Right now, you may still be in the off-season where you’re located. Do you know what all your mechanic must have in the garage to complete winter maintenance projects without interruption? Do you know what he needs to restock the work truck that shows up to the job site for emergency repairs in June? You’ve got a finite amount of time before spring startup; let’s make sure the mechanics have the tools to use their—and your—hours wisely.
Many companies must cut back on full-time employees during the off-season, so one of the first aspects of off-season maintenance and repairs to consider is the workforce in your garage. Do you have the right personnel on hand to physically do the jobs in the 8-hour shifts you put on the schedule? Overtime isn’t the norm during the off-season, so check on the mechanic in charge to ensure you’ve given him or her the people they need to accomplish everything before spring startup.
Besides the obvious grease guns and crescent wrenches, your mechanics will need spare parts depending on what equipment is in your fleet. If you have full size rollers, you’ll want nozzles for their water spray bars. If you have a highway class paver, you may want a spare heating element for the screed. Some spare parts are a bit pricy to keep on the shelf until you know it’s time for replacement, but those same spare parts are difficult to order at a moment’s notice these days. Make a plan during this winter downtime to avoid unplanned downtime this summer. Make sure you’ve given your mechanics all the tools and parts they need for optimum work schedules all year long.
Don’t forget to stop by the AsphaltPro booth 3036 during World of Asphalt in St. Louis! We’ll have paving industry expert Bill Stanley available to answer questions and talk shop and we invite you to pick up a sticker sheet with instructions on how to enter to win a Yeti cooler from us!
Subscribe to get tips like this delivered to your inbox each Monday.