Maintaining machines through scheduled upkeep and adhering to a regular heavy equipment maintenance schedule is essential to the lasting performance of your investments. Planned service prevents minor issues from becoming major ones that can lead to downtime, so follow your construction equipment maintenance schedule closely.
Jump to Sections:
- Advantages and Importance of Routine Maintenance
- Designing Your Routine Maintenance Plan
- Trust Carolina Cat for Your Planned Maintenance Needs
Advantages and Importance of Routine Maintenance
Regular service delivers benefits to you and your fleet that directly impact your operating costs and revenue.
Routine maintenance allows you to reduce your expenses by preventing costly repairs, unplanned downtime and the need to replace equipment more frequently. You’ll keep projects on schedule by having functional equipment available when you need it most. Planned service also extends the useful life of your investments and delivers machinery that maximizes fuel economy to save you money at the pump. When it’s time to sell, you’ll enjoy a boost in resale value too.
Designing Your Routine Maintenance Plan
A thorough and workable routine maintenance plan covers everything from what to when and how. Start by creating a maintenance checklist. Use your list, operation logs and inspections, and technology to build a personalized maintenance schedule for upkeep procedures that maximize equipment performance and profitability.
Develop a Heavy Equipment Maintenance Checklist
The first place you’ll begin to design your comprehensive maintenance checklist is with your owner’s manual. Your manufacturer makes regular maintenance recommendations based on the particular model and applications of the equipment. Make this your foundation for daily inspections and build on it proactively.
Conduct Regular Visual Inspections
Before and after each equipment outing, examine your machinery, paying special attention to these areas:
- Batteries, electrical system and safety features: Test voltages, connections, lights, brakes and horns.
- Fluids: Check oil, coolant, fuel and lubrication levels.
- Equipment body: Inspect windshields and the outer shell, noting any chips, cracks or corrosion.
- Tires and tracks: Test for operability and correct pressure levels. Ensure treads and cleats aren’t excessively worn.
- Suspension and undercarriage: Examine for signs of wear and tear. Use especially close attention if you work in harsh conditions or on rugged terrain.
The above is only a partial list of components and systems to inspect. Refer to your owner’s manual for additional recommendations, and add items that reflect your particular working environment and applications.
Be Proactive
Follow the guidelines for fluid analysis by sampling your oil at each change and other fluids when standards prescribe them. Results indicate if your equipment is performing at its best and provide insights into potential upcoming issues, allowing you to take action before they hamper operation and preventing unscheduled downtime.
Use technology to your advantage in planning equipment maintenance. Telematics offers valuable insights into how your equipment is performing. Applications track operating hours and integrate that data with maintenance schedules so you can stay on top of when to plan for routine maintenance procedures. If you’re not using telematics, record inspection results and usage hours to create a plan for optimal dealer maintenance scheduling.
During your preventative dealer maintenance appointments, listen to the certified mechanics when they recommend part replacements. These experts apply their skills to spot components nearing the end of their useful life or performing less desirably. Changing them out before they impact time in the field saves cash in the long term.
Trust Carolina Cat for Your Planned Maintenance Needs
When you need assistance with forming a construction equipment preventative maintenance schedule in Charlotte or throughout Western North Carolina, trust the experts at Carolina Cat. We’ve been helping keep machinery operating smoothly since 1926. Our team of certified technicians provides superior service at our facilities or on the job site, and we carry a large selection of parts to get the job done quickly and have your equipment back in the field sooner.
Speak with a service professional today or contact us online, and we’ll reach out to you as soon as possible.