30 JULY 2026 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Booth 921 Keeping with the New Standards Adapted from Information by Ditch Witch Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) has become a crucial part of modern underground construction. With projects ranging from infrastructure replacement, expanding fiber networks, and even renewable energy corridors, directional drilling has allowed contractors to work on these important projects with minimal surface disruption. However, as demand rises and underground congestion increases, the margin for error continues to shrink. In response to the ever-increasing difficulty of the underground environment, and the heightened standards for safety, accuracy, and documentation, the drilling industry is shifting. Success is no longer defined by drilling skill or equipment power alone, but by how effectively contractors locate existing utilities, capture accurate data, and integrate it into digital mapping systems. Precision locating, Geographic Information System (GIS) records, and real-time drilling data are now essential tools for HDD success. The traditional paint and paper plans are no longer suited for today’s projects due to how complex they can be. The best modern practice now emphasizes digitally captured utility locations tied to GPS coordinates, ensuring accuracy extending well beyond a single jobsite. Utility locating today relies on technology integrating electromagnetic detection with GPS and GIS systems. Contractors can capture the precise position of buried assets and produce detailed, time-stamped, and easy-toshare digital maps. This change is not just using fancy new technology, it is a necessary change on how information is gathered, documented, and shared. This unified approach reduces conflicts between contractors, utility owners, and regulators, while enhancing coordination across every phase of a project. The shift toward digital locating, mapping, and drilling data is driven by field experience, not theory. Contractors have pushed for tools that work in real-world conditions; modern locating and mapping systems allow crews to capture accurate subsurface information directly in the field and move it into GIS platforms without manual data transfers. At the same time, today’s HDD rigs are increasingly equipped to generate digital drilling records automatically. Telematics systems can store bore data and machine performance information in real time, eliminating the need for handwritten logs and after-hours reporting. These tools are not designed as add-ons, but as practical solutions for the crews installing critical infrastructure every day. By saving time, improving accuracy, and simplifying recordkeeping, modern locating, mapping, and telematics technologies are helping contractors work more efficiently while navigating an increasingly regulated underground construction environment. HDD
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