From Ben, SCMH Expert Tech and Experienced Parts &
Service Rep
Like an annual trip to your local
physician for a check-up, a well thought-out planned maintenance (PM) agreement
with a qualified and reputable service company can dramatically increase the
longevity of your equipment as well as significantly reduce your operating
costs.
Conversely, operating forklift equipment without planned
maintenance or allowing an inexperienced company manage your program, can
result in increased operating costs, downtime and reduced useful life of your
forklifts.
Through years of performing planned maintenance for hundreds of
companies on thousands of forklifts there are a few basic things we have felt
all our customers needed to know about planned maintenance and we want to share
those topics with you to help you understand planned maintenance more
thoroughly, or simply reaffirm the plan you already have in place.
1.
BEWARE OF THE “TEASER” PRICE
Particularly during times when budgets are strained, it is easy
to “take the bait” on low-priced introductory PM rates. Statistics show that it
takes a minimum of one hour to perform a proper PM on an IC or electric rider
unit and 30 minutes on a walkie. Ask for the stated hourly labor rate or your
prospective provider. If the math doesn’t pan out, something is going to suffer
and it’s usually the amount of care paid to your forklifts.
2.
ASK TO SEE A PM INSPECTION FORM
Ask to
see a PM inspection form of the company you are using. If one does not exist
then it is likely that your forklifts are not being inspected and maintained
properly. Have someone do an occasional random inspection to be sure grease is
getting where it’s supposed to, and inspections are being done properly.
Remember, you spent tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on these
assets and you not only want to get the most out of them in terms of useful
life, but your goal is to minimize maintenance costs. The only way to ensure
this is to have competent and thorough service technicians service your
forklift equipment. Anything less is most likely going to cost you far more in
the long-run. See what a PM inspection form looks like here:http://www.scmh.com/parts-services-services/
3.
WHAT ARE COMPLETION RATES?
Do you know how many of your forklifts are being serviced
according to the schedule laid out in the agreement? If you are entertaining a
new service provider asking for their completion rates is not only appropriate,
it’s essential. And if your prospective provider does not know their completion
rates, they are not keeping tabs on them, which likely means your forklifts are
not going to be serviced on time.
4.
ASK FOR REFERRALS.
You have a lot riding on your forklift fleet every day.
Productivity and employee safety are right at the top of the list. There’s no
better way to find out what kind of service to expect from your prospective
service provider than to ask their current customers. Get a short list of three
to four companies and give them a call.
5.
HOW PLANNED MAINTENANCE REDUCES COSTS
Like the
old Fram Oil Filter commercial (watch the TV ad here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij1yDpfZI8Q)
whose moniker was “you can pay me now, or you can pay me later”, ignoring small
costs now leads to bigger costs down the road. But what does that mean and what
causes this?
·
Keeping lines clean—Let’s
face it, our forklifts operate in less-than-optimal atmospheric conditions.
This leads to build-up in the filters that keep the air, oil and hydraulic
fluid clean. Sediments can wreak havoc on the internal working parts and result
in premature failure, thus increasing your costs over the life of your
equipment.
·
Tires—Tires that are worn
or damaged increase the resistance of that tire and leads to increased fuel
costs.
·
The squeaky wheel needs the grease—When a part breaks, a forklift is out of service and typically
results in more down time and decreased productivity. Keeping key points
properly lubricated reduces friction which reduces wear. This results in
smoother operation, improved performance and elongated part life. Combining all
these reduces your operating costs.
·
Worn parts—Replacing
worn parts before they fail saves in several ways. When parts fail it can often
lead to damage of or failure of other parts. Replacing what’s worn now improves
up-time and reduces the likelihood of the forklift needing to be taken to the
shop for more extensive repairs.
6.
OSHA RECOMMENDS IT—From a
safety standpoint, making sure that your forklifts are operating safely is
important. As part of OSHA’s regulation of forklifts 29CFR 1910 (read
regulation here:https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9828)
preventive or planned maintenance is recommended. Ignoring this recommendation
can be costly in an event of a workplace accident due to parts that give way,
or an operator that slips on or around the equipment due to lack of
maintenance. It’s not only the fines that can result, but the legal costs that
undoubtedly will be incurred if a company has not followed the recommendations
of OSHA.
7.
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL—Working
with a company that asks questions can optimize and reduce the cost of, your
planned maintenance program. If your forklifts operate under extreme conditions
(lifting heavy loads, in the heat, bad weather, cold storage, multi-shift etc.)
they will need increased attention. However if your forklifts are lighter duty
and are used less than a full shift, they will not need as frequent visits by
your service tech. Knowing how often your forklifts need to be serviced is a
product of experience. Be sure your service provider asks questions and
listens.
8.
YOUR OPERATOR’S RESPONSIBILITY—As required by OSHA, a daily inspection is required of each and
every forklift you operate. Click here to download your copy courtesy of SCMH
Rental Solutions: http://www.scmh.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Operator-Checklist.pdf.
This daily inspection extends beyond the typical lights, alarms, seat-belt,
brakes and accelerator that we frequently see. The required inspection elements
include belts and hoses, engine oil level, engine coolant, air filter and brake
reservoir to name a few.
9.
VISIT YOUR PROSPECTIVE SERVICE PROVIDER—You can learn a lot by visiting your prospective service
provider. How orderly is the parts department? Ask about their processes. Ask
to see how they track planned maintenance and meet the people that will be
responsible for managing your fleet’s planned maintenance program. Is the
facility clean? Are the grounds well kept? A sloppy and disorderly facility
usually means you can expect the same for your planned maintenance program.
10. WORKING
WITH A QUALIFIED SOURCE—Our
experience is that there are a few qualified resources in any given city that
can execute a proper planned maintenance program. You spend tens, sometimes
hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire these equipment, why not put it in
the hands of a company that understands them and has extensive experience with
them. You want someone that you know will be here for the long-haul, and can
stand behind the work that they perform. OSHA only requires that a forklift be
service by “authorized” personnel. We feel however that while “authorized” is
not defined, you certainly want to be sure that your service company is
sufficient to stand the litmus test of having extensive experience to
understand the complete spectrum of forklift maintenance.
SCMH performs thousands of forklift PM’s every year and we know
what it takes to optimize your planned maintenance program and would appreciate
the opportunity to speak to you about your current program, or help you
establish a customized planned maintenance program for your forklift fleet.
Ben
is an experienced technician of 22 years and has managed 1,000 parts and
service accounts in North Orange County together with Sam Apodaca who manages
over 1,000 accounts in South and Central Orange County. To learn more about
SCMH’s planned maintenance, visit http://www.scmh.com/parts-services-services/ or call 1-866-SCMH-CAT to speak with the account manager in your
territory. SCMH services are available across Los Angeles County, Orange
County, and San Fernando Valley.
