Category Archives: heavy equipment

Be careful while purchasing second hand construction equipment

While venturing out for new projects, you may be often asked about the kinds of construction machines that you possess and probably on the basis of that you are judged. There are other also many others factors involved but this may be one of a factor that plays a crucial role to bag a construction project. Also when have multiple projects going on at different locations, it is a must to have a good fleet of heavy equipment so that you can bring any of it to use whenever required. Now the real challenge here is heavy equipment are quite expensive and not many can afford to buy new machines whenever they feel the need for it. There is ideally a lot of planning and projection that happens before one decides to buy construction machines. This only suggests that though it is an integral part of the business it is not so easy to get or let’s put it this way, you have to keep a lot of stake to buy heavy equipment.

There is one way which will cost you less and will also help you fulfill your requirement and that is to buy second hand equipment rather than a brand new one. Used heavy equipment cost lesser as compared to the new machines and therefore this ought to be the next best option. The other option is to take heavy equipment on rent but that may not be a viable option if you need the machine for seasonal work. Now the challenge in buying second hand heavy equipment is that there are more chances of it breaking down if you have not checked the machine before buying it. There are some sellers who list their item knowing that it is faulty and they try everything possible to hide that fact from the buyer.

In situations like these, you got to be smarter than the seller and should ask for a demo before you finally buy it from him. Now if you are a guy who has worked with construction equipment all your life and know the in and out of it, then you may be able to judge the quality of the machine but in case you know less about machines and more about running the construction business then it is recommended that you go along with someone who have dealt with machines all throughout his career and can guide you well if you should go with it or no.

A mechanic in this case should be apt to do the work for you. He can do the required checking on the heavy equipment for you and tell you if it is worth buying the metal. Moreover, you will also know if the seller is honest enough to tell you everything before you let him know that you will inspect the machine prior to buying it. Also check with the mechanic the life of the machine and negotiate the price accordingly. Just because you need a construction equipment does not mean that you will end up spending your money in a third grade machine. So be careful before you strike the deal.

 

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Welding Heavy Equipment

In a heavy equipment company, people from all departments have a specific role to play. For instance, the engineers and designers role is limited to giving a new shape to the heavy equipments and to install new features that makes things comfortable for the end user. Similarly, the role of a welder is also significant in a heavy equipment company. He is the one who gives the ultimate shape to the designs made by the designers and engineers and therefore welders are in huge demand all across the heavy equipment industry. They are not only employed with fat packages by the heavy equipment companies but also by some construction companies that have variety of machines under their fleet and which needs repairs and maintenance on regular basis. The role of a welder can’t be ignored as he is an equally important person as any other person in the overall sector.

Welding is ideally done when you need to join 2 sheets of metal into one. You weld them and stick them together without using any sort of glue. Now heavy equipment are manufactured by welding different pieces of metal and combining it into one complete machine. So if anything goes wrong, the entire product becomes a waste. The welders have to carefully join pieces so that they can give it a proper shape. Welders are also quite useful in a construction or demolition site. When it is about demolishing a solid structure, there are high chances that the heavy equipment may crack and if it does then you will not be able to use the machine any further for the same work as long as it is not repaired.

For moments like these, construction companies always keep a welder handy. They know that any break down in the jobsite can cost them good deal of money and in order to avoid such breakdowns they either learn how to weld metals or keep a guy who knows to weld things always with them. Other than heavy equipment, a welder is always needed in a construction site to weld iron beams and stuff. But you may or may not be able to use them to weld a machine as they may or may not know to weld an attachment on heavy equipment. It is quite normal for a welder to not know to weld heavy equipment if he is not trained for it. He is perhaps trained to weld things other than heavy equipment and for construction machines you need highly skilled welders. So getting the job done from any welder is not a viable option.

Normally construction companies have their repairman who ideally takes care of the entire fleet of heavy equipment. These guys are also trained welders and if there is a need to add a loader or a bucket or for that matter any other attachment, they are completely compatible for the job. They are trained in renowned institutes and can be completely relied on for these kinds of job.

