It’s winter already and if you don’t have a winter equipment maintenance plan – you’re at the right place! We should all agree that thinking about making these equipment maintenance plans in almost all seasons require some serious motivation. Having said that, these maintenance plans can really go a long way when it comes to keeping the equipment in top shape. In this article, we will be giving you the basics of how to plan and prepare for the winters.
Why Winter Equipment Maintenance Plan?
Winters are amazing but when it falls below zero and comes to maintaining mechanical equipment – things aren’t so easy out there. In harsh winter environment, the winter equipment maintenance plan becomes extremely important for the smooth operation of your business and longevity of the equipment itself. The scheduling and planning of equipment maintenance don’t have to be too complex but yes, it definitely has to be thorough and consistent.
What’s Recommended?
The early maintenance plan should ideally be completed by the late summers. The checklist should be reviewed for every single equipment. This will help you identify parts that need immediate attention. The checklist will also help you prioritize things and keep the downtime to a minimum. Special equipment and supplies needed like truck safety kits for winter should also be checked before winter’s onset. Keep in mind that certain specialized parts may take longer to arrive due to high demand in winters.
Drivers/Operators Role
Drivers and operators deal with the equipment directly. They have more knowledge of what is needed like the repairs and replacement of parts, etc. This is the reason why some companies require the drivers to fill in the truck maintenance logs. Depending upon the environment and size of the company, this practice can have good or bad results. To keep it beneficial, the managers should not entirely rely on these logs, especially when a company has more than 100 pieces of equipment.
For smaller fleets, vehicle maintenance logs can be very productive. However, for large companies with lots of equipment, it is a good idea to consider fleet maintenance software. Keeping the records of maintenance, planning and scheduling manually doesn’t sound right in larger companies.
Fleet Maintenance Software
Just like any other software, fleet or equipment maintenance software can keep maintenance scheduling and planning (and tasks associated with them) more organized, with fewer chances of errors. There is a myth that these software are expensive and not really helpful for small companies. The reality is, fleet maintenance software are available at quite a reasonable price and offers features depending upon the size of your business.
Buying the software doesn’t always provide a one-stop solution for all your maintenance and scheduling needs. Ideally, the fleet maintenance should be carried out using the software as well as the manual techniques.
Conclusion
Last but not the least, no matter which method for equipment maintenance plan you choose – what really matters is the consistency, comprehensiveness, and ease of use.
If you don’t have any sort of winter maintenance plan, you should start preparing it now. A good starting point would be some manual notes and a fleet maintenance spreadsheet.
Got questions? Feel free to ask below!