of the machine, plus delivery and workshop backup. You supply site management, rollers, materials and any extra people or plant.
Self-drive hire. We supply the paver, agreed delivery and workshop backup. Your crew runs the machine, the rollers and the site.
Complete surfacing package. We supply the paver, the people and the supporting plant agreed for the job, including rollers. You supply the job brief, access, material requirements and programme dates.
So on an operated hire the screed is ours. The wagons, the rollers and the base are yours. Our paver hire options guide sets out each route in full.
If a mat goes wrong on an operated hire, the first question is what actually happened: the level, the material or the heating on the screed. If it is our machine or our labour, we hold our hands up and come to a commercial agreement about how we put it right. If it is something outside our control, we look for the root cause. That might sit with you or with your client. Where we can, we will support you in making that case. We take a professional view and find a way, rather than simply pointing at the terms and conditions.
Stop start paving: supply and temperature
This is the big one. A paver wants to keep moving at a steady speed with a steady head of material in front of the screed.
Good practice is to time deliveries so the paver can operate continuously. The Wirtgen Group, which Vögele is part of, puts it more bluntly: the natural enemies of fresh mix are paving interruptions and material cooling.
When wagons arrive in gaps, the paver stops. The mat cools where it stands and the restart can leave a mark across the full width. If the hopper is run nearly empty between loads, paver makers warn you get low spots at regular intervals and more segregation, where the coarse stone separates out.
Who owns it. Ordering the material and setting the wagon rhythm usually sits with the hirer. On operated hire we are not in control of the material. Keeping the hopper and the head of material steady sits with the paver crew. So does holding a steady speed instead of chasing the dial.
How we try to stop it. We ask for the material, tonnage, paving width and working hours before the job. A maker's maximum output isn't a site promise. What gets laid depends on supply, crews, shift length and how many separate areas there are.
The most common supply problem on a hired day is getting material on time. Wagons either bunch up or you end up with long gaps. Traffic management, late arrivals, labour and long inductions can also hold the start.
Screed settings, tamper and vibration
The screed is where the mat is made. It spreads the mix to width, sets the level and does the first compaction before the rollers arrive.
Vögele screeds use a tamper and vibrators. Vögele says a correctly set tamper is key to the compaction result and to how the screed floats. The tamper is adjusted to suit the type and quantity of mix and the layer thickness.
Get it wrong and you see it. Tearing, dragging, an open texture or a thickness that wanders. A good mat is free from dragging, tearing and segregation. Changing paving speed part way through also changes how much mix passes under the screed, so a steady speed matters as much as the settings.
Who owns it. On operated hire, this is ours. Setting the screed and reading the mat as it goes down is what our operators are there for. On self-drive, it's your crew.
How we try to stop it. Our operators lay every day. When you hire operated, you're hiring that judgement as much as the machine. More on that in operated paver hire explained.
At the start of a shift the crew check the condition of the machine and do the pre-start checks. They need to know the material being laid and the compacted thickness you want. They then set the levelling, with bobbins or laser levels, agree the laying pattern with the supervisor and talk through how the wagons will feed the paver. If the mix or the thickness changes, those settings need to be agreed again before the next loads go in.
Rolling pattern and timing
A paver doesn't compact the mat on its own. A roller does that behind it. That's where a lot of good paving gets let down.
Asphalt only compacts properly while it's hot enough. Our own guide to why new surfacing cracks, patches or ponds covers what happens when a mat is rolled after it's cooled: the stone never locks in and the surface frets.
The window closes faster than people think. TRL research for the Highways Agency found layer thickness is the biggest factor in how fast a mat cools, followed by its temperature. Wind and low air temperatures shorten the time even more.
It helps when the method statement sets out the size, type and number of rollers and the number of passes. That's a good habit on any job.
Who owns it. On operated hire, the rollers and their drivers are yours. On a complete surfacing package, we match the roller to the mat, the access and the programme.
Base and tack coat
The best paver in the country can't make up for what's underneath.
On highway work, a bond coat (tack coat) goes down on any new or existing bound surface, applied to BS 594987 (CC 202). As good practice, the surface should be free of loose material and standing water before it's sprayed. Without a proper bond, the new layer can slip, crack or open up at the joints.
A weak or wet base shows through as cracking and movement. A thin overlay on a surface that's already moving does the same. We cover that side in surface or base failure.
Who owns it. Base preparation, planing and tack coat usually sit with the hirer, unless agreed otherwise. If the old surface needs to come off first, that's a planer job. See planer hire or road planing services.
If the base isn't right when we arrive, we talk to you before we start laying. If the levels are inconsistent, we may suggest regulating. If the base is soft, we may need a different method: hand laying, running the paver with less in the hoppers so it is lighter, or using a tracked machine. That can affect cost and programme. If the tack coat isn't right, we will highlight it. The call on whether to go ahead sits with you.
Crew size and skill
A paver is one part of a laying gang. Rakers work the edges and joints. Roller drivers follow the mat. Someone runs the wagons and someone is in charge.
