Heavy equipment is an essential part of any construction project. Without it, projects would take much longer to complete and much more expensive. Here are some statistics to illustrate the importance of heavy equipment in construction:
- In the United States, there are approximately 5.8 million construction workers. Out of these workers, about 2.4 million rely on heavy equipment to do their jobs.
- Heavy equipment accounts for $172 billion of the total $574 billion annual construction spending in the United States.
- Construction projects with heavy equipment get completed 36% faster than projects that don’t involve heavy equipment.
Because heavy equipment is essential in construction, companies must invest in securing those assets. However, those pieces of equipment are not cheap, making it necessary to ensure they receive proper care and attention. Here are a few tips on taking care of your heavy hitters.
Tracking Usage
One of the most important ways to take care of your heavy equipment is to track its usage. Knowing how much your equipment gets used allows you to budget for repairs and replacements more effectively. You can also identify patterns in how your equipment gets used, which can help you make changes to your construction process to make it more efficient.
Additionally, tracking usage can help you troubleshoot problems with your equipment more quickly. If you know that a particular piece of equipment is not lasting as long as it should, you can determine whether the problem is with the equipment or how it is being used.
However, tracking usage can be challenging when your construction equipment pieces are constantly moving around. Excavators, forklifts, and cranes must be moved from one job site to another, making it difficult to keep track of their usage.
One way to overcome this challenge is to invest in GPS tracking for your construction equipment. This way, you can always know where your equipment is and how long it gets used. Additionally, some GPS tracking systems allow you to set up alerts so that you can get notified if a piece of equipment is being used for more than the allotted time.
Maintaining Maintenance Schedules
Another important way to take care of your heavy equipment is to maintain regular maintenance schedules. Construction equipment needs regular tune-ups like any other machinery to keep it running correctly.
One of the best ways to ensure that your construction equipment is maintained correctly is to create a maintenance schedule for each piece of equipment. This schedule should detail when a construction company should perform each type of maintenance and who is responsible for achieving it.
Additionally, you should keep track of all maintenance records for your construction equipment. This way, you can quickly identify any issues that may arise and determine whether they are due to a lack of proper maintenance.
However, you must also ensure a well-equipped and well-trained maintenance team to carry out the work. Your team should be able to properly diagnose and fix any problems that may arise with your construction equipment. If you can’t put together an in-house team, you should consider getting heavy equipment repair services to help maintain your equipment.
Cleaning and Inspecting Equipment
Another way to take care of your construction equipment is to clean and inspect it regularly. It’s essential to keep your equipment clean to operate correctly and last as long as possible.
It would help if you created a cleaning schedule for your construction equipment that outlines when and how each piece of equipment should get cleaned. Additionally, you should ensure you have the proper supplies to clean your equipment correctly.
You should also inspect your construction equipment regularly for any damage or wear and tear. If you catch any problems early, you can fix them before they become more significant. Additionally, regular inspections can help you extend the life of your equipment.
Investing in Quality Parts and Equipment
Investing in quality parts and equipment is essential when caring for your heavy equipment. Cheap replacement parts may seem like an excellent way to save money, but they will eventually need to get replaced again, costing you more money in the long run.
Additionally, quality equipment can help you avoid costly repairs down the road. Buying construction equipment from reputable dealers who sell quality products is essential. You should also ensure you’re getting your equipment serviced by qualified technicians.
Conclusion
Taking care of your construction equipment is essential to ensuring that it lasts as long as possible. By tracking usage, maintaining maintenance schedules, cleaning and inspecting regularly, and investing in quality parts and equipment, you can extend the life of your heavy equipment and avoid costly repairs.
