Maximum uptime is the goal of every construction crew. You won’t get paid for sitting around, and you won’t have flexibility in your budget to win the next contract. More operating time also gives you the option to hire a bigger or more experienced team, take on more work and earn more profit.

Ways To Reduce Downtime

If you’re looking for ways to avoid downtime and make the most of your uptime, these seven strategies can help:

1. Keep your equipment uptime-worthy

Pilots check their machines before every flight. While you may not be worried about dropping out of the sky, failure to prioritize your machinery could easily send your business down in flames.

Construction equipment isn’t cheap, and you won’t pay it off if it’s not moving. Some things are out of your control – such as an unexpected hydraulics repair – but if you neglect regular equipment maintenance, there’s no one to blame but yourself.

Depending on your machines and how you use them, you’ll need to keep up with equipment maintenance daily and weekly.

Regular wear and tear can also turn into an uptime killer if you’re careless. However, more serious problems can be corrected easily if you catch them before they sideline your equipment. Don’t forget to regularly check for the early signs of more expensive equipment maintenance or repairs:

• Hairline cracks on the frame and along welds
• Track, tread and tire wear
• Small pits, star-breaks and cracks in windshields
• Bucket wear
• Digging tooth and bucket pins

Train your team to take your equipment seriously. Whenever possible, do your equipment maintenance on-site, rather than in the shop. If necessary, create a maintenance plan and service checklists for your foremen to sign off on to prove that machine health is a priority.

2. Let your dealers manage your equipment maintenance

If you’re like most business owners, focusing on daily tasks often pulls your attention away from running your company. And auditioning independent mechanics and services takes time and can lead to costly repairs if you’re given cheap oil filters, air filters or other important parts.

We can easily keep track of your fleets’ regular maintenance and provide a long list of optional services to keep your uptime as profitable as possible. Choosing your dealer’s service plan ensures that you’ll get trusted Cat^® filters and parts. Your dealers know every nut and bolt on your equipment — more importantly, they want your return business.

Your various dealers may not be the cheapest option, but they’ll stand behind their work, making corrections easier and cheaper. When your equipment gets older and engine service and repair is more expensive than a new machine, your dealers will have options readily available. Remember to look into trades and used equipment when it’s time to replace your fleet.

Keeping the relationship with your dealers in place will make it easier to borrow loaner equipment while yours is in the shop — or to try out new machines when you’re in a tight spot.

3. Allow easy team communication

If a problem arises with a vendor or subcontractor, how quickly will your employees contact your foremen and site managers? How soon will you know about it?

Without a clear and simple flow of information, even your uptime can start to feel like downtime. Material shortages, quarry delays and machine repair can take twice as long to correct when nobody can reach the person with the solution.

Have a communication plan in place. The people at the bottom of your organizational chart will usually be the first reporters of issues that can lead to downtime. Make sure they know who their primary and secondary contacts are. Small hang-ups, such as an occasional hydraulics repair or clogged air filters, won’t sideline your crew if the right people know about it as soon as it happens.

Let your on-site team see ahead to when future jobs will be released. Give them some access to information that will affect their work schedules down the road, so you don’t end up on the hook for unexpected overtime pay.

Communication gear is also getting more job-friendly. Invest in sturdy tablets or phones that can pull up site plans and vendor emails on the spot, so your people spend less time in the swivel chair and more time on-site. Look for equipment cases that resist water and dirt, or cases that can be used with gloves.

4. Be the team physician, not the hospital

Hospitals are always reacting to problems and setbacks. They don’t see the emergency until someone arrives with a problem. But sports teams keep physicians on staff to monitor their athletes during regular training. Team physicians know all of the weaknesses and stress points they’re responsible for, and they prevent injuries before they occur.

Your construction team has stress points. It’s up to you to spot the weaknesses in personnel, equipment, vendors and clients before you run into problems that can ground your team. Being aware of potential setbacks can help you work towards maximum uptime.

