The Tucker Paving team utilizes all sorts of heavy construction equipment in our day-to-day operations that include earthmoving, excavation, asphalt and concrete paving, hauling, and more. With thirty years of construction work under our belts, we’ve learned that things work well when you take care of them—it’s true for people and construction equipment alike! Taking care of your heavy machinery is a must if you’d like it to last for as long as possible. We’re happy to share the steps we take to prolong the lifespan of our heavy construction equipment.

Tips for Maintaining Heavy Construction Equipment

On average, heavy construction equipment lasts from 10 to 15 years. How long your equipment will last depends on a number of factors; luckily, many of those factors are within your control.

Follow these tips to help your heavy construction equipment last as long as it possibly can.

  1. Create an in-depth maintenance schedule. This schedule should start with daily checklists for operators to complete first thing before operating the equipment; this should include tasks like checking oil and fluid levels, tires and tracks, and lights and indicators. The schedule should wrap up with planned downtown maintenance. In between there should also be a way for operators to report issues, a lubrication schedule, and for more in-depth inspections to occur. Keeping a digital record of all the inspections, maintenance, and repair activities will help keep your heavy equipment in great condition.
  2. Keep the equipment clean. Heavy construction equipment will often come into contact with dirt, sand, mud, rocks, and more. All of these can cause wear and tear and can also clog ventilation and filters. Similarly, chemicals like salt, fertilizer, and more can lead to issues with rust and other corrosion. Make cleaning the equipment a priority as often as possible.
  3. Don’t overwork the equipment. Utilize manufacturer’s specifications to know what a piece of machinery can handle and then don’t push it over that limit. If the maximum travel speed for an excavator is 3.5 mph, then the machinery should never be driven at 4 mph; your workers should aim to keep the average travel speed much lower than the maximum.  
  4. Use the right equipment for the job. Don’t use a piece of equipment to complete a job for which it was not designed. Using a heavy machinery in ways it wasn’t designed for with increase wear and tear in odd places and will shorten the life of your machine.
  5. Train employees properly in heavy equipment use. Just like you train employees to use equipment and machinery safely, you also need to train them on how to use it in the proper manner to reduce wear and tear. 

Tucker Paving provides site construction services; our Earthwork services include site clearing, site grading, stabilized subgrade, base work, and underground utilities! We also have three decades in the asphalt and concrete paving industry. Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or fill out our contact form online, to let us help you with your next project!