Category Archives: heavy equipment

How to operate a loader

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Loaders are one of the most essential and important heavy construction equipment that the construction workers simply cannot do without, in the current construction scenario. However, operating the loader, or in fact any other heavy construction equipment, is not an easy task. You need to make sure that you know the steps properly, so that the loader doesn’t tip over or change directions all of a sudden.

Start with choosing the right size and power of the loader. There are different kinds of the loaders. You can choose a skid loader or a wheel loader or the other kinds of loaders, as per your requirement. Once you have done so, you need to follow these steps.

  • Read the user manual:

 

The first step is to read the user manual of the loader carefully. There you will be guided about the different switches, levers and other tools. Take your seat and carefully identify the switches. Before you start, you must fasten your seat belt properly, so that you do not fall from the loader.

  • Understand the controls:

 

There are two steering handles in almost all the loaders. They are located on the sides of the arm rest of both sides of the loader. There is also a diagram for the buttons that clearly state how the loader runs and before you start the machine, you need to look at the loader carefully.

  • Start the loader:

 

To start the loader, usually you are given a key that is almost similar to that of a car. Some loaders are also started by a clearly visible start button. Nowadays, the newer loaders come with a keypad, where you will have to enter the starting code and the machine will start.

  • Unlock the controls:

 

Usually the control system is locked and hence, as you start the machine or loader, you need to unlock the control system. A toggle switch does the job and when it is turned off, a red lamp is ignited and when it is switched on, it turns green.

  • Moving the bucket:

 

Usually the bucket is controlled by the left steering handle. It must be made assured that the joystick is moved only to the right or left side or to the front and back. Diagonal movement may cause the machine to act differently; rather than moving the bucket. Many loaders use pedals to run the machine and control the buckets. While moving the vehicle, you must always lift the bucket high enough to see the front clearly.

  • Controlling the right handle:

 

The right handle controls how the bucket is operated to load and unload the debris. Moving the right handle to the left will raise the bucket and moving it to the right will unload or dump the material in the bucket.

Now that you have understood how the loaders can be operated, it is a must that you stop the loader right in front of the pile of material that you want to load or unload. Once you are done, park the machine properly, so that it doesn’t obstruct the area. Always move the vehicle in slow speed.

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Construction Paving Machines are available in different specifications

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A construction paving machine or simply a paving machine is an important heavy duty construction machinery that is used to lay asphalt concrete or bituminous asphalt in a road, bridge, canal, airport construction or damage repairing projects. Paving machines are available in different specifications depending upon the job site and job load.

Types of paving machines

Three types of paving machines are generally found and used:

  • Track asphalt pavers – These pavers provide greater traction for more challenging jobs where the surface is too uneven and requires more hauling. These days, some track pavers are manufactured with steel tracks for utmost perfection, the longevity of the equipment and low-cost maintenance.
  • Wheel-equipped asphalt pavers – These pavers are used where a high mobility is required along with the shock-absorbing capacity of the whole body as an undercarriage is fixed with the equipment. The undercarriage is specially designed to promote smooth paving. These pavers contain high horsepower that is often used in tough situations. These paving machines can move in small apertures making them perfect for a small area
  • Screeds –Screed paving machines are equipped with electrically heated screed plates and width adjustment capacity. For this reason, these pavers are suitable for all types of construction works. Their control system is highly sophisticated and designed for minimum human intervention. The control system for tamper setup vibration can be comfortably matched with paving speed and production rate.

Purpose of a paving machine

A construction paving machine not only lays asphalt on the construction areas but also does a primary compaction before a roller starts working for a full range compaction. A typical paving machine functions through the following process:

  • A paver possesses a hopper into which asphalt is poured from a dump truck
  • The conveyor then transfers the asphalt to the auger
  • The auger then piles up the asphalt before a free-floating screed
  • The screed the spreads the asphalt over the width of the road

The screed plays a vital role in spreading the asphalt evenly all over the area. Due to the uneven surface, some part of the road may require more asphalt while some other parts less. For this reason, the free-floating screed is used with an automatic controller and an electronic sensor.

Different specifications of construction paving machines

A wide array of paving machines is available from different manufacturers. The smaller machines generally possess 3-20 HP while the larger ones possess 100-250 HP. These machines generally run with diesel fuel. The larger pavers weigh between 20000-40000 lb. and their length ranges from 19-23 ft.

