What’s your construction company’s greatest asset? Many would say talent (aka employees). Other valuable assets are your tools and fleets of vehicles, especially heavy equipment with movable parts.
Your construction equipment maintenance schedule is critical to operations and profits. You should always calendar maintenance based on equipment hours, not days or months. Here are some maintenance suggestions and timelines, but be sure to cross-reference all equipment manuals and manufacturers’ recommendations.
Daily Construction Equipment Management Processes
- Pre-operation – Perform visual inspection/log it, and include:
- Any overhead/tripping hazards
- Belts/hoses
- Cab condition
- Damaged/loose/deteriorating parts
- Fluid/fuel levels
- Leaks
- Tires
- Undercarriage
- Where equipment is parked
- Warm-up – Run equipment for 5-10 minutes, then check:
- Airflow
- Brakes
- Dashboard
- Fluids
- Hydraulics
- Lights
- Odd noises
- Operation – During its operation, pay attention to:
- Gauges
- Greater-than-usual vibrations
- Odd noises
- Performance issues
- Shutdown – Let the engine idle 5 minutes before shutdown:
- Clean/wash equipment if possible
- Fuel – fill it/log fuel level
- Park in a safe place/engage parking brake
- 250-500 hours:
- Change fuel & air filters
- Change oil & oil filters
- 1,000-1,200 hours:
- Replace cabin air filters
- Replace coolant filter/inspect air dryer (if applicable)
- 4,800-5,000 hours:
- Change return filters
- Check hydraulic filters/oils & tank
- Check pins/bushing
- Check radiator/antifreeze
- Perform transmission differentials service
Every piece of heavy machinery should have a history log that includes repairs, storage, problems, and issues resolutions. You can download and print a construction equipment preventive maintenance checklist, but there are several fleet management software choices when you’re ready to recycle all that paper and go digital!
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