Best Practices
Lowering Owning and Operating Costs
From routine service to fuel purchasing, the cost of owning heavy equipment can quickly add up over the life of the machine. Follow these tips on how you can reduce expenses for the highest return on your investment.
Rely on Telematics
Telematics provides real time access to machine data, so you can monitor the health and status of your equipment. Pay attention to the following information to operate your fleet more effectively and lower your operating costs.
Watch your idle times
Excessive idling wastes fuel and adds unnecessary operating expenses. Monitoring idle time across your entire fleet can help reduce fuel use by identifying periods where machines can be turned off completely. You can also see operators who are idling excessively and provide training on how to run their machines more efficiently.
Monitor fleet deployment
The data collected by telematics will help you better understand how your equipment is being used, so you can deploy individual machines more efficiently. If one of your contracts requires an excavator that isn't currently on site, you may be able to locate a suitable replacement machine in your yard or one that's sitting idly on another jobsite.
Choose remanufactured parts
Consider buying remanufactured parts. They are built to OEM specifications and cost up to 40% less, compared to purchasing new parts.
Use maintenance contracts
A planned maintenance contract ensures that critical service work is completed on schedule. Following a maintenance schedule will help protect you from the expense of total equipment failures and associated downtime. With most planned maintenance contracts, technicians can visit your jobsite to complete maintenance during planned downtime.
Perform daily machine inspections
Inspecting your machine every 10 hours can help avoid costly repairs and unnecessary downtime. A thorough inspection should consist of:
- Checking for excessive dirt & debris that may be combustible or prevent system cooling
- Checking for fluid leaks to prevent system failures
- Checking all fluid levels
- Checking fuel water separator and drain any water in filter housing
- Greasing all fittings to avoid premature pin & bushing wear
- Cleaning out undercarriage to prevent premature wear
- Checking track adjustment to prevent power loss, excessive roller & idler wear and tearing of tracks
If you have any questions about lowering your equipment ownership and operating costs, call the branch nearest you.