Tag Archives: heavy equipment

Operators find it comfortable to work on technologically advanced excavators

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In order to speed up the work, you have to give your employees the latest equipment so that they are comfortable using them and can deliver in no time. You can’t use an age old machine and expect your men to complete the work in a stipulated time frame. They just will not be able to do that even if they want to. Same goes in the case of excavators. You can’t expect the operators to excavate a huge portion of land in just few days by giving them an excavator that is perhaps decade old. There is a possibility that the operator may not know its functions properly and might take time to get his hands on the machine or may just not want to work on it. So when you are looking to get a work done in a designated time frame you also need to ensure that you give your operators the equipment that they are comfortable working with.

Heavy equipment manufacturing companies have sensed the pulse of the operators and have therefore manufactured various types of machines that are technologically advanced. These types of machines mostly have automated functions which eases the work of the operator and at the same time lessens the chance of any accidents happening on the jobsite. Now we have several types of excavators in the mining and construction industry such as dragline excavators, bucket wheel excavators which might have existed for decades but the changes that are brought in is from within. For instance, the engine of the machine has been made better. The levers in the machine have been lessened and with the help of just few levers, the operator can handle most of the work.

It seems that there are no major changes made in the concept of the excavator it is just that the changes are made in the interiors which make things convenient for the end user. When heavy equipment companies manufacture excavators, they have to take into consideration a lot of factors. Factors such as if they are manufacturing the excavators for construction industry or for mining industry because the make of the machine will be different for different industries. The requirement of a mining industry will be obviously different from the construction one. They might want some additional features which is not required in the construction sector or can ask for adding few attachments in the existing excavator.

Ideally, many heavy equipment companies conduct surveys to understand the need of the operators. What they want to be added and how they want it to work. If there are any deficiencies in the existing model, how can they bring some improvement? They manage to take the survey from different companies across many states and then on the basis of the wants of the operators, they try to bring it new features. It is evident that the engineers have a tough time to get most of the features in but they still manage to do so. They eventually understand that in today’s time in order to exist in the industry they have to make as per the needs of the operators.

Pitch heavy equipment that go by customer’s needs

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People who are into selling often complain of targets that they find to be unachievable. Many find it hard to even go close to the target assigned to them and there are hardly few who are able to make it for the month. In the race to achieve given targets, salesman often commits the mistake of miss-selling items to the buyer. They just not bothered about the needs of the client. What they are more interested is to achieve the targets and get good commission out of it. In this process they are losing one big thing and it is the old customers and probably the chance of getting new ones too. Customers are smart enough to understand that you have not sold them the right product. They may not realize it at the point when you are selling it to them but will definitely get to know after some days. This is when you lose him.

In the construction industry, customer’s needs are very specific. You can’t try to fiddle with them because if you try to do so, you can get caught the next moment. Remember the guys to whom you have approached are there in the industry for the last many years and they have been dealing with different kinds of heavy equipment which you must have never heard about. So there is absolutely no point in talking something that does not make any sense to them or giving them with fake assurances. You got to be quite clear with your approach. If you have the item you say yes or else pitch some kind of an alternative that will go well with the equipment they require. But do not try to pitch a product that does not have any relevance to the requirement of the client. This will just not go well with him.

Do some research on the client’s business:-

Your client will appreciate your effort if you take some time out and try to understand his business. Every construction business is different from the other and so are their requirements. You got to first realize what they are dealing with and for that what kind of heavy equipment shall they need. Now this take some time and you do not get any money to do this research but remember that this very research will get you rich dividends as you may get all the orders of heavy equipment. The client will know you for the time you have given to understand the business and also have the confidence that you will not try to miss sell any heavy equipment.

Pitch the product that the client is looking for:-

Many a times, construction companies are not sure what heavy equipment should be used for a specific kind of work. They may have a number of options in their mind but could not figure out the correct one. This is where your expertise comes into play. After knowing his business needs, pitch a product that is very close to what he needs. That will generate the trust in the mind of the person and you can then expect to get many more orders from him.

