From two-operator machines, overspray liability, and a supplier that couldn’t keep up — to one operator, 10× efficiency, 90% less carbon, and a full fleet renewal already in negotiation. One of the UK’s largest road maintenance contractors built its entire preventative maintenance programme around the Roadmaster.
Background
MGroup is one of the UK’s largest term maintenance contractors, managing road repair for local councils across England. Efficiency, compliance, and demonstrable ROI are contractual obligations — not preferences. Mac Dragon, Technical Manager, has worked with spray injection patching for 15 years. His current fleet is Roadmaster. His next fleet will also be Roadmaster.
Why they left their previous suppliers
MGroup first tried machines from a previous supplier (insufficient specialist support for a single machine type), then another two-man machine from a different provider (commercially unworkable at scale). When they encountered the Roadmaster, the difference was immediate: single operator, better material control, and calibrated, auditable material ratios required under Sector Scheme 13 compliance.
“The consistency we get with the Roadmaster is much better than the machines we used before. It’s all down to the engineering.”
— Mac Dragon, Technical Manager, MGroup
The Dragon Patcher
When MGroup began operating Roadmasters, their clients started calling the machine something else: the Dragon Patcher. The name spread, generating inbound leads for Roadmaster from Brazil, Mexico, and Canada — all asking for the Dragon Patcher.
The proactive shift — and the savings it unlocks
MGroup uses the Roadmaster for a combination of reactive pothole repair and preventative maintenance. As their programme has matured, the balance has shifted toward prevention. They now close 2km road sections, repair every defect in a single efficient pass, and reopen quickly, often within the hour. That section holds for another year. The more sections they treat this way, the fewer emergency callouts they face — and the more their per-repair cost falls. “We’ve saved clients millions this way.”
“Roadmasters are 10 times more efficient than conventional 2-man patching, with no wasted products.”
— Mac Dragon, Technical Manager, MGroup
Results at scale
| Metric | Conventional 2-man | Roadmaster |
|---|---|---|
| Operators per machine | 2 | 1 |
| Efficiency vs. conventional | Baseline | 10× more efficient |
| Productivity vs. conventional | Baseline | 8× more productive |
| Carbon vs. conventional | Baseline | 90% reduction |
| Compliance (Sector Scheme 13) | Variable | Fully supported |
The engineering partnership
MGroup and Roadmaster meet biannually to co-develop improvements. Hopper heater (2018): delivered. Fume recirculation for cold-weather operation: delivered, now being launched in Iceland. Boom redesign for footpath repair from the road: in development. “The beauty of Roadmaster is that they only develop a single type of machine, so they have the expertise and time to put into re-engineering and improving on what they have.”
“We meet with Roadmaster biannually, coming together as a partnership to discuss ideas for getting more out of our Roadmasters.”
— Mac Dragon, Technical Manager, MGroup