New Caterpillar Scrapers

Scrapers are one of the most important heavy equipment in the construction business and it plays a significant role a far as the business is concerned. Many construction companies who are indulging in big projects want to use new scrapers that are technologically advanced and have the potential of doing the work at a lesser duration than the conventional ones. It is one of the finest machinery when it comes to earth moving equipment as it can carry huge volume of dirt at a time and move it from one place to other. Articulated trucks can also be used to carry dirt but they are not accessible in every terrain and therefore the need of scrapers arises. They can carry the dirt from one point and load it on the truck that is located in another point from where it can be transported to the dumping ground.

Scrapers are of different variety and it is important to understand which variety of scraper is used for what work. Heavy equipment manufacturing companies do understand the different needs and want of the end user and they accordingly manufacture products keeping into consideration these needs. They first do a thorough study of the market and try to read the pulse of it. Once they are done with the study and an elaborated report they work that out with their engineers and bring out something that is meeting the consumer’s expectation. One such company that supersedes consumer’s expectation is Caterpillar. They are into the tradition of surpassing consumer’s expectation and come up with machines that has distinct features from the rest of the products available in the market.

When we talk about surpassing consumer’s expectation, it is not about the consumers of US but they do it consumers throughout the globe and this is why they are considered to be the market leader when it comes to manufacturing A-class machines. It has recently introduced 631G scraper and we will be speaking a bit about its specifications.

Starting straight away with the power of this machine, the gross power of 631G scraper is 515 hp and net power is 490 hp with a displacement of 1099 cu in. Looking into the operational side of the machine, the total fuel capacity of the machine is 215 gallons. The cooling system fluid capacity, engine oil fluid capacity, transmission fluid capacity, differential fluid capacity and hydraulic system fluid capacity is 32 gallons, 11.7 gallons, 33 gallons, 36 gallons and 50.2 gallons respectively. The operating voltage of the machine is same like all other scraper which is 24 V and the alternator supplied amperage is 75 amps.

It is installed with 8 speed automatic Power shift with electronic control device. The total number of forward and reverse gears is 8 and 1 respectively and the maximum forward and reverse speed is 33.2 mph and 6.2 mph respectively. The total operating weight of the machine while being empty is 46475 kg and when it is loaded, it is around 80495 kg.

The 631G scraper falls slightly into the expensive side but certainly within the reach of most construction companies. One can also get loan on this machine. So it should be within the budget.

Caterpillar D8 Dozer

It has been witnessed that construction companies have found Dozers as a very good alternative of excavators to do low grade excavating. By grade excavating, it suggests digging not too deep inside the ground. It can’t just fully replace an excavator which has the potential to go deep inside the ground and pull all the dirt out. However, when one has his excavator occupied on some other project and is left with just a dozer, he can make full use of it. Other than that, a dozer is widely used for flattening the surface of the land which is its primary function.

A flat surface is very important before you take your work any further. You can’t ask your men to begin their work on rugged uneven piece of land. You first have to ensure that the land is flattened and brought to a level where others can find it convenient to walk with their tools or else there will be an alarming rate of accidents happening which will lead to working not read to work any further. In a situation like this, it is pretty imperative that you first make use of a dozer and roll it all over the ground to make it ready to walk. This also reminds of the fact about how intensively dozers are used to construct roads. You perhaps do not make use of any other heavy equipment other than dozers. Its heavy roll has the capability to flatten the hardest rock lying on the ground. CAT D8 is one such dozer that has made its reputation as the most incredible piece of machine made by Caterpillar.

It has been fitted with an unbelievable strong engine and has a net power of 120 hp with a displacement of 644.8 cu in. The total number of gears installed in this machine is 3 and the maximum forward and reverse speed that it can take is 8.4 mph and 9.6 mph respectively. The operating weight of the machine including the driver and the fuel tank is around 26,256 lbs. The total fuel capacity of the D8 dozer is 72 gallons. This is many times better than the several dozers made by CAT’s competitors. Moreover, the engineers while making this model have taken immense care to make the cabin as comfortable as it can be. They understand how important it is to make the operator feel comfortable and therefore have ensured that all the levers are set in a zone from where he can easily reach out to them.

