In this episode of No Edge Lines, I traveled to Ellensburg, Washington to spend time with the crew at Central Paving -- and to do something I had never done before: operate a highway-class paver on a live road with active traffic.

But before any of that happened, I climbed a 6,000 to 8,000-ton RAP pile. On camera. In front of people. This episode goes deep on echelon paving -- what it is, why contractors use it, and what makes it harder to execute than traditional single-lane paving.

We also talk honestly about the divide between the office and the field, what good leadership actually looks like on a job site, and why the guys running pavers every day deserve more credit than they get.

Central Paving GM Bryce Harem opens up about chasing the title for more than a decade, what happened when he got it, and how he had to rethink everything he thought he knew about leadership.

Job superintendent Josh walks me through managing 40-plus intersections, coordinating parking notifications, keeping traffic moving, and running two pavers in tandem -- all at the same time. I also tried the teriyaki chicken. I have no regrets.