On operated hire you get one or more of our operators, depending on the size of the machine. Everyone else is yours.
How we try to stop it. If you're short, say so before the day. We find a way. We can supply carded operatives into your team through labour hire, a whole gang or a full 8 person surfacing machine team and plant. What a surfacing gang should include goes through the roles.
Weather
Cold, wind and rain all eat into the time you have to lay and roll.
It's good practice to have a quality plan for winter laying (October to April) and for night work. It's also good practice to set wind speed and temperature limits for layers under 50mm thick. Thinner layers cool faster, so they need the most care.
Rain is its own problem. Tack coat shouldn't go onto standing water and laying onto a wet base breaks the bond between layers.
Who owns it. The call to lay or stop sits with whoever runs the site. We use our experience to advise you, but it is ultimately your decision. Our operators will tell you what they're seeing.
In the cold we keep the rollers close to the paver so the mat isn't left exposed, and we turn the material out as quickly as we can so it isn't sitting in wagons getting cold. Rain, temperature and wind all play a part. Where it is a longer term relationship, not a one-off hire, we will get involved at the start to help you plan the day properly, not just to suit our own programme. If something unexpected happens and an extra day is needed, the hard part is usually rearranging the programme.
Agree it before the first wagon
Most of this is settled by one conversation before the day. On an operated hire, it usually looks like this.
- Supply and wagon rhythm: yours. Tell us the material, tonnage and working hours.
- Screed settings and paving speed: ours. That's what our operators are there for.
- Rollers and roller drivers: yours, unless you've booked a complete surfacing package.
- Base, planing and tack coat: yours, unless agreed otherwise.
- The rest of the gang: yours. If you're short, tell us and we can top it up through labour hire.
- The call to lay or stop: whoever runs the site.
If any of that is different on your job, say so when you book. Our paver hire options guide lists what to send.
When it isn't the paver at all
Sometimes the mat looks wrong because of the job, not the laying. The wrong mix for the traffic. A thickness that was never going to work on that base. Falls that weren't set out, so the new surface follows the old dips.
That's worth knowing before anyone starts blaming the machine or the crew. A clear brief before the day saves most of these arguments.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the mat go wrong behind a hired paver?
Usually stop start supply, screed settings that don't suit the mix, a base or tack coat that wasn't ready, or a mat that cooled before it was rolled. Cold and wind cool the mat faster.
Why does a paver leave marks across the mat?
Often because it stopped. Gaps between wagons or a hopper run nearly empty cool the mix and leave marks or low spots across the width when it restarts.
Who is responsible for rolling on an operated paver hire?
On operated hire the hirer supplies the rollers. On a complete surfacing package we supply them, matched to the mat, the access and the programme.
Does the paver compact the asphalt?
Partly. The screed's tamper and vibrators pre-compact the mat. Final compaction comes from the rollers behind it, while the mat is still hot enough.
Can you lay asphalt in cold or windy weather?
Sometimes, with care. Wind and cold shorten the time to roll. As good practice, set wind speed and temperature limits for layers under 50mm. We will advise you from experience, but the call to lay or stop sits with whoever runs the site.
Is a tack coat needed before laying?
On highway work, a bond coat (tack coat) goes down on any new or existing bound surface, applied to BS 594987 (CC 202). As good practice, the surface should be clean and free of standing water first.
What should I tell you before hiring an operated paver?
Paving width and area. Narrowest access. Date and working hours. Material and tonnage. The people and plant you need from us.
Next step
Most bad mats behind a hired paver come down to supply, screed settings, the base or tack coat, and a mat that isn't rolled while it's still hot enough. Agree who owns each one before the day and most of them never happen.
If you've got paving coming up, tell us about the job or call 0121 522 2303. Send the width, access, dates, material and the people you're short of. We'll come back with the right paver and hire route.
More on paver hire, self-drive paver hire, labour hire and operated or self-drive hire.
Sources
- MAC live pages. /paver-hire, /guides/paver-hire-options and /labour-hire for the hire split and what to send before booking.
- CC 202 Core v1.0.0 (Flexible pavement construction, 30 Sep 2025, Standards for Highways). Used for one point only: a bond coat goes down on any new or existing bound surface, applied to BS 594987 (CC 202). Continuous delivery, dragging, tearing or segregation, rollers and passes in the method statement, the winter and night quality plan, wind and temperature limits for layers under 50mm, and a surface free of loose material and standing water before spraying, are kept as plain good practice with no specification credit.
- TRL Report 494 (Nicholls and Carswell, 2001, for the Highways Agency). Layer thickness is the biggest factor in how fast a mat cools, followed by temperature. Wind and low air temperature shorten the time.
- Wirtgen Group, Asphalt paving: the natural enemies of fresh mix are paving interruptions and material cooling.
- Vögele, Compaction technology: a correctly set tamper is key to the compaction result and floating behaviour, and is set to suit the mix and thickness.