Construction paving machines include asphalt millers, asphalt brooms, and asphalt recyclers. Asphalt millers are available in two different specifications: hot and cold. They are normally used for fixing surface damages, slope control, grade control, and depth repairs. In the manufacturing process, paving machines are generally assembled from in a factory bringing its components from different suppliers. Most of the components of this machine are made of steel like the auger is made of Ni-Hard steel, the screed is made-up from steel plate, tubbing, and channel.

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Online platforms have made renting heavy equipment easier

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Many newbie after starting their business in the construction domain has experienced the problem of shortage of heavy equipment. It is because of this issue they lose many important projects that can be a life changer. This is when they feel dejected and some are even forced to shut down their offices. Well, as a matter of fact, things are not that bad as it may seem to be for guys who really want to make a career in this profession. Unquestionably, heavy equipment is very expensive but that does not mean that one can’t operate his business just because he can’t afford to buy them. Well, if you can’t afford to buy them you can definitely afford to take them on rent and that is the most viable option you can take to carry on with the business.

The question is how one can trace people who are renting their heavy machinery. This was a difficult job few decades ago but after the inception of internet that has taken over the entire globe this is no longer a challenge. There are numerous online platforms that are helping people to meet their business needs. It was not that the taker was experiencing the problem of not finding someone who is ready to let his machine but the owner equally experienced the same issue. However, with the advent of internet a lot of these problems have come to rest.

All you have to do is register yourself with an online platform that deals with buying, selling and renting heavy equipments. There are also other online portals that deal with almost everything. So you got to first ensure that you have reached the right platform. It is advisable that you register yourself with a website that exclusively deals with heavy equipment. Such online portals can be very useful as you will get to see heavy machinery of different brands and of different types. You will not be restricted to just one type of machine. You can just search for the thing you are looking you will get all under one roof. This was not possible before internet could make its presence felt to the people from the construction industry.

Though internet has been helpful to many people from all walks of life, but if we limit our focus to guys from the construction and heavy equipment domain, this technology has been nothing less than prolific. There are few instances where some buyers were cheated by fraudulent sellers but the online portal owners are looking into these cases and making their laws stringent so that rights of both the buyers as well as sellers remain protected. Frauds can happen in any industry and in any kind of environment. The rise of internet should not be blamed for any fraudulent activity. On the contrary, norms should be made so that renting heavy equipment online can happen risk-free and more people can reap benefit from this technology.

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Small heavy equipment are more economical than the bigger ones

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A construction jobsite has all sorts of heavy equipment. Be it big or small they all contribute their bit towards the building of the project. A big construction company can however afford to procure big machines but what about people are not much old in this business or who have not grown exponentially to afford big machines. They have to carry on their job with the help of small sized machines as they find it to be more economical as well as performance centric.

Small heavy equipment are indeed quite economical as compared to their larger versions and are also known to get the work done quickly. Though there are few projects where the need of big machines can’t be ruled out, small heavy equipment can definitely work as an alternative wherever it can. Apart from just being economical, it has proved its metal during many occasions where the large machines could not do much.

For instance, if there is a need to pass a wheel loader from a narrow entry without harming the possible structure adjoining the entry point, the need of a small sized wheel loader is imminent. The possibility to get the work done using a large machine does not exist as it will definitely destroy the structure that it is not supposed to touch. Most of the contractors working in marine or civil construction projects have widely found small heavy equipment to be highly beneficial which also suggests the market for small machines is becoming bigger and bigger.

The other side of the story has more of monetary aspect. Contractors are investing huge sum of money in procuring small machines as they find it to be more reasonable and rational. Since the cost of small heavy equipment is comparatively lower than the large sized machines, they sell like hot cakes. The heavy equipment producing companies on the other hand are in the process of manufacturing more small sized machines as it sells quickly and they do not have to worry about its sales figure. They are assured of the fact that the small sized machines will help them meet their sales target for the year.