5. Plan for emergencies

Emergencies come in all shapes and sizes. Many small companies are one bad day away from shutting down forever. From storm damage to injury and death, you can’t plan for the catastrophic, but you can be ready for it when it happens to your team.

When team members are hurt or killed, uptime isn’t your main concern. Prepare in advance to provide counseling and HR flexibility to your team and their families when they need them most. Your men and women should also know who to contact during emergencies, and they should be familiar with your policies. Keep an updated resource available and require regular signoffs on it.

Some emergencies don’t require counseling, but they can still destroy your uptime. If a major project folds and you’re left with empty weeks on the schedule, do you have backup jobs to keep your team productive?

6. Make the most of your “normal” downtime

Most companies have built in normal downtime every night. It’s too dark to work and too expensive to pay three shifts, so your job sites are quiet and still for half the day.

Make the most of this time by running a skeleton crew after your regular team goes home. Do some research to find vendors and trade partners who keep odd hours. If you offer enough regular business, other companies will accommodate you.

It’s possible that the downtime you’re worried about is seasonal, not every night. If your company can work on roofs, paving, digging or other outdoor jobs for part of the year, there are options to cut some of your loss:

• Explore equipment leases based on machine hours, not the calendar
• Look for out of state contracts during the slow months at home
• Knock out workforce training, certifications and office tasks

7. Maintain a motivated team

You can do everything else right, but it’s the boots on the ground that determine your success or failure. The best laid plans won’t stand a chance against disgruntled team members.

Take a look at your people. Do they require constant supervision? Will they take initiative while you’re off-site? Do you trust them with equipment maintenance, day-to-day decisions, and minor conflict resolutions, or do you need to micromanage them?

The more time you spend dealing with site issues that your team should be able to handle, the less time you can spend on strategic thinking. Think about what motivates your team. Are they satisfied with their positions, or are they daydreaming about their next job? Do they know how much their efforts contribute to your success? Invest some time learning how much encouragement matters to them, and how often they need it.

Maintaining healthy relationships with the people you manage is easier, cheaper and more satisfying than constantly firing and hiring. If you’re miserable to work with, you won’t keep it a secret and you won’t attract the talent you need to keep your sites running. Uptime doesn’t equal productivity if your team isn’t giving 100%.

Work Strategically to Increase Uptime

There’s a lot of competition out there, and no one gives handouts to companies that just try really hard. You’ve taken the time to build your team and your business, now put it to work as strategically as you can.

Eliminate your downtime, and spend your operational hours making money and winning new contracts — not wishing you’d been more prepared

Compared to the world’s population, a relatively small percentage of people get to witness the capability of Caterpillar machines, from their massive power to their delicate precision. That’s one reason Caterpillar recently launched its Built For It™ trial series.

Built For It Trial No. 1: The Stack Tower

For example, Built For It Trial No. 1, the Stack, resembles a large-scale version of the popular game people play on their coffee table with friends. Caterpillar held the stack challenge in a test facility in Edwards, Illinois, using 27 blocks that weighed 600 pounds each. Skilled operators proceeded to push, pull and pile a total of 8.1 tons of wood from a nine-level stack into a 15 level stack.

The challenge involved a combination of brute force and gentle touch to demonstrate the extreme controllability of Cat^® machines and their attachments:

Built For It Trial No. 4: The Sand Castle

Another impressive example is Built For It Trial No. 4, the world’s tallest Sand Castle, built in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and certified by the Guinness Book of World Records at 41 feet, 3.67 inches tall. The challenge demonstrates that Caterpillar brings not only the sheer power to dig and carry the sand but also the precision and accuracy to pile it high, compact it and sculpt its perfectly shaped features.

Big and small machines helped master the challenge.

Built For It Trial No. 5: The Lantern Festival

Built For It Trial No. 5, the Lantern Festival, demonstrates Caterpillar delivers power wherever it needs to go, including to the people of the Yuhu Village in China living at an altitude of 7,900 feet. Cat trucked one generator up the mountain to produce 252,000 watts of power and light 8,840 lanterns.

