It’s no secret that equipment can be the most expensive part of running a business. Whether you have machine units, such as front end loaders and dozers, or vehicles, such as semi trucks, you want to get the best value out of your investment. Ensuring proper service and maintenance on your units is paramount to their longevity and efficiency. The life of your machine is measured in its service intervals. Whether your machine tracks in hours or distance, it’s important to maintain a unit consistently and on time.
A unit that is properly maintained benefits in three important ways.
First, is your efficiency. When a machine is properly lubricated, filters are clean, and all of the inner components are in good condition, it runs in the most efficient manner. However, if your front end loader is fighting to cool down due to clogged air filters, or your car is starting to grind due to low engine oil, the efficiency of the vehicle declines. Too much energy is diverted to these inefficient areas.
Second, is your longevity. An engine that is maintained correctly lives longer. All of the components that rely on proper maintenance, such as oil and filter changes, wear out if they’re not properly looked after. This can lead to costly breakdowns and repairs. A service schedule that stays on top of essential maintenance can save time, energy, and money. Keeping up with services helps get the most out of your unit.
Which leads to the third way a properly maintained unit can benefit you: Resale value. When the time comes to let your ole’ reliable go, you want to get the best bang for your buck. Whether you’re upgrading, downsizing, or closing up shop, you want to make sure that the big ticket items you purchased make good on your investment. A machine that hasn’t been properly maintained will not draw an attractive resale price. Without proper maintenance, a purchaser is looking at spending money on repairs, which doesn’t make the unit a good sale. However, if your unit is well maintained, then the price point can be set much higher, and is more likely to attract a buyer.
These three benefits don’t even branch into the risks of improperly maintained units from a safety perspective. A shop safety audit that finds improperly maintained machines and vehicles can result in hefty fines and failed audits. For commercial trucks on the road, it’s a legal requirement to have properly maintained equipment. A vehicle that gets pulled over for an inspection and fails to meet maintenance requirements risks not only monetary fines, but even being put out of service until proper maintenance is complete. These unnecessary risks make an accurate maintenance schedule a must-have.
Keeping track of your maintenance schedule isn’t rocket science, but it can come with difficulties. Employees may not report their hours or mileage, units left on site may get missed in the maintenance rotation, or trucks on the highway may not make it from point A to point B before going over their service marker.
By keeping track of your hours and mileage remotely, through fleet tracking services and technology, you can always be ahead of the curve when it comes to your units. By anticipating when a unit will meet a service marker through daily and monthly historical data, and having clear visibility on up to date metrics, you’ll never miss a maintenance again.
This vital fleet information impacts not only your operators, but also your mechanics; regardless of whether they are in-house or out-hires. If you have a unit approaching a service due date, you can schedule your mechanic, or book in at the shop ahead of schedule, to keep things running smoothly and get your units back out on the road in an efficient manner. Historical data will also help you navigate the priority of which units will require service sooner than the others.
If you want to increase your efficiency, longevity, safety, and fleet value, chat with us about how we can help make that happen. With our free two week demo you can get real time experience tracking your fleet and see exactly how our system is the solution you’re looking for.