New construction companies often experiences severe financial crunches during the initial phase of their business and one of the reason that attributes to this mess to a larger extent is the purchase of advanced heavy equipment. Now the point is no heavy equipment company can offer you advanced machines are lesser price and therefore they have to compromise for second hand machines. However, this problem can be easily resolved if they try out the small machines. The small contractors who have worked on projects with small sized machines have gained a lot and simultaneously if a newbie also make use of small sized heavy equipment he will at least be able to stay away from any financial mess. Apart from this, getting business loans on small machines is relatively simpler which means that the person does not have to run from pillar to post to get his loan sanctioned.

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Buying heavy equipment online is a boon for small contractors

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We often understand that construction industry is an industry where the owner ends up making enormous amount of profits but simultaneously we also fail to understand that the market is tough for people who are new to this industry or the one who lacks financial stability in their business. For such folks, striving hard and coming out of the misery is the ultimate solution. Right from getting big projects to hiring operators and workers, they got to struggle for every small thing. Other than that, they also have to strive to sustain their business from any external powers like competition, rise in the price of heavy equipment, improvement in technology and things thereon. One of the biggest factors that has become the hurdle for small time construction companies or contractors is the rising price of heavy equipment. They are finding it very difficult to overcome the rising prices of machines which is considered to be the lifeline of any construction business.

Small construction companies are left with very limited options as far as buying of machines are concerned. They either have to shell out good deal of money to buy at the price the heavy equipment companies are selling or have to consider the option of buying used equipment. They were suffering from another challenge of hunting for sellers who were willing to sell their equipment at a lower price until they were able to buy equipment online. Here they do not have to spend lot of time to search sellers selling the item they are looking for. All they got to do is key in the word in the search menu and start looking for the best deal.

Few things that a contractor should consider before he signs on the dotted line.

Check if the item is worth the value:-

Before you even think of contacting the seller, it is imperative that you do your research well. Try to know few things about the machine from people who has worked on it or from the internet. Try to know the price of the machine from different sources and then see at what price the seller is willing to sell it. You do this to ascertain the correct price of the equipment so that you do not end up paying more than what you should be paying. Once you are sure of the price, you can then try to bargain the price with the seller and check if he is willing to lower it any further.

Ascertain if the item is in good condition:-

Once you have fixed the price with the seller, the next thing you should do is to check if the item is in good condition. You will certainly not want to invest your money in rotten stuffs. Try to fix an appointment with the seller so that you can personally go to inspect the item. It is advisable that you go along with an expert mechanic who will check if the machine is in order. If only both of you are content with the quality of the machine, you can go ahead and sign on the dotted line.

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5 tips to prevent the heavy construction equipment from being stolen

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Theft is a common problem, when it comes to the heavy construction equipment. These are so expensive, so much in demand and so easy to steal that the thieves frequently make a target of the equipment at a jobsite. Despite the fact that these machines and equipment are so huge, stealing them is not a problem because of the lack of anti-theft or theft-prevention measures that the owners take.

Here are a few tips that will help you to prevent the chances of theft and make it easier to find, if at all it is stolen.

  • Indicate the parts and label them:

 

It is very important that you add an indicator and make a note of all the parts and machines of the heavy construction equipment. There are indicating stickers and labels that can help you in doing so. However, it is quite easy to remove these indicators and sell the parts in the black market.

Hence, it is a better idea that you use an inscription to indicate every part of the equipment and have a note of these parts. This will not only help you to keep a track of the different parts of the equipment, but also, in case there is a theft, it will make it easier for the investigators to have a note of the part that is missing. Even after finding it, identifying it becomes a lot easier.

  • Use apps to monitor all activities:

 

There are anti-theft apps that can be installed to your system and it becomes easy to control and monitor, whether the equipment is being stolen or not.

  • Area surveillance:

 

Most of the heavy construction equipment thefts have taken place because of the lack of surveillance in any part of the jobsite. There is less CCTV surveillance than needed and even the lights are turned off making it easier for the thieves to steal.

In any jobsite, where there is the use of heavy construction equipment and if they are parked at the jobsite, it is a must that you install motion sensors. This will help you to detect any activity and movement that is caused to move the equipment from there. There must also be enough light towers that will help you to keep a notice of the equipment.

  • Parking the heavy construction equipment:

 

This is something that not every heavy construction equipment owner keeps in mind. When you park the equipment or the vehicle after a day at work, you need to park it one after the other, in a queue, so that it is not possible to remove any one of the vehicles or machines or equipment, without removing the other.