Roots of the Lantern Festival can be traced back 2,000 years. Very important to the Chinese people, it marks an end to the Spring Festival, commemorates the Chinese New Year, and symbolizes prosperity and good fortune.

This trial shows how Caterpillar “brings it” for a delightful purpose in the same way it has to address the bleak challenges of massive blackouts, power failure and backup electricity needed for all kinds of private and commercial situations.

You can check out Caterpillar’s other Built For It Trials here.

Displaying massive power and astounding capabilities is nothing new for Caterpillar. For over 85 years, Caterpillar has been building some of the world’s largest and coolest equipment and world wonders. Here is a look at some of Caterpillar’s top projects throughout history.

The Best Heavy Equipment Brand for Fighting Fires

Warren CAT delivered in early April 2015 a custom-built Cat CT-660 truck that enables New Mexico’s Quay County Fire Departments to battle blazes better and more efficiently than ever. The new Class 5 wild land fire truck allows unprecedented versatility to reach and quench wildfires in rural areas, plus offers the versatility to help firefighters do their job in urban settings, too.

Warren CAT spent 16 months building the custom truck and making sure it conforms to all the requirements listed in the National Fire Protection Association’s book of standards for wild land fire apparatus.

You have to buy the book to see all the NFPA’s specifications, but the National Wildfire Coordinating Group lists a few of the musts for such trucks:

1. At least a foot of ground clearance
2. Steep approach and departure angles of at least 20 degrees
3. Axle clearance of at least 8 inches
4. Ability to operate for extended periods at high temperatures
5. Safety capacity
6. Chassis and vehicle components
7. Carrying capacity for loaded weights
8. Electrical systems
9. Pumps and drains
10. Power train and instrumentation

Quay County’s newest vehicle is the third such fire truck Warren CAT has built, and the fire departments will strive to add a Cat all-wheel drive fire engine to the fleet in coming years to give it more off-road firefighting access to remote locations.

Making the Best Construction Equipment

There is practically no limit to the specialization Caterpillar can build into and onto a Cat CT-660 chassis for any vocation. Jaime Duenas of California Fuels and Lubricants says it’s one of the best trucks he’s driven in a long career.

CFL’s workers say the Cat trucks handle more like a new car, with superior steering on any grade and surface, even with the loads of fuel they haul that naturally move around during transport. CFL’s owner says he runs the trucks 10-12 hours a day, six days a week, and that Caterpillar has figured out how to make it easier for drivers to drive.

The CT-660 masters a multitude of vocational challenges with power, performance and features needed across many types of businesses, with these features:

• CT13 diesel engine with direct injection
• 365-475 horsepower
• 4.96-inch bore
• 6.54-inch stroke
• 49-inch height
• 1,000 rpm peak torque
• 6 forward speeds and one reverse
• 906-pound overall weight
• Four fuel-tank-capacity options available
• Three-axle options available

Using the Biggest Cat Dump Trucks for Recovery

Caterpillar power and innovative technology makes progress possible, and not just lately. For the past 88 years, Cat dozers, trucks, power solutions and many other types of equipment have done the hardest jobs in some of the harshest climates from the hottest to the coldest on Earth.

Cat machines operate now or have operated on all seven continents and in most major countries: Africa, America, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Holland, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, New Zealand, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey and Venezuela.

Caterpillar’s impressive history speaks for itself.

When the worst happens, those devastated by it have called on Cat equipment such as the biggest Cat dump trucks and the largest Cat dozers to help them recover from the most unbelievably destructive natural disasters and other events:

Hurricanes — Diane on the East Coast in 1955, Camille in Mississippi in 1969, Agnes on the East Coast in 1972, Hugo in South Carolina in 1989, Andrew in Florida in 1992, and Katrina/Rita/Wilma on the Gulf Coast in 2005.

Tsunamis — Caterpillar machines have helped with reconstruction following many tsunamis throughout history and continue to be a big part of the recovery efforts following the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean that devastated the entire region.

