Category Archives: Renting

Unable to sell your heavy equipment – Try renting them

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It is quite difficult to sell an expensive item how old it may be. You may just not get any buyers and this could be really frustrating at times when you are in dire need of money. At the same time, you may want to get rid of an expensive stuff that you no longer need but you are also not ready to sell it at a dirt cheap price which is why you are not getting more buyers. The people who are interested to buy the item often show their displeasure after knowing the price of the item.

People belonging to the construction industry have often experienced this kind of situation when they are hunting for buyers to sell their heavy equipment. Either you have to sell it at a cheaper rate or you just won’t get more buyers. The reason is simple. People who would be interested to buy a second hand heavy equipment will normally be small time contractors or small construction companies who have just begun their journey in the construction sector. They will have many strong reasons will not want to buy a machine that is though quite useful to them in their business is nevertheless expensive and out of their budget.

If you are part of such a situation it will be prudent for you to give up the idea of selling the machine and think about renting it. In this way, you can earn money on the machine and then the day you feel that it has gone real old and you will not mind selling it as scrap, get hold of a scrap dealer and finish the work. Till then stick to the idea of giving it on rent and earning money without having to do much. Many big construction companies who have lot of heavy equipment under their possession normally lease their machines to small contractors who in turn work for them in their projects. In this way, the machine is used for his construction work and he also manages to make good money out of it.

If you are not a giant construction company and do not possess too many machines to follow the above idea, you can play it smart by renting it to other contractors. You will find many such people who are in hunt of guys willing to lease their machine. You have to just talk to people about it. Talk to your friends who are contractors that if they know anybody who is looking to take the machine you have on rent. Try to spread it across to as many people as you can and you will get responses. Try to give a reasonable quote that is acceptable to the other party and if all sounds good then you should go for the deal.

Before you rent your heavy equipment please try to refurbish it by painting the machine and making it look new. People expect a machine that works and you need to ensure that the parts in the machine are in good condition and it will work for the period that it will be on rent.

Things You Should Know before Renting Articulated Trucks

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Trucks are used by construction industry to carry huge pile of debris from the jobsite to the dump yard. Articulated trucks (ATs) are specialized trucks are used for hauling of heavy equipment from their source to destination. Hence, many construction industries, prefer buying ATs on rental basis to reduce their expenses. However, one has to be diligent while buying rented machines since it is expensive.

The following are some of the tips which may be useful for the buyer:

  1. Purchase equipment which is in good working condition:

Although it is used, buyer must take care that ATs must be in good working condition. Instead of buying on rent very old AT, one should purchase AT which is less than five years old.

2.  Perform a thorough physical and mechanical inspection of the equipment:

  • Being one of the most difficult machines, evaluating AT is a difficult task. A physical inspection of AT is needed by investing enough time and taking it around during daylight.
  • Establish its serial number and the number of hours it has been operated. The serial number indicates the year of manufacture. While if it has run for less than 10,000 hours the machine is in better condition.
  • Different locks and articulation hinge joints should be checked for their movement. There are two parts to it. Oscillating part and articulation part. If there are problems with the former part then its repairs are very expenses as compared to the articulation part.
  • Engine, hinge pins, brakes, tires, battery, cab, mirrors, air filters, oil filters, suspension system in front should be thoroughly examined.
  • Buyer should make sure that brakes get applied to all wheels. Use of wet brakes reduce cost and requires less maintenance.
  • AT should be checked for its uphill movement and the amount of fuel used or the smoke released.
  • Truck’s comfort should be assessed in terms of cab’s safety and great visibility and comfort.
  • Machine’s maintenance records should be checked to know the service history. Knowing the past history of what it was used for hauling gives an idea of the wear and tear the machine must have gone through.

3.  Buyer should evaluate their work requirements.

Buyer should learn about application of ATs and should know if it useful for their type of work. They should check various details including the type of material, travel distance, cycle times and the equipment to be carried in AT. Since it is to be mentioned in the agreement, it is necessary that buyer should know the required duration of ATs at the work place.

4.  Product specifications:

There are different models of ATs. Buyer should know which type is required for their purpose since each model has different characteristics. The user should refer to product manuals and distributor/manufacturer’s websites, to learn about each model’s application. This will enable buyer to choose the right type of model for AT. It is important to know if the current model of ATs is supported by the manufacturer, which makes it easy to find parts of repair. In addition, buyer should also seek to know about factors such as high production per man hour and check the payload capacity both of which are important for increasing productivity.

5.  Consider the speed and gas gauge:

The travel speeds of ATs play an important role in productivity. The buyer should look at top-end speeds for long run and the pulling power for shorter distance. Check for the unit’s abundance of horsepower and torque which will allow operators to move fast and haul more in one cycle.

The buyer should also consider fuel efficiency based on material per gallon, which can be increased by proper planning of truck’s activities and by maintaining AT.

6.  Cost:

Buyer should know the expenses incurred due to rents (both of machine and its additional parts), maintenance, repairs of the oscillating part, fuel used and greasing of the parts and expenses due to hired operator.

7.  Making of an agreement:

When the buyer is satisfied with the rental machine and the costs associated, then will go ahead with an agreement with the rental service provider.

Following these tips can guide buyers in purchasing appropriate articulated truck on rental basis and get the job done well.