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Some Habits Never Take a Vacation
This article originally appeared in our “Movie Monday” LinkedIn newsletter.
My wife and I (and our golden retriever, Sophie) are about seven hours into a road trip, currently making our way across southern Kansas.
I’m at the wheel as she scrolls on her phone with the dog in her lap.
Suddenly, something catches my eye.
“Babe, guess what I see!” I declare.
She ignores me.
“Look! Just to the left!”
Her head remains glued to her phone.
“You’re going to miss it!”
Without looking up she replies, “I’m not looking up for another TriView“
She knows me well …
And although she didn’t see that specific marker, there were many others afterwards, about 500′ apart marking a gas ROW that ran parallel to our freeway.
Our utility marker posts work so darn well I can’t help but notice them … and share it to anyone within proximity.
Its a habit (dare I say “affliction”) many of us in the damage prevention industry suffer from.
We notice tracer wire access points, pipeline markers, marking flags, and pedestal labels the same way birdwatchers spot unique avian species.
Our families roll their eyes, our friends politely pretend to care. And somehow every road trip becomes an impromptu lesson on proper marking and communication.
To be fair, there are worse hobbies than appreciating safety signage!
Anyway, I digress. Sort of …
Summer is officially here, which means vacation season is in full swing!
According to recent travel forecasts, 2026 is shaping up to be one of the busiest summer travel seasons in years, with road trips continuing to surge in popularity as families look for flexibility and adventure closer to home.
And if you’re in the damage prevention industry, that means more opportunities than ever to point out utility markers in places you’ve never been before!
If the video was relatable, you may be a Damage Prevention Dad (or mom!)
Or at least related to one.
While that may occasionally annoy family members, it’s also one of the reasons our industry continues to improve and evolve: we truly enjoy the work we do.
We’ve Been Published!
When Nick and I aren’t making fun videos, we spend the other 99% of our time working as damage prevention experts spreading the message of safe digging through trade shows, webinars, educational speaking sessions, and good ol’ word-of-mouth.
Now we can add another title to our resume: published authors!
Nick and I recently had the opportunity to contribute an article that was published in Global 811 magazine (page 12).
The article discusses the importance of taking a standardized approach to right-of-way assessments, particularly when operators are navigating acquisitions, rebranding efforts, and large-scale marker updates.
For those of us who spend our days thinking about communication, consistency, and public awareness, it was rewarding to share some of our thoughts with the broader damage prevention community. We’re grateful to Global 811 for the opportunity and proud to see the conversation reach a wider audience.
As summer gets underway, I hope you’re able to spend some time with family, enjoy a well-earned vacation, and maybe even spot a few utility markers along the way.
Just try not to turn the entire trip into a right-of-way assessment.
But if you do, that’s fine by me.
Movie Monday is a weekly newsletter featuring video content from Trident Solutions. Always informative, sometimes funny – never boring. We hope you enjoyed it!
Stay tuned for the next edition.
Have a great week everyone,
Spencer Knott
Creative Director | Trident Solutions sknott@tridentproducts.com