Heavy equipment maintenance often gets overlooked in the pursuit of growth and efficiency. Dispatchers are hesitant to send equipment for maintenance when every truck in the shop means one fewer in the field to complete the job.
Spending resources on maintenance tasks can also impact your bottom line, making the decision to pull equipment off a job more difficult. The problem is that most owners are confusing short-term efficiency with long-term success.
This guide discusses how designing a maintenance program lowers long-term costs and actually helps prevent disruptions and delays. Rather than wait until your equipment fails, understand how to take proactive steps to ensure it operates at its best.
Inside this guide:
Heavy equipment maintenance is all about keeping your machines in good condition to extend their lifespans and get the most out of them. They typically include everything from routine engine service to repairs on the specialized equipment you use on the job (like concrete pumps, hydrovac systems, cranes, etc.).
Machines have many moving parts that inevitably wear down over time. They need oil for smooth operation, air for combustion, and grease to keep everything moving.
Regular maintenance keeps heavy equipment running smoothly and helps prevent unexpected breakdowns. A machine breaking down on a job site can lead to costly delays and potential safety hazards.
Well-maintained machines work more efficiently and use less fuel, a net positive for your bottom line. Keeping equipment in top shape also means it lasts longer, so you don't have to replace it as often. Proper maintenance is key to maximizing fleet utilization.
Ignoring maintenance schedules can lead to unexpected breakdowns and costly repairs, jeopardizing productivity and safety on job sites.
When heavy equipment breaks down, you lose income from the time lost on the job and create a negative customer experience. Added to the labor costs involved in repairing the machinery and getting operations back on track, your bottom line takes a big hit when unexpected repairs crop up.
By staying on top of maintenance tasks, you avoid expensive repairs, minimize the risk of environmental damage, and maintain a smoother workflow.
A maintenance schedule, especially one that’s managed by fleet management software, lets you slow down your machines' aging process. In the long run, this practice saves money by reducing heavy equipment maintenance costs and keeps your fleet on the road and on the job.
Having a heavy equipment maintenance checklist cuts down on having to do hours of research and unnecessary spending. Use the tips below to keep your equipment running without wasting time.
A concrete pump operates by using either a hydraulic or pneumatic mechanism to suck concrete from a hopper and then push it through pipes to its intended location. Concrete pump trucks have a lot of moving parts, so keeping your equipment in good shape is important for both productivity and safety. Follow this concrete pump maintenance checklist on a regular basis to keep your concrete pumping equipment ready for the jobs ahead:
A hydrovac uses high-pressure water to loosen the soil, creating a slurry. This slurry is then vacuumed into a debris tank on the hydrovac truck, allowing for safe, non-destructive excavation. Hydrovac equipment failure can be frustrating for your crew, slowing down job completion and even creating safety hazards.
Here are a few things to check on when maintaining hydrovac trucks:
A crane truck has a large, powerful crane mounted on its chassis. When performing a maintenance check, make sure to look at the following areas:
The most effective maintenance programs aren't just about getting repairs done quickly. Daily preventative maintenance and routine checks are just as important. To keep up with all that you'll need more than just a good mechanic —heavy equipment maintenance is usually a team effort. That's why heavy equipment maintenance programs usually scale to match the size of your team and your fleet. Here are some of the key phases of building a heavy equipment maintenance program:
As your fleet grows, keeping track of all the maintenance requirements for every truck can be a challenge. Fleet management software can help by showing you exactly when each truck is due for maintenance. Systems like RapidWorks connect directly to your GPS system and even pull in data from your job tickets to show you exactly when each truck is going to need service.
You may choose to bring a mechanic on board once you know it will reduce your costs and that you’ve definitely got enough work for a 40-hour workweek. Compare the costs of a full-time mechanic versus the cost of shop hours that may vary from $100 to $200 per hour.
Check out our heavy equipment maintenance manager hiring guide for a complete list of skills and requirements, and a sample job description.
You can attract the best talent for your heavy equipment manager position by having a detailed and thorough job description. Here are some insights that will help you build a better job description:
A heavy equipment maintenance program creates consistency and reliability to keep your machines running and performing at their best. A transparent, repeatable process makes it easy to scale your maintenance operations to cover the entire fleet.