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Know the intricacies of the construction business

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The construction business is one of the most popular and profitable businesses in the current scenario. People choose the real estate business for investments and also everyone desires to have a property of his or her own. Hence, if you too are looking for a business that will fetch you great profits within a very short span, the construction business is the right one for you.

But, before you start the construction business, it is a must that you know about the intricacies of the construction business. With proper details, you will be able to establish your business fast and will also be able to enjoy the profits soon.

  • Get the finances:

 

The first thing that you need to start or establish a business is finance. Without finances, you will never be able to start any business. However, the construction business is one of those businesses that require huge amount of start-up capital.

For that you need to chalk out a business plan that will help you to fetch bank loans. The plan must clearly state how many employees you are going to have, your target market and how you plan to achieve the target. The initial cost and the potential profit that you will earn from it must be clearly mentioned in the plan. If you do not know how to right a good business plan, hire a skilled professional, who knows how to write business plans for a construction business.

  • Tools and heavy construction equipment:

 

One of the very important intricate factors associated with construction business is the expense of tools, heavy construction equipment and machineries. If you can afford, you can buy them. You will certainly get the brand new equipment as well as the old equipment. There are many dealers, who deal in the new and old construction equipment and will easily find one for you. You can also rent the equipment, tools and machineries for your projects initially, if you do not want to engage a lump sum amount of money in buying them.

  • Setup the business office:

 

The construction business demands a physical office, where all the employees, the clients and the customers can come in to deal. You must also keep in mind that along with the office building, you need a parking space for the construction equipment, machineries and tools.

  • Licensed and insured:

 

If you want to be fair and gain acknowledgement within a short span of time, having your business licensed and insured is a must. This will give the customers the assurance and guarantee that your company is there to stay. Certainly this will have an impact on the prices of your projects, increasing the profit margin.

  • Safety plans for the employees:

 

Since the construction business works onsite and there are numerous workers, who will be working on the many construction projects, their safety plans and occupational health plans is your responsibility. You must offer them to the employees, so that they are happy working with you and do not bring your business to a standstill under any circumstances.

 

Operators should learn to fix heavy equipment

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Breaking down of heavy equipment in midst of loads of work is nothing less than a nightmare for the construction company. This is perhaps the last thing that they will ever want to happen in their business. Heavy equipment not working due to technical glitch and unavailability of a competent mechanic is a big problem that one can imagine. Dependency on others especially mechanics have proved to be pretty expensive for many construction companies and for which time and again they had to pay a heavy price for it. Therefore one should learn for the mistakes and never let it happen again.

Since the onus of the well-being of the heavy equipment lies mainly on the operator, it is therefore the operator should also take the onus to learn how to fix machines. Many small construction companies who can’t afford to hire a team of mechanics hire operators who have fair deal of knowledge to fix heavy equipment. It makes more sense to pay more to operators with good knowledge of heavy equipment than paying to mechanics who charges a bomb from the companies.

Make use of user manual to learn repairing techniques:-

When there is a minor glitch in the heavy equipment, there is no point to call a mechanic. The operator if he knows how to fix minor glitches can prove to quite a resource to the company. In case, he does not know to fix glitches he can take help from the user manual and understand the basics of the machine first. As a matter of fact, he has to use the user manual to check the various functions and how to use them properly. He can’t experiment as long as he is not aware of the different functions of the machine and therefore his first book of reference will be the user manual. He will also get to learn few basic tricks to repair the machine if there appears to be a minor technical glitch somewhere down in the engine or any other part of the machine. He will find it to be extremely helpful and can manage things on his own rather than having dependency on a mechanic to sort such a simple problem.

Blogs can be helpful:-

Ideally most of the operators are attached to some or the other blog that talks about heavy equipment. Now if they experience any issue with their machine which they are unable to sort, they can simply put forth the issue on the blog and check for people’s responses. One can expect some marvelous workarounds to the issue and applying them can really work for you. So make use of blogs in times when heavy equipment has ceased to work and get some solution from there.

Videos on internet can be a quick solution:-

Watching videos that shows how to fix a problem can prove to be really helpful. There you will watch the guy actually fixing the machine and you will have a better idea to solve your problem. Moreover you do not have to wait for anybody’s reply on solving the issue. You can get a quick solution in no time.