Earthquakes — 1906 in San Francisco, 1936 in India, 1949 in Ecuador, 1959 in Montana, 1970 in Peru, and the earthquake that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.

 

Floods — 1950 in Canada; 1953 in the Netherlands; 1964 in California, Oregon and Washington; multiple years in the aftermath of hurricanes, tidal waves and tsunamis; 1993 along the Mississippi; and many flood-control projects in various watersheds.

Fire — Cat machines have helped fight flames ignited by many natural disasters around the world, and helped extinguish what is perhaps the longest, most infamous fire event after Coalition forces liberated Kuwait in 1991, when 750 oil wells were set on fire.

Bombing — Cat equipment helped clean up the devastating effects of the 1993 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

Using the Largest Cat Dozers for Construction

Major industry naturally turns to Cat heavy equipment for big and small jobs alike for general and heavy construction, agriculture, mining, government, paving, materials handling, landscaping and many others.

Caterpillar machines have been a part of some of the biggest, most ambitious construction projects in the world, including:

1. Highways (tens of thousands of miles)
2. Olympic Games
3. Air and rail travel
4. Dams, canals, waterways and aqueducts
5. Undersea and underground cables
6. Oil and natural gas pipelines
7. Electric lines and power generation
8. Massive excavation

Here are some examples of places where Cat machines have helped reconstruct cities and buildings:

World War I

Cat machines were sent overseas to England, France and Russia for agriculture from 1914-1918, and the governments put them to work assisting troops to haul equipment and weapons.

World War II

Caterpillar pitched in for the war effort from 1941-1945 to produce 51,000 track-type tractors by doubling its workforce and running factories seven days a week.

Apollo 11

NASA counted on Cat engines in 1969 to power communications between Houston and the worldwide tracking stations that enabled Apollo 11 to land safely on the moon and for people everywhere to hear astronaut Neil Armstrong’s famous words.

Pikes Peak

Caterpillar produced the first tractor to climb the famous mountain and reach its summit at 14,109 feet in 1919 and to operate at that altitude.

Hoover Dam

Cat machines helped excavate 3.7 million cubic yards of rock in the mid-1930s to make way for the astounding dam that is 1,244 long and 726 feet high.

Golden Gate Bridge

Caterpillar machines helped construct this engineering wonder that has become an American icon.

Operation Deep Freeze I, II and III

Engineers and researchers look to Cat equipment for assisting with projects in Antarctica that began in the 1950s and continue today.

Interstate Highway System

Cat equipment helped pave the way, literally, for the 42,800-mile U.S. highway system that allows motorists to drive east-west from coast to coast or north-south from lowest to highest tip.

More roadways

Caterpillar made other new routes available as it helped build the 1,600 miles of Alaskan Highway, sections of the Autobahn, the Pan-American Highway that links North and South America, and the superhighway through the Andes Mountains in Venezuela.

World Trade Center

Cat machines helped build the massive complex in the 1960s and 1970s, then played a huge role in recovery after terrorists bombed it in 2011.

Pipelines

Hundreds of Cat machines have helped build thousands of miles of pipeline that carry oil and natural gas; for example, the 2,600-mile line from Houston to New York; the 2,250-mile Trans-Canada line; the 989-mile line through the Great Lakes; the 800-mile line across Alaska; the 280-mile line through the Alpine Mountains; the 193-mile trans-Andean pipeline; and others.

Olympic Games

Caterpillar played important roles in preparing to host this oldest and biggest of world events during 1956 in Australia, during 1960 in California, from 1966-1968 in France, from 1971-1972 in Germany, during 1992 in Spain, during 1994 in Norway, during 2002 in Utah, from 2001-2004 in Greece, and from 2004-2008 in China.

Big Dig

Cat machines continue doing huge work in Boston’s enormous, ongoing project begun in 1993 and often called the most ambitious public works project in America.