CAT claims that it consumes less fuel and is highly productive. People who use CAT machines have also agreed to this claim and they say that they have been able to save good deal of money on fuel. They also expect CAT to manufacture more machines that work on these lines. The D8 dozer is easily available and can be bought directly from the manufacturer or by contact the dealer of your state. Other option is to buy them online. All seems to be quite convenient options.

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Applying solid techniques can make selling of heavy equipment an easier job

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Many people have found selling to be the most difficult work and they usually give it up in just few days from taking a job that involves them to sell the products. They somehow do not find it convenient and remain unhappy with their job. It is only during the time when they are able to make a sale that they get a bit charged up but most of the time they are haunted with the thought of quitting the job and taking something else in its place. Truly, selling is not everybody’s cup of tea. Though it is a requirement that all should be comfortable doing with but the fact is that only a handful of men and women are good in sales and the rest takes up some other job.

Well, life becomes more difficult when one is linked to selling heavy equipment. Selling heavy equipment not only requires good skill but one should adopt some solid techniques to ensure that he converts the possibility of a sale into a definite one. So just mastering the skill to sell might not be enough when it comes to selling heavy equipment but one has to move an extra mile and also learn the “solid techniques”.

Let’s talk in brief about the techniques one can use while selling heavy equipment.

Keep your presentations simple and use more pictures and diagrams:-

If you feel that you have a great job by preparing a presentation that includes jargons which is understood by people from the construction industry then you will be surprised to know that your work has higher chances of backfiring. Please understand everybody likes to understand things in a simpler way. If you make it look complex you have simply lost it. Try and show your work with the help of diagrams and pictures which will relate easily with what you want to explain. Speak only to the point. You need not explain every detail as they may not be interested to know every small thing. So focus on what the users want and it will be transformed into a closed deal.

Make use of social media to reach out to a good chunk of people:-

This is an important technique and a must use when you are into selling of heavy equipment. People should know about you. You can’t knock the door of every construction company checking if they are in need of any heavy equipment. What best you can do is create a business profile in a popular social networking website and add people who are connected to this industry. This will work big time for you and you will see people talking you whenever they see a need to buy a machine.

Keep posting pictures of any new arrivals on your company’s website:-

People are usually attracted to know if there are any new arrivals in the market. You can update pictures of machines that have been just launched by the company and also state on your website the offers/discounts that you can offer. This will let others come to you to buy the machines.

 

 

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Renting a track loader

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Renting business has gained a lot of momentum in the last few years and this has led to many people taking advantage of this opportunity and letting out their heavy equipment to people who need them for their business. So if you have any heavy equipment that is being unused and you want to get rid of it, rather than doing it away completely, the better option is to rent it out. By renting it to a person, you not only earn recurring rental income but can also sell the equipment at a better price in the future. All you got to do is refurbish the machine and put it on sale. Heavy equipment that can be quickly rented are basically multifunctional. For instance, a track loader is one such heavy equipment that is viable to do every kind of construction activity which is out of its genre. It may not be the perfect tool and one would prefer to use a machine that is especially designed for a particular work but to buy different equipment for every other work is definitely not practical and also not monetarily feasible for any big construction company.

So a track loader can be called the blue eyed candy and the most preferred amongst all heavy equipment. So renting a track loader will never be an issue. You will for sure get many people who will be willing to use the machine by paying you the amount you demand. Just make sure that you do not keep the price so high that people will find it difficult to take. Since it will not produce better results than heavy equipment that is specifically designed to for a particular genre of work, you should quote an amount that people will become ready to pay.

You can advertise your wish to let out the machine on an online portal or can check with few of your pals who are connected with this industry if at all they know anybody who is looking for a track loader. It may not be a one day process as it takes time to get the right person for the machine. You got to be sure that the person will use the machine with care and there will not be any major wear and tear on it. This is perhaps the most critical part in the entire process of renting heavy equipment. Finding the right guy for your heavy equipment is important.

