If you work in fiber installation, you already know the 811 process intimately. But let's level-set for anyone new to the industry.
What is 811?
811 is the national “Call Before You Dig” system. Before any underground construction — including fiber installation — contractors are required to submit a locate request so utility companies can mark the locations of existing underground infrastructure: gas lines, water pipes, electrical conduit, existing telecom cables.
The process is simple in theory: call 811, wait for utilities to mark the area, then dig. In practice, it's one of the biggest productivity killers in fiber construction.
The Reality on the Ground
Locate requests can take 2–3 business days to process. Some areas are worse — in places like Fountain, CO, locates don't go all the way to the meter, leaving crews to guess or wait for additional information. Utility companies miss their windows. Marks fade or wash away. Areas get partially located.
Meanwhile, your crew is sitting in a truck burning payroll because they can't break ground until locates are clear.
In Colorado Springs alone, locate calls increased 32% in one year due to the explosion of fiber projects. More locate requests means longer wait times, more delays, and more crews sitting idle.
The HogWired Way
HogWired tracks locate status per job automatically. Every job has a locate status field: Requested, In Progress, Cleared, Expired. The system routes crews to cleared sites first, so they're always working on jobs they can actually start.
When a locate request is delayed, HogWired tracks the delay with data — timestamps, ticket numbers, and status history. This documentation is invaluable when you need to prove to a client that a delay wasn't your fault.
No more driving to uncleared sites. No more guessing. No more losing your mind.