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Heavy equipment required for road construction

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In the current scenario or era, where communication and connectivity is the key element for the globe to stay in touch with every corner of the world, roads play a very important role in this purpose. With increasing population, the need for construction of new roads is also increasing day by day. Hence, to meet with the requirement, heavy construction equipment for the construction of roads is also increasing every day.

Technological advancements have given birth to different kinds of machines, tools and engines as well as heavy construction equipment. They all serve different purposes and are used during different needs. Hence, depending on the type of construction that you are catering to, you need to choose the type of heavy construction equipment. Here is a list of all the most important ones that you might require during the construction of the road.

  • Crawler and Excavator:

 

Before the construction task is started, the area needs to be excavated and the load of dump needs to be removed and the loader and excavator help in this task. It can dig the earth and remove the rocks and earth from the area. These usually have a bucket, a boom and a cab. They can have either tracks or wheels, depending on the requirement and surface that it needs to work on.

  • Motor Grader:

 

The first step of road construction is creating a flat surface, suitable for the spreading of asphalt. To create that surface, you need a motor grader. The usual structure of the motor grader has –

  • Two rear axles at the back
  • The cab and engine located above
  • One axle in the front of the vehicle
  • A long blade in between the front and rear axles.

The motor graders are also commonly known as a maintainer.

  • Chip Spreader:

 

Once the surface is prepared, the chip spreader spreads the bitumen or asphalt on the surface. They come in different shapes and sizes. The asphalt that is mixed in a permanent or temporary asphalt plant is spread by the chip spreader.

  • Road Roller:

 

As the chips, bitumen or asphalt is spread on the surface, the road roller presses it down into the place. There are different types of road rollers like –

  • Double drum asphalt rollers
  • Rubber tire rollers
  • A combination of both
  • Pneumatic tired rollers.

As the material that needs to be rolled or compacted in case of a road construction is either of asphalt, gravel, concrete or soil vibratory steel drum rollers or padded drum compactors are used for this task.

These are some of the very basics of the heavy construction equipment that are required for the construction of roads. The type of road that needs to be constructed, the type of surface, the area and the engineering plan would decide the types of equipment or machinery that would be required. Along with the heavy equipment, there is always the requirement of various tools, drills and mixing machines, without which the construction of the roads would never be possible.

 

Blog are helpful to pick the heavy equipment of your choice

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We often get advices for free but expert advice comes with a price and moreover if the advice that you need is about heavy equipment. No wonder it is a complex subject and many heads have a lot of things to say about it but rather than getting confused hearing all those voices, you should take them and make necessary analysis. The analysis that you make will eventually be useful for you to take a call on taking the right decision and to pick the right heavy equipment. Now the question is do you have to make a blog to ask a question or can do it in someone else’s. It can be either ways. You have the liberty to create your own blog and put questions there but the chance of someone answering will be seldom. It depends upon who visits your site and checks out your questions. You may get a lot of response if the question is a common one and people know how to deal with it or may even end up getting hardly any.

Now moving to the blog that has been created by an expert. These blogs are visited often by people who have keen interest on heavy equipment and subjects related to construction. They may not necessarily have a question to ask but want to gain some information by reading some out of the box questions. You get to see a lot of thoughts out there. People come out with some real good answers that have not been contemplated by the best of the minds in the industry. Blogs are in fact a wonderful place where people come and share their excellent ideas on any given topic. So a complex subject like heavy equipments may look simple when you have people explaining it to you in the simplest manner.

Many have found blogs as a problem solving tool. People do not want to call a mechanic to fix small issues as they will charge him a bomb and therefore try their level best to fix up things. Now they put their issue on the blog of an expert and wait for the responses. Accordingly he tries out things and let others know if it worked. Just in case, if it fails to work and some other issue crops up, he can post that too on the blog and can expect some workaround.

Who uses blogs to put their issues? Are they only used by guys who are amateurs or even by veterans? Blogs are used by all those who know a bit about the topic and wants to contribute by sharing their views on the given topic. Well nobody is paid for giving the right answers though. You are only helping people and enhancing your knowledge by knowing if your suggestion worked. Alternatively, you also get to learn things that were never known to you. People at times can also give some business tips but that is very rare to happen. However it is still a possibility.