The other important aspect is if the taker will be ready to pay the rental price of the loader. You may quote an amount but it is very likely that the prospective taker will negotiate on it and will try to bring the price down. So you should be ready for negotiations as well and therefore should always quote the price on the higher side. Presently owners of heavy equipment are finding online portals as the most convenient tool to list their machines. You should supposedly not have any issues in renting a track loader on any online portal.

Cost cutting measure is important in construction business

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Every industry has its share of good and bad days. So when they are enjoying their good days it is crucial that they keep enough reserves for any possible decline in their business and when they encounter any fall then they should be quick to adopt cost cutting measure. It is been widely observed that companies take time to adopt cost cutting measures due to which they get themselves into deeper mess and eventually some has to wind up their businesses.

Cost cutting measures do not primarily involve sacking employees though that is considered as one of the measures but that should be the last option. By sacking employees, you will be losing resources that have been with your company for many years and who know the business well. When the tide will turn, you again have to recruit new guys and train them. You may not get back the same human resources that you had sacked once. So keep that as your last option.

Bring down unnecessary expenses:-

You got to track down the overall operating and non-operating expenses in your company and have to cut down the costs that you feel is completely unnecessary. If you check your records, you will come across a lot of such expenses that should not have been done in the first place. Since you never bother to check the records, it must have occurred but this is what you need to curtail. You need to cut down all the expenses that are either not needed or not much needed by the company. Only spend the money on important things and things that are absolutely necessary for the smooth running of the business.

Rent out or sell heavy equipment that are redundant for your business:-

If you take a day’s time and check which all heavy equipment are indeed functioning, you may be surprised to know that out of the entire lot of heavy equipment you possess, you use only half the machines for your projects. Rest of the machines are not working but you still spend a good deal of money on maintaining them. That is again costing your business. Hence, it is important that you take stock of the heavy equipment that are not in use and may remain out of use of many more months so that they can be rented out to guys who need them. In case, if the machines have gone redundant, then it is advisable that you get rid of them. In this way, you will make some money for your business.

Sack employees if you really have to:-

Well, this should be the last option in your kitty. You can do this only if you feel that this is the only step you have to save your company from getting wrapped up. However, you have to take immense care before you lay off your employees. It is important that you remove people who are not good workers and often have been a pain to the company. Check their performance sheet and then take a calculated decision. Remember, once you lose them there are not much chance to get them back.

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Construction sector is a booming one for small time contractors

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Construction industry is one of those industries that is known for making not so rich people ultra-rich. It is just that they need to know how to work in this industry keeping your discipline intact. If you are a person who is disciplined and also focused to your work, you can yield good results and the industry will always reward you for your hard work. Other than being focused, there are few more things that are quite essential when it comes to making it big in the construction sector. Particularly for small time contractors who are striving hard to make it big, they need to follow some very basic and simple rules that can help them a long way in achieving what they have desired from this sector.

Maintain a good rapport with your competitors:-

This industry is full of competition where every other guy is ready to take away your business if you hold things loosely. It becomes very difficult to maintain good relation with your competitors but you still have to do so. You never know when one of your competitor with whom you have a good relation may come with an offer for you that can give a new dimension to your business. Having a strenuous relationship never helps anywhere and especially in a sector like this, you got to be very careful before you speak anything that may deteriorate your bonding with the next person.

Knowing the industry well:-

It is often said that you should do something that you know you can do well. This is very much applicable for the construction sector. Just because this industry can reward you lot more than any other industry can does not mean that you should just jump into it without giving a second thought. If you do not much about the construction business, it is advisable that you stay out of it or get into it only after you have learned the trick of the trade. Entering the industry before that can only make things messy for you.

Have a mentor to guide you:-

It is very important to find someone who can guide you all the way through. It is never easy to be in such a dynamic industry without getting proper guidance from an expert mind. Having a mentor who can walk you through the difficult phases in your business is really worthy. You may not be able to evaluate how much your mentor’s advice will save you from any sort of miseries. It is however difficult to find such a person but you have to keep trying. Ideally, one can find such a person during his initial days of struggle. It is only during that phase of his life that you get to meet good, bad and ugly guys. You then have to check on whom can you trust the most and once you have found the person, you can rely on him for any kind of advice.

