When a job needs heavy equipment to get done, it is not always viable to purchase what is needed, especially if it is a short term job. It is far more cost-effective to use a plant hire company because to pay for itself it needs to be in use all the time. However, hiring does not come without certain risks that can cost your business money and time: see this safety guide on equipment safety. Here are 4 tips to mitigate those risks and ensure that the job goes according to plan with no delays.
- Research the hire company properly.
Naturally, you will look at their website, but it is also a good idea to put your ear to the ground and find out what other people in the industry are saying about them. When hiring equipment such as dozers, dump trucks, crushers and screeners, excavators, graders and rollers you can do without any break-downs. A hire company that has a good reputation means that they also have top class equipment that will not break down on the job – and that they offer affordable prices and fair contracts.
- Understand the job
Or talk to someone who does. That way you can be sure of choosing the kind of equipment that will do the job. This not only means the type of equipment, but the size and the accessories it comes with. A smaller machine than is really needed is more likely to break down and it will certainly take longer to accomplish the same amount of work as one that is more suited in size. But if the machine is larger than necessary the operating costs will be unnecessarily high. Understanding the project may also mean finding out soil type and geographic features of the location, depending on what kind of job it is.