DOWEL BAR INSERTER

A dowel bar inserter includes first and second end carriages, a bottom pan assembly configured to engage a top surface of a concrete slab, an insertion beam, and a plurality of insertion forks attached to the insertion beam. First and second insertion actuators support the insertion beam from the first and second end carriages. First and second end suspension actuators support the bottom pan assembly from the end carriages independent of the raising and lowering of the insertion beam relative to the end carriages. Each of the suspension actuators includes associated therewith a suspension actuator extension sensor configured to detect an amount of extension of the respective suspension actuator.