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Heavy Equipment Recruiters

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Construction companies are always on the look of operators who are good in working with different kinds of heavy equipment. They do not experience finding fresh guys from institutions that teaches students to become competent operators However, they lack experience and this is why they also need people who are experienced in this profession. Someone who has worked for more than 5 years is good enough for the companies to hire them at a level above the juniors. The only problem they encounter is that they have no idea from where and how to get these experienced operators working for their company. This is where the concept of heavy equipment recruiters becomes instrumental. They are the ones who can act as a bridge and can get the operators looking for a job and the construction companies looking to hire operators at a same place so that both can meet each other’s needs.

 

Things that are required to become a heavy equipment recruiter may not be as simple as it appears to be. A person who wants to act as a bridge between the construction companies and heavy equipment operators should have ready information about who needs whom. If it is difficult for the construction company to find operators, it is also hard for the heavy equipment recruiters to do so. They follow few very basic rules that get them the lead and thus they can make the resource available to their clients.

 

Letting others know what they are into:-

Heavy equipment recruiters have to start with letting others know the type of business they are into. This will only help them to get clients who understand their business and will contact them to hire operators for them. This is perhaps the first most crucial step that they need to be taking and must ensure that they pervade the word about their work to every big and small construction company. Once the companies know them, they will place their requirement with them and they in turn will circulate an advertisement mentioning the requirement of the client. As per the requirement, eligible operators will either call them up will send them Resume to the recruiters. They can then call them up for an interview on a date when the representative of the construction company is also available so that he can take the interview of the candidate and if things go well, the company will get an operator.

Recruiting may not be a day’s affair:-

The role of the heavy equipment recruiters becomes essential when the recruitment process is not just a day’s affair. At times, it takes the entire week as the date of the construction company interviewing the candidate may not match as per the convenience of the candidate. It becomes the responsibility of the recruiters to call up the candidate and settle things well in advance. It should not happen that the construction company comes up to the venue for the interview and they end up with no candidates. That may not go well with the company and they may think of ending their relationship with the heavy equipment recruiters.

 

Hire experienced technicians to take care of heavy equipment

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One of the biggest hindrances that many construction companies encounter is the abrupt breaking down of the heavy equipment which ultimately leads to no business activity in that area for the next few days. It is quite evident that not every construction company can afford to deploy more than one heavy equipment in one location. They simply do not have enough heavy machinery to manage their business affairs on the jobsite and on top of that if they experience a break down with any of the machines that are currently in use, they suffer heavy loss for the number of days the machine remains inactive. Taking this into consideration, the way out of this mess is to ensure that you have someone to repair the machine whenever it breaks down.

The easy solution will be to hire technicians who will be a call away from the jobsite and can fix things instantly. If for some reason the machine needs any crucial part to be replaced then that should be done without any further delay which means immediately. Such should be the instruction coming from the higher management that as soon as there is a problem you have men to resolve it and this is how things will be in place.

Now when we talk about hiring technicians, it is prudent that one should hire experienced technicians who have worked earlier with most of the heavy machines that are normally used in a construction jobsite. The benefit in hiring such technicians will be that they will take less time to resolve the problem and also they will provide with highly effective solutions. This is perhaps something that we can’t expect from an inexperience technicians. They will relatively take more time to identify the issue whereas the experienced ones by then will be over and done with it. It will make life lot easy for the people directly involved in the business. An operator will be always at ease as he knows at the back of his mind that there is someone to help him if the machine goes bad. So he can work without any limitations.

So when we talk about hiring experienced guys does not mean that you only have a bunch of experienced men working for you. This may create a level of uneasiness amongst the technicians and in order to avoid this scenario, it is advisable that there should be a mixture of both experienced as well as inexperienced technicians. In this way, people who want to become good technician gets employment and you on the other hand can get a bit of cheap labor. Remember, experienced technicians charges good chunk of money as their compensation which most construction companies find difficult to give. Therefore, they are compelled to have a mixture of experienced and inexperienced men in their company so that they do not have to pay more for their services.

Alternatively, there is a high risk that the experienced guys may switch companies for better salary and benefits. So, having a mixture helps them to a larger extent.

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