CASE STUDIES / TRUAX-CORPORATION-MANHOLE-UPGRADE
How a 65-year-old family-owned New England utility service provider resolved an operational bottleneck and scaled to inspecting over 100 manholes per crew per day.
CLIENT PARTNER
TRUAX CORPORATION
GEOGRAPHY
NEW ENGLAND, USA
CORE METRIC LIFT
100+ MANHOLES / DAY
WORKFLOW ENGINE
SEWERAI INTEGRATION
Operating across four states and performing up to 2 million feet of CCTV sewer inspections annually, Truax has built a reputation for delivering projects ahead of schedule and under budget. However, despite their success with mainline inspections, manhole assessments remained a persistent bottleneck. That is, until they discovered TREKK360.
Jamie Truax, who leads operations and is driving the company’s modernization efforts, explained that traditional manhole inspections were so inefficient that crews actively avoided them. The old workflow required manual data entry on site, measuring tape work, and photo uploads. It caused substantial delays, excessive labor, and lowered production efficiency.
“Back in the day it was definitely a lot more complicated—we had to manually type all the field info into software, measure everything by hand, and take pictures manually. It was a huge headache and took up a lot of downtime.”
— JAMIE TRUAX, OPERATIONS LEADER
Before TREKK360, deliverables were basic and lacked precision. Older methods produced flat photos or limited inspection notes. Data lacked the depth and accuracy clients wanted, and engineers couldn’t measure defects or visualize the interior clearly.
BEFORE // MANUAL WORKFLOW
✕ Manual data entry — Field info typed into software by hand on site✕ Measuring tape required — Every defect and dimension measured manually✕ Top-side photos only — Limited visibility, no interior detail✕ Distorted 3D models — Rotating cameras produced unusable or imprecise output✕ Specialist operators needed — High training burden slowed crew flexibility✕ Days to deliver reports — Manual post-processing created long turnaround times✕ Low daily output — Inefficient enough that crews avoided manhole jobs
AFTER // TREKK360 SYSTEM WORKFLOW
✓ Automated data capture — Camera records everything — no manual entry needed
✓ Measurements from 3D model — Engineers measure defects and pipes digitally
✓ Full 360° interior video — Complete visual record of every manhole, every time
✓ Precise, stable 3D models — Self-leveling descent creates perfect models every drop
✓ Any crew member can operate — Minimal training — turn on, drop, pull up, move on
✓ Reports delivered in hours — SewerAI automates processing to final report
✓ 100+ manholes per day — Speed that wins bids and keeps projects ahead
TREKK360 simplified the process. Deploy the system from the surface, capture the complete structure in a single continuous pass, and move on.
01
Turn the camera on at the truck — no calibration or truck-mounted setup required.
02
Center the portable tripod over the manhole and align the system for capture.
03
The motorized, self-leveling descent lowers the 360° camera in a steady vertical drop.
04
Retrieve the camera and head to the next structure — 100+ manholes per crew per day.
05
Consistent 360° footage is stitched into highly accurate, measurable 3D models.
06
Complete reports and interactive 3D models reach clients in hours instead of days.
TREKK360’s portable design allows rapid deployment without truck setup or calibration. It fits seamlessly into Truax’s high-output workflow, matching their pace of 2 million feet of mainline inspections per year.
Older systems produced unstable or rotating video, leading to distorted 3D models. TREKK360’s motorized, self-leveling descent ensures a steady vertical drop—creating consistent 360° footage that SewerAI can easily stitch into highly accurate 3D models.
“Now it’s simple—turn the camera on, drop it in, pull it up, and move to the next one. We can get over 100 a day with your equipment. That speed keeps us on top and helps us win bids.”
— JAMIE TRUAX
KEY SOLUTIONS ACHIEVED:
— Crisper, distortion-free 360° visual data matching NASSCO requirements
— Allows engineers to measure defects, steps, and pipe diameters remotely
— Eliminated specialized software training and manual field sketches on site
DAILY INSPECTIONS
100+
Manholes completed per crew daily, compared to single-digits previously.
REPORT TURNAROUND
HOURS
Complete reports and interactive 3D models delivered in hours instead of days.
CREW TRAINING
MINIMAL
Any available crew member can operate the equipment with very brief instruction.
CASE STUDY // 01
Higher-quality, more stable footage and lower job costs with one-person crews.
SPECIFICATIONS
Camera, lighting, deployment rig, and data outputs in detail.
Deploy from the surface. Capture high-res 8K video in under five minutes. Connect your field data cleanly with native SewerAI integration. Upgrade your inspection safety today.