When it comes to heavy equipment maintenance, the smart move is to start slowly. Choosing one piece of equipment allows you to examine its specific needs without becoming overwhelmed.
Learn what makes it tick, what it needs to stay in top shape, and how to prevent any issues that might slow it down.
As you develop this program for one machine, you create a blueprint. This blueprint can then be adapted and applied to the rest of your fleet.
Starting with one piece of equipment also lets you iron out any kinks in your maintenance processes. You'll discover which maintenance tasks are essential, which tools and techniques work best, and how often you should perform different types of maintenance.
Pro Tip: Making mistakes is natural, but this way, you only make mistakes on one piece of equipment and can perfect your process before applying it to the rest of your fleet.
Without knowing your machine's performance history and establishing a baseline, you can't possibly track your progress or know how far you've come.
This information gives you a comprehensive view of your equipment's current condition and performance. It helps you identify patterns or recurring issues that need addressing. This way, you're not just fixing problems as they arise but proactively managing your machinery based on accurate, historical data.
Creating a solid maintenance plan involves looking into two key sources: the original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) instructions and government regulatory standards.
The OEM's guidelines are your go-to for understanding exactly how to care for your machinery. These instructions give you the inside scoop on your equipment's needs to stay in peak condition. They cover everything from routine service schedules to the specific parts you should use.
Even more important to consider is any government regulations concerning heavy equipment maintenance. These rules are in place to ensure safety and environmental protection. They outline what you must do to keep your equipment up to code and running safely.
Ignoring these could put your team at risk and lead to hefty fines and legal problems. Here are a few issues you could face when ignoring this step in your maintenance program:
By thoroughly researching and following the OEM's instructions and government standards, you set a strong foundation for your maintenance plan to operate legally and safely.
Have a regular flow of maintenance supplies so you always have a well-stocked inventory for any problem that may arise.
Essential items include:
If you don't have the right supplies on hand, you may face unexpected equipment downtime. You lose time and money every minute that machine isn't working, so it's worth it to keep a solid supply of maintenance materials in stock.
Traditional, outdated methods of maintenance programs typically involve manual data entry and manual schedules. Humans make mistakes, though, which may lead to overlooked maintenance tasks and inaccurate scheduling.
A heavy equipment fleet management system acts as your digital assistant, organizing and collecting information. This means less time spent on paperwork and more on keeping your equipment running smoothly.
Software like RapidWorks automatically tracks the volume of concrete pumped on each job and shows you your threshold percentage for the pipes on each truck. You can quickly see which trucks will need maintenance. In turn, you can schedule pipe replacement well in advance or see which trucks need service quickly, avoiding accidents.
Here are our top three tips for selecting a heavy equipment maintenance software
6. Establish Maintenance Schedules
Now that you've established the maintenance program's foundation, you can establish a heavy equipment preventative maintenance schedule. The trick is to organize the maintenance tasks efficiently and set realistic times for when they should be performed.
Here are some factors that affect maintenance schedules:
Considering these factors, you can create a schedule that keeps your equipment in top shape without unnecessary downtime. This extends the life of your machinery and keeps your fleet running smoothly.
Like learning a new skill, developing a good maintenance plan requires patience, practice, and the willingness to adjust as you go. It's not about setting up a plan and sticking to it no matter what — it's about monitoring how well your equipment responds and making necessary changes to improve.
Sometimes, certain tasks need to happen more frequently than you initially thought. For example, if oil levels in a machine degrade faster than expected, consider altering your oil change schedule to match this new information.
Adjusting your maintenance schedule based on real-world data helps your heavy equipment stay in peak condition while getting the most from your maintenance efforts.
The goal is to maintain your machinery's high performance and reliability, and sometimes, that means tweaking your plan to align with its actual needs.
The backbone of effective heavy equipment is the routine cleaning and maintenance that takes place on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. This is how you will extend the lifespan of your machines and lower your overall operation costs. By drawing on these insights and leveraging the power of specialized software, companies can ensure their equipment works at peak efficiency. RapidWorks is a trusted equipment maintenance software expert, offering a reliable solution that helps you save money and time. Contact us to learn more today!