Let's face it -
preventive maintenance might seem like an expensive distraction when your equipment is booked solid, and you're struggling to meet multiple deadlines. However, when the costs of downtime are factored in, the financial benefits of preventive maintenance are well established. This is especially true with equipment operating in cold regions, where the odds of failure and its consequences are amplified. So, whether it's bringing in equipment for scheduled maintenance, conducting safety checks, or ensuring that operators follow proper cold weather start-up procedures, it's essential to keep equipment maintenance and uptime management on the front burner.
Terry: Having equipment down for a couple of days is a big deal for our customers. It will cost a lot of money, and it will affect other aspects of the job site such as other machines, crews, scheduling delays, etc. There can also be time pressures. For example, if you're using an ice road, you might have limited days to get the job done and more of your equipment out.
Stephen: If a machine won't start and the nearest service location is 900 kilometres away, it might cost thousands of dollars to get there. And then you're in the middle of nowhere trying to get something heated, or oil changed when it doesn't want to flow. Whereas if you brought it into the shop, you could drain and change the oils, add fuel conditioner, and all that stuff at a fraction of the cost.
Safety Tip: Remember that the weather also affects your working environment. Deep frost can make digging very difficult and can put a lot of strain on the components of your machine. Wheels and tracks can also slip much more quickly on frozen or icy grounds causing damage to other equipment, structures, and people.