It involves building 161 lane miles of the Central Artery, excavating 16 million cubic yards of dirt, pouring 3.8 million cubic yards of concrete, reconfiguring massive underwater tunnels, constructing or expanding several bridges, creating 300 acres of new park land and relocating no less than 29 miles of utility infrastructure.

Hydro Electric Scheme

Caterpillar completed major tasks for this Australian project that took 25 years to complete and involved 16 dams, seven power stations and 140 miles of tunnels, pipeline and aqueducts.

Inga-Shaba

Cat machines made way for this 1,100-mile, extra-high-voltage transmission system that stretches across Zaire, Africa.

Chunnel

Europeans needed the best heavy equipment to create a 32-mile underwater rail tunnel between the coasts of England and France, which when finished shortened travel time to a small fraction of what it had been by ferry.

The Best Heavy Equipment Brand for Astounding Loads

While many types of Cat equipment help get the job done, the most massive, crazy-big machines continue to amaze those who see or hear about the jobs, as well those who use the equipment.

The most enormous Cat truck, the 797F Off-Highway Truck, brings a C175-20, single-block, 20-cylinder engine that carries huge capacity. Features include:

• 4,000 horsepower
• 1.38-million-pound operating weight
• 6.9-inch bore
• 8.7-inch stroke
• 40-degree steer angle
• 138-foot turning circle clearance diameter
• 400-ton nominal payload capacity
• 42 mph top speed loaded
• 1,000-gallon fuel tank
• 59/80R63 tires
• 20 brake discs in front (10 per side)
• 30 brake discs in back (15 per side)
• 2.58-foot loaded ground clearance
• 48.6-foot overall body length
• 23.58-foot wheelbase
• 6.58-foot dump clearance
• 51.5-foot raised height

As big as the 797F is, the service points sit grouped at ground level for easy access. Operators board it with wide, powered stairs, and the cab features ergonomic controls for excellent all-day comfort.

You can customize the truck to fit your application with a range of optional equipment:

• Cabin-air pre-cleaner
• Throttle lock
• Engine shutdown timer
• Body heat
• External digital payload display
• Coolant and oil heater for cold-weather starts
• Road-analysis control
• Extra and portable fire extinguishers
• Torque-converter guard
• Brake-wear indicator

Largest Cat Dozer Tackles Any Job

The D11T is the biggest of the track-type dozers and brings sheer power with sophisticated characteristics to tackle any job. The mammoth D11T even works by remote control if you’re in places too dangerous for a human operator, and its features dominate hard work. They include:

• 908 net horsepower
• 3,500 psi hydraulic power
• 3,500 psi hydraulic power
• 5.7-inch bore
• 6.4-inch stroke
• 229,848-pound operating weight
• Up to a 505-gallon fuel tank capacity
• 26.6 inches of ground clearance
• 175 inches of track on the ground
• Elevated final drives for protection from elements
• 7.2-mph speed

The selection of work tools for any wheeled or tracked dozer can help you pound, dig, rip, scoop, lift, grade or do just about any other task needed. The D11T blades have a high-capacity universal blade to carry large loads far. A semi-universal blade penetrates the most challenging of materials, and operators can adjust the blade-pitch angle with dual tilt. Caterpillar makes the bit ends and cutting edges for a long and productive life from its trademark DH-2 and DH-3 steel.

Rippers come in single- or multiple-shank options that can adjust to the depth you need using a single pin. Big, single-shank rippers are also available for the deepest depths, and the D11T has rear counterweights to give you superior balance (and safety) as you work.

All You Need in a Machine: Talk to a Sales Rep Today

From the most monstrous mission to the most delicate and sensitive tasks, it’s easy to confirm Caterpillar machines as the best. Contact Warren CAT to find out more about the equipment that will help you master whatever big or small challenges you may have.

Clean Up Your Act

Fuel system contamination can cause serious problems in any diesel engine. But today’s high-performance, low-emissions models are especially vulnerable to contaminants. Keeping your fuel supply clean is vital to ensuring your engine can provide optimal performance and the longest service life possible.

