Preventive Maintenance has been promoted by heavy equipment manufactures and dealers for years in order to preserve the life and working capabilities of heavy equipment. In these economic times, preventive maintenance comes to the forefront of equipment owners’ priorities.
In 2003, B&R Equipment Company, located in Keller and Sherman, Texas, was well into becoming the rental company it is today. Understanding the need to preserve the life of its rental equipment and keep its fleet of 150 units profitable, B&R Equipment established the B&R lube department in order to take care of their own fleet of rental equipment.
Recognizing the need for lubrication maintenance of both large and small construction companies, B&R Equipment decided to expand its capabilities to encompass multiple companies in the North Texas area. As its reputation grew, it was quickly contracted to fill the needs of other companies throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. The company’s technicians are trained to work on all types of heavy equipment from large dozers, scrapers and loaders to light plants.
“We use only the highest quality filters and fluids available on the market and are able to keep them at a very affordable price,” stated Scott Nemeth, Lube Services manager.
According to Bill Kasner, owner of B&R Equipment Company, the company maintains three modern lube trucks with all the latest in technical devices in order keep the lube maintenance time to a minimum and keep its customers’ machines on the job and working. The trucks are fitted with large capacity, double walled tanks for greater condensation protection and are sampled regularly to ensure there are no contaminants or leaks in the system. The trucks also are equipped with PTO driven pumps that deliver accurate amounts of fluids via the use of a digitally metered system.
“Our trucks carry multiple engine oils pre-designated for the equipment, hydraulic fluids, antifreeze and gear oil along with scheduled filters for each unit we service,” Nemeth said.
The trucks are equipped with retrieval tanks so the oil can be recovered and deposited in B&R’s recycling oil units.
A sophisticated lube service report is maintained with each unit and updated after each service interval is completed. The report contains a record of all information regarding the service including the make, mode and serial number on a detailed checklist that provides the customer with an explanation of the work performed, fluid amounts and filter replacements.
Each unit has a custom built program that best fits the machine and the customer’s needs. Sample fluids are taken at the beginning of each service and sent to a lab to be analyzed for contaminants and condensation. These samples also are used to detect any wear materials such as metal fragments from gears and bearing to brass and copper from seals and rings. The report enhances the life of each component and sustains the performance of each machine, according to B&R.
At this time, B&R has 25 construction companies as customers that have more than 400 units in their maintenance program. Their program is really very simple yet ensures that the investment made by the contractor will be here for years to come.
“As all contractors know, they have hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in their equipment and simply taking care of their equipment will bring more return on their dollar and keep their companies going during these economically troubled times…it’s just a matter of taking care of what you own,” concluded Nemeth.
For more information, call 817/379-1340.
Today's top stories
