Maintaining Construction Equipment
As a company owner, your construction projects may keep you busy from morning until night. However, if you don't make time to care for the equipment you're using on each job, you could find that your business is adversely affected; equipment downtime could mean that you have to delay work or work with equipment that isn't as good while machines are being repaired. The following simple tasks and suggestions can assist you in caring for all the equipment you and your workers use.
Read the Manuals
To know as much as possible about the equipment you work with, you should sit down and peruse the manual of every machine. Many manuals are accessible online. If you don't plan to read the manuals thoroughly on your own, let it be known where the manuals are located so that anyone working for you can pick up one to find information they need for minor repairs.
Locate the Warranty
Finding the warranty card and ensuring that your equipment is still covered is something you should also be doing. Call the manufacturer yourself if you're unsure about what is covered and whether any restrictions apply.
Find Local Suppliers
If something needs to get fixed, rather than dealing with that downtime, you may be able to have it repaired more quickly if you have the names and addresses of local suppliers that can sell you the components you need. This increases your equipment up time, improving productivity.
Keep a Log
So you don't lose track of oil changes and other tasks, be serious about keeping a log of all the service you do and need to do on various pieces of equipment. Schedule out times that each piece of equipment will be taken to a professional for an assessment.
It's also smart to keep your location in mind when considering inspection frequency. If you do most of your construction work near saltwater or have amphibious equipment that comes into contact with the water often, for instance, you should probably have professional inspections of the undercarriage frequently to watch for problems.
Even if a piece of equipment isn't scheduled for maintenance, be open to sudden functional problems and have a plan for that. If a worker thinks something is wrong, stop and do an inspection.
Your equipment is vital to your business; with these details you can protect your machines. You may want to work with an equipment maintenance company that can ensure equipment up time so that you don't experience problems completing your projects.
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