If you follow these simple and yet useful tips, it will be absolutely easy to keep a track of all of your vehicles. You will be able to prevent any chance of theft. However, thefts can be very expensive and to make sure it does not lead to financial loss, you need to have the heavy construction equipment insured.

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Dealer selling heavy equipment is a good career

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If you think that you are good in convincing people and also a good communicator then selling is perhaps the domain that you should be looking at. Now you can sell anything under the sun but there are few things which give you more commission than the rest. Apparently, it is also difficult to sell such things. For instance, not everybody can afford to buy a Porsche. Therefore the sales volume will not be as high as any ordinary car. But just a sale in a month can earn you real good commission.

So the bottom line is if you are good in sales then why not sell something that can give you good returns. There are few products that offer good cuts to the sellers. However, the pre-requisite is that you got to know in and out of the business and the product that you are selling. As long as you are thorough about the product, it is advisable that you should not get into the dealership business.

Construction business is at its peak and time and again customers have requirements of different types of heavy equipments. It makes perfect sense to try your skill selling heavy equipments and if you are good at it then you can definitely own a dealership of possibly all kinds of heavy equipments. So before you go to won a dealership, it is essential that you have sound experience of construction machines and should know possibly everything about it. You may not have the technical knowledge which a mechanic has but you still need to know the intrinsic features of the machine which will help you a ton in pitching the product.

Good commission:-

Once you own a dealership of heavy equipments, you need to ensure that you get the rights to sell heavy equipments of all the brands and their accessories. Just selling one brand will take you nowhere. If you have the right to sell all kind of heavy equipment, you will not restrict yourself in selling just one brand. You can then do a better study of the client wants and his budget and then after analyzing his situation can suggest the best possible option for him. Heavy equipment companies offer fabulous commission if you sell their machines. They also give you gifts at the end of every month (if you are able to sell good number of heavy equipments). So it is a win-win situation for you and you should not just let it go.

The demand is simply growing:-

With the ever increasing demand of heavy equipments and its accessories, you can develop a good market in your zone. Selling heavy equipment accessories can also make you rich as you will always get buyers for that. So you need not have to only depend on selling heavy equipments all the time. Sometimes it is the accessory that does the trick for you. You can sell attachments, machine parts and so on and so forth. If you are a person who understands the technicalities of heavy equipments and also understand project requirements then becoming a heavy equipment dealer can always prove to be a great career for you.

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Heavy Equipment #1 accidents

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We believe that accidents happen due to our negligence. That is certainly one of the reasons why accidents do occur but there are certainly other factors that contribute for such an incident. We can even contribute absent mindedness to be one of the reasons or for that matter lack of anticipation can even lead to accidents. So there is no one particular reason why accidents occur; which is why people find it extremely difficult to tackle the problem. There can numerous reasons why an accident can happen and therefore it is almost impossible to contain such an event. Not all accidents can be attributed to human error. Some just happen. Even after being cautious and alert one can meet an accident. So there is no fool proof formula to save a person from meeting up with an accident. However, by taking precautionary measures one can certainly avert an incident or can lessen the amount of casualty.

People can meet up with an accident while they are at work and there are some professions that are termed to be risky. This means that people who are into that profession can meet up with a possible incident at any point in time. Construction industry is one such sector where the incidences of accidents have increased over the years. In spite of taking utter care on the construction site some people accidentally injure themselves and at times it even leads to loss of life. One of the most crucial things that one needs to understand while they are at the jobsite is that they will just not indulge in anything else other than their work. This means that they can’t use their cell phones (It has been considered a prime reason for accidents on the jobsite) while they are at work. In case they need to attend some urgent calls, they can provide a Landline number located inside the jobsite but using a cell phone should be strictly restricted.

A lot of accidents happen when the operator fails to understand the signal or some incorrect signal has been given. The operator needs to be very sure of what he is doing. He just can’t take a wrong step because if he does that it can turn out to be extremely fatal. The #1 accident that happens in heavy equipment is perhaps from an excavator. Excavators have to work on soft land and if a detailed study of the land is not done then there is every chance of an accident to occur.