While diesel is inherently up to 35% more efficient than gasoline, it comes with a few distinct challenges. It tends to attract water, which can be a serious concern if it enters a fuel system. Since water contains oxygen, it serves as sustenance for microorganisms, allowing them to grow and thrive in your fuel tanks. This condition is commonly known as diesel bug. It results in sludge that can clog your fuel injectors and cause engine failure.

Even before a clog forms, contaminated fuel lowers a diesel engine’s efficiency. When diesel costs nearly 54% more than it did just a few years ago, this loss of efficiency translates to a significant impact on a company’s bottom line. That makes fuel contamination control a critical concern for any fleet manager.

Eight Ways to Control Fuel System Contamination

When you’re managing a construction fleet, pausing operations to replace fuel system components can cost you a lot in the form of lost revenue and productivity — on top of the repair expenses.

Fuel filters play a role in cleaning diesel before it reaches the engine. Taking additional, proactive measures at the mechanical, sourcing and operational levels will also contribute to maintaining a clean supply of diesel by keeping contamination to a minimum. Take these steps to control fuel contamination:

1. Know The Numbers

Diesel fuel filters are commonly rated for a minimum particle size of anywhere from four to 15 microns. Even a 5-micron particle can cause engine damage, so for maximum protection, select a filter that’s effective against an absolute rating of 4-micron and larger particles.

2. Don’t Be Misled By Ambiguous Filter Rating Systems

Focus on product features, structural integrity and consistency of quality. Do your research and choose a filter manufacturer with an established reputation. Components may cost a little more with this approach, but their contribution to your fuel contamination control efforts will pay off in terms of equipment efficiency and life expectancy.

3. Find Out About The Wear Index

A filter’s wear index is based on a correlation between the amount of physical damage observed on the injectors and the number of 6-, 10- and 14-micron particles present in the fuel. Determine if a lower-wear-index product is available to extend injector life, improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.

4. Invest In Premium Quality Filtration Products

Look for filters with high-efficiency media, excellent pleat stability and spacing, a minimum number of metallic components, exceptional sealing capabilities and overall structural integrity.

5. Buy Fuel From A Reliable Supplier

Fuel quality and cleanliness vary from one supplier to the next, so make sure you’re buying from someone you trust. Because diesel is hygroscopic, it’s impossible to keep it entirely free of water. However, the water naturally settles to the lowest point in a tank, so it’s relatively easy to remove. A good supplier will monitor and purge their tanks as needed to ensure their fuel is as pure as possible upon delivery.

6. Manage Fuel Storage and Transfer

You’ll need to drain water that accumulates in the bottom of your storage tanks as well. Additionally, to keep sediment, dirt and other contaminants out of your fuel supply, you should drain and flush all storage containers, including tanker trucks and stationary tanks, every six months at a minimum. You should also frequently verify that your tanks are in good repair and have no worn, broken or missing parts. If you don’t already have a tank gauging system in place to monitor fuel purity, you might consider installing one.

7. Involve Operators

Operators play a key role in reducing fuel system contamination. At the start of each shift, they should perform a quick visual inspection of the fuel system components and the fuel itself — diesel that appears hazy is likely contaminated. During the hotter times of the year, when the heat supports microbe growth, you might consider having your operators drain the water from the bottom of your machines every day to keep your diesel as clean as possible.

8. Train Technicians

Contaminants often invade an engine while it’s being serviced. Technicians should be taught to use proper maintenance and repair processes to minimize service-related contamination. Similarly, operators should follow manufacturer recommendations and any additional operational standards when accessing tanks or handling fuel system components.

Importance of Fuel Testing

Another important element of maintaining a clean diesel supply and a healthy fleet is regular fuel testing. Warren CAT provides S·O·S^℠ Fluid Analysis services to detect machine health indicators in fuel, hydraulics and other vital fluids. If you’re already following the above tips and want to evaluate the success of your fuel contamination control procedures, reach out to our team online or at 866-292-7736 to learn more.