Equipment

Refresh Earthmoving Equipment Maintenance Plans for Spring

Contractors can keep equipment in the game longer by making maintenance a priority. Executing a sound plan for maintaining earthmoving equipment can help maximize utilization, prevent breakdowns and keep worksites on schedule.
By Bret Kasubke
April 6, 2021
Topics
Equipment

Spring has arrived, and it's the perfect time for construction executives to ready their equipment fleet plans for earthmoving season. Although there are many important aspects of a well-executed fleet strategy, equipment maintenance should be top of mind as the snow melts and those big machines prepare to move some earth.

Contractors can help keep equipment running at peak performance by performing regular inspections and scheduling preventative maintenance consistently. Simple steps like doing a visual inspection and regularly cleaning the machines can significantly impact equipment performance. Layer in professional maintenance on a trackable schedule, and you'll have your earthmoving all-stars in the game all season.

Here are some actions contractors can take to maintain earthmoving equipment and keep worksites on schedule.

Key Steps in Equipment Maintenance

Make a schedule for the lubrication of moving parts.

Regular lubrication helps machines work more efficiently by reducing friction and torque, which can cause premature wear and tear or even equipment failure. Make sure to visually inspect equipment daily, ideally at the beginning of the day or right before use.

Remove leftover soil and other debris from moving parts or exposed shafts at the end of each workday—schedule lubrication for all equipment weekly for machines that pass daily visual inspection.

Focus on cleaning machines after each use.

Moving earth and other objects is a messy job, so making sure equipment is clean of caked-on dirt and debris will improve efficiency, prolong the machine's life and increase safety. Enforce a pre-use visual inspection so any identified issues can be resolved before the following workday. Getting ahead of problems or potential concerns can keep productivity moving and eliminate downtime that puts such a strain on timelines and budgets.

Schedule routine mechanical inspections so wear and tear issues can be mitigated before repairs are needed. Be sure to check seals and ensure moving parts are functioning and well-lubricated.

Educate employees on proper equipment care.

Fostering a worksite culture that prioritizes the care of tools and equipment is an excellent way to reduce maintenance needs and prevent equipment failures. Companies don’t even need a mechanic to perform simple maintenance tasks, such as regularly cleaning debris from equipment. And by making these tasks a team effort, contractors can increase efficiency and prolong equipment life.

Assign operators to monitor equipment they know best and they will know when something changes about the way that machine operates. If possible, assign operators to specific pieces of equipment and check-in frequently about the status of their machines.

Create a role for an individual who can bridge the gap between operators and maintenance mechanics. Having a designated employee allows someone other than the mechanic to schedule tasks and sort out maintenance priorities. This individual should also be able to troubleshoot easy repairs without involving mechanics.

Tap experts for maintaining and managing fleet

Owned equipment on a worksite needs to be in top operating condition. Maintaining a large fleet is not easy. Going beyond daily maintenance checks, contractors should consider turning to an equipment maintenance service provider to help with fleet maintenance.

Outsourcing to an equipment maintenance solutions team specializing in equipment repair and service in the field and onsite can protect a contractor’s equipment investment. These services can safeguard employees by helping ensure equipment is expertly inspected, maintained and repaired. They can aid contractors in addressing ANSI, OSHA and CSA requirements.

With substantial capital investment in equipment, fleet management is vital to companies. However, for most contractors, this is not a core competency. Comprehensive fleet data, including utilization and performance metrics, can enable equipment maintenance solutions providers to pinpoint optimization opportunities in a contractor’s fleet and create an effective fleet strategy. This approach can make lifecycle planning of equipment and vehicles simpler and buy-versus-rent decisions more straightforward.

Make Equipment Maintenance a Priority

Earthmoving season is a hectic time and machines will experience a lot of wear. Construction executives can keep their companies’ equipment in the game longer by making maintenance a priority. Executing a sound plan for maintaining earthmoving equipment can help contractors maximize utilization, prevent breakdowns and keep worksites on schedule.

by Bret Kasubke
Bret Kasubke is Director, Customer Equipment Solutions at United Rentals. He has 20+ years of demonstrated excellence in driving performance improvement. The Customer Fleet Solutions team collaborates with large equipment owners in developing solutions to optimize their owned fleets while lowering their total cost of equipment operations.

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