Moreover when the excavator is moving to and fro if someone comes in mid of the way and the operator loses sight of the person then that can even claim the life of the person. At the same time, one must stay away from the arm of the excavator while it is operating on the jobsite. You never know which way it will move and it is not possible for the operator to always make sure that no one enters the zone where the machine is working. Therefore, it becomes the onus of the people to understand that they should not be around the machine while it is active.

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Where can I sell heavy equipment?

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If you have construction equipment that you no longer use or feel that you want to replace it with a newer one, it is better that you start looking at avenues to sell the machinery so that you have enough cash to buy the new equipment. In our personal lives when we are fond of a thing we tend to buy it first without caring much about the burden it can have on the budget of the family. It is all paid through cards and we get the time to reimburse them. However, it still remains a burden that needs to be paid-off. Nevertheless, in a business you can’t expect to take such risk because the proportion of risk is higher in business and any miss calculated step can prove to a disaster. In construction business where the business owners deals with heavy equipment, they got to sharp enough to understand what they are doing than repenting it once the damage has been done. The construction companies therefore believe in first selling the old heavy equipment if they are not using it or are planning to buy a new one.

Sell it to small contractors or construction companies:-

When it comes to selling heavy equipment, you have enough avenues to do this. The first is selling it to small contractors or construction companies. You may come across a lot of small time contractors and construction companies that are always in look for good deals where they can buy used heavy equipment at a comparatively lower price. The way you can get hooked to these guys is through pervading the message that you are selling off your heavy equipment and channelizing it through your peers. The message thus passes on and it reaches many ears who will contact you to see if you can give them a good deal. Please ensure that before you put across the message of selling the used heavy equipment you get it repaired and painted. It should look good and worthy to buy.

Dealers who deal with used machines:-

You can get in touch with workshops or dealers who deal with buying used heavy equipment, refurnish it and then sell it off to customers. Their modus-operandi is to buy the machines at a lower rate, give it a new life and face and then sell it with a good profit margin. So just in case, if you do not find buyers using the first method, you can also make use of this one. Get hold of a workshop that repairs heavy equipment and check how much will they pay for the machine. They may quote a lesser price but it depends on how you negotiate the price with them. These guys are smart and they might quote you the price of a junk. However, you got to maintain its price and not let it go as a junk. Also it makes more sense to check the price with some of the dealers before you call it a deal.

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Putting heavy equipment in shipping containers

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We live in a global village where almost every product is accessible to every part of the world. All you need to do is ship the item to the place of demand. This is why Wal-Mart is eyeing Asian markets as it feels that the population of people is more in countries like India and China and this means more consumers for them which in turn lead to more business. Though Wal-Mart has still to make inroads in countries in India it does see it as a hot business destination. All they have to do is ship their products to India, China and other such countries and make good business. It does not take much effort to ship products that are smaller in size and less heavy but when it comes to things that are huge and are also heavy shipping such items should be done with care. You may not want to see any defect that arises on transit. The buyer will definitely not buy an item which is expensive and has dents on it or has gone faulty because of improper shipping facility.

 

Heavy equipment manufacturing companies no longer limits itself in doing business in US only. They have spread their wings and want to fly in all directions. They want to expand to countries where they see huge scope for the construction market. This is why they have also set up offices and industries in various countries so that they do not have to always ship items from US to the destination country.

 

At times heavy equipment companies receive orders of machines that they do not manufacture in the country from where they received the order. They are then compelled to get it shipped from the place where the item is available. Now the issue is not during loading the machine but you face the problem while unloading it. At the time of loading the item you take utmost care to use all the mechanisms in place to ensure that the machine is loaded carefully but while unloading it in a different country, the people out there may not be trained or informed or experienced in unloading a heavy equipment and they goof up big time.

 

Just because they do not have the necessary resource to unload the item they end up keeping it at the dock for days. This causes lot of issues to the company who actually ordered the item and also a great deal of embarrassment to the manufacturing company. What needs to be done is make a note of all the stuffs that were used to put the heavy machine in the shipping container and transmit the message to the party of the country where the machine will be shipped. Ask them to come down with a crane or a fork lift that has the potential to lift the machine and take it home.

 

By following few simple rules it becomes absolutely simple to load heavy equipment in containers and then ship them across.

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