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How to diagnose fault codes on heavy equipment

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Knowing the nature of work heavy equipment are bound to have issues which can even result in loss of work. Therefore it is so critical to ensure that the heavy equipment are in good shape. Machines do give some hints letting the operator know that there is some issue that is getting generated in it and it should be taken care of at the earliest. These hints are known as fault codes or diagnostic codes. The purpose of the code is to inform the owner of the machine or the person who works on it about a specific problem that will crop up in the future. It then becomes the responsibility of the operator to understand the codes and what it is pertaining to. Different types of problems are relayed through different types of codes and one must know how to read them. Once you are able to read the codes and understand what it is trying to say you will save a lot on the operating cost of the machine.

One can read the codes through the OEM’s telematics platform. This is a highly useful platform that one can make use of and prevent their machines from any breakdowns happening in the future. Since the OEM’s send early notifications action needs to be taken in the right direction. For instance, if the OEM sends fault codes for over speeding the engine, one must realize that he is probably driving too fast on a steep path. The person should understand the code and bring a change in his way of driving the machine. He should be more careful while driving on steep paths as the machine has already thrown faulty codes pertaining to that subject. It also means that there are chances that the machine may develop complications if the driver does not stop driving fast on steep roads.

If you are a person who does not understand much about faulty codes then the best option would be to gather the codes and take it to the equipment dealer. The maintenance manager will go through the codes and will advise you on the future course of action. They are the guys who deal with the faulty codes every now and then and therefore it makes more sense to you to approach them with the faulty codes and ask them to set up some plan and advise you on the type of action/care you should be taking to keep the machine in order.

The owner of the heavy equipment can send the fault codes wirelessly and can alert the technician of the ground situation. If the technician sees codes that suggest him to change a particular part of the machine then he can inform the owner accordingly and likewise a decision can be taken. The owner will in no way want to reduce the productivity of the day and will therefore not take any chances. The fault codes help in a big way to increase the overall life and also augment the productivity of the machine.

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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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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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Ensure that you pay the monthly dues of your heavy equipment

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Buying heavy equipment by paying hard cash has now become almost obsolete. No one wants to invest all their reserves into buying heavy equipment and keep their money locked there. They know that by paying hard cash to buy heavy equipment, they will not be able to meet other financial obligations which would be perhaps more important than anything else. Therefore there is no point in keeping the money tied where you have options to take loans from financial institutions to buy construction machines and pay them every month. Contractors big or small have now made this as a mandate of their business. They do not invest their reserves into buying heavy machinery and rely on financial institutions to lend them money to buy machines. This is the reason why almost every contractor as well as owners of construction companies tries to keep their credit rating healthy. This will enable them to get loans without any hassles.

Not paying your dues can lead to repo:-

If you think that non-payment of the monthly dues can only affect your credit score, then you will be rather alarmed to know that the banks have the authority to claim the machine back citing the reason as non-payment of monthly dues. Though they do not take such stringent actions immediately and allow the borrower to arrange for funds. Normally, borrower who has the intention to clear the debts but for some reason is unable to pay the due for a particular month can inform the bank well in advance. This results in increasing the chance for the bank to waive off any late payment fees. The borrower will have to pay the interest of the due but that is still manageable. However, for borrower who just does not want to pay the dues, the banks do not have any option other than to repo the heavy equipment.

One fine morning your machine is gone:-

Your bank might send you several notices to pay the due but if you ignore them and do not communicate with the bank, the bank will contact the repossession team who will just come to your construction site or the place where you have the machine and will tow it away. The repo team may or may not inform you about their arrival. Generally, they do not inform the borrower about their arrival and they will slyly tow the machine and bring it in their possession. You can’t complain the policy as the bank has first lien on the machine and since you have failed to pay installments for months they have every right to repo your machine. Therefore, it is recommended that you allocate some funds out of your business to pay your monthly dues rather than facing the music.

Business will suffer:-

Once the heavy equipment is taken by the bank and you do not have machine to work, your business will suffer severely. Construction companies never take this risk. It only makes matter worse for them.

 

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