Maintaining and increasing the quality, performance and lifespan of your fleet

Construction is dirty and hard on your equipment. Understandably, the cleaning and maintenance of your gear is important if you wish to increase the lifetime of your fleet. Plant and equipment can often leave you out of pocket when purchasing due to the high prices, taking good care of your gear will help lesson your chances of buying replacements and adding unnecessary financial output. 

Clean your fleet

Cleaning should be the first action taken after equipment completes work, the build up of debris can cause the machine to malfunction. In addition to this, regularly cleaning your gear will allow you to check for any potential leaks or damages to equipment. To ensure your fleet is preforming at it's peak and remains functional for many years, it's important to keep it clean. 

Lubricate moving parts

Lubrication is important for reducing friction and ensuring all moving parts are functioning correctly. However, you must find the right balance, as too much can cause grease build up and too little results in friction which leads to wear and tear. Lubrication of the internals components can help reduce corrosion otherwise caused by moisture created by the external environment. 

Protect wires

Heavy workloads can damage, crush or cut electrical wires and cords within the equipment. Therefore purpose built castings and covers must be used in order to reduce the chances of this becoming a hazard. 

Use Authorised repairers

Taking your fleet to an authorised repairer will help ensure it is being checked thoroughly and all the parts being used are original, guaranteed and under warranty. 

Fuel

The efficiency and performance of your equipment will improve with a full tank of fuel rather than a semi tank. Ensuring your tanks are filled at the end of each day will help improve the quality of work as well as helping determine the fuel consumption rate of your gear. 

Train employees 

If you allow inexperienced or incompetent people to operate your gear you increase the likelihood of damaging your fleet resulting in a potential decline in work won. training might take time and resources but investing in this will save you a lot of time and money down the track. Ensure your operators know the limits of the equipment, how to choose the right gear for the job, how to identify risks and are aware of site and operating guidelines. 

Taking care of your fleet will help you save money and win more work. Not only do you have to ensure your gear is well looked after and clean but you must also take action to prepare your equipment for site by making sure it's compliant. There are a lot of factors that come into play and you have to remember to do all the required checks if you want your fleet to be approved for site. Using a checklist like this mobile plant compliance checklist is a good guide to help you ensure you've covered everything.