On my way home in Sandia Heights a week ago, I spotted two gravel driveways being re-graded. Always good to see neighbors keeping up their properties. But what caught my attention was the contractor’s well-maintained heavy truck. No company name on the door, but they had their NM and TX DOT Numbers.

The Travelers are coming. The Travelers are here. It’s the warm-weather version of the White Walkers in “Game of Thrones.” The Travelers bring big trouble.

Who are the Travelers?

They’re called Travelers because they work far from home, and they keep moving. They stop in your community long enough to take in as much money as they can before local law enforcement catches up with them. Then they move on to the next community.

For your resurfaced driveway, they quote one price and charge another. Their workmanship is poor. Their materials are even worse.

Here’s how to spot and avoid Travelers:

• They sell door to door to residences and business. Legitimate business do not knock on doors looking for work with their construction crew in tow.
• They claim to have a left-over asphalt and are willing to make a great deal. Rarely do legitimate paving companies have leftover asphalt, because they have only a short time to obtain and place the asphalt.
• They make their “great offer, which is only good for right now. No time for second thoughts.
• They provide great verbal assurances and agreements. But they don’tprovide detailed written quotes or written agreements.
• They will take cash or check. They don’t take credit cards, where you have time to revisit the invoice or can use your credit card company to arbitrate a dispute.
• Their deal is too good to be true. That great price for a driveway seal coat turns out to be just oil or tack coat.
• They usually have great trucks and equipment that do not bear any business names, local addresses, or telephone numbers.

So, avoid heartache. Avoid the Travelers. Instead, your first step in getting an asphalt driveway is to call a reputable local paving contactor.