Three Tips on How to Strategically Manage Your Construction Equipment Fleet

Trying to turn a profit? Few things disrupt a successful work season like unexpected downtime. After 14 years of keeping his equipment running and his crews busy, Dave Murray, president of Samron Midwest Contracting, shares his tried-and-true fleet management solutions for keeping his compact equipment out of the shop and on the job.  

1. Partner With Your Local Bobcat Dealer

When your construction equipment slows down, so do you. That’s why Dave leverages the support of his trusted Bobcat dealer to keep his fleet running strong. 

“If we have a machine in need of maintenance, the cost of labor and the backlog we have because of that downtime exceeds any other expense – including the cost of the actual repair,” Dave says. “Being able to easily reach out to someone at Bobcat of Marion and quickly receive a replacement machine is very important to us. That’s a big reason we’ve stuck with Bobcat.”  

2. Operate Newer Construction Equipment  

While older equipment can get the job done, Dave is a firm believer in the power of a newer machine. 

“We like to keep our fleet fairly new,” Dave says. “As any machine gets older, the cost of maintenance has the potential to increase.” 

So when a compact track loader, compact excavator or skid-steer loader nears 3,000 to 3,500 hours, he begins looking at replacement options.  

“Operating newer equipment has a lot to do with employee morale as well,” Dave says. “When operators run new or fairly new equipment, you see better feedback from the field and an overall increase in morale.”  

While Dave’s philosophy is to run newer equipment, if a machine is still in decent working order, the company will continue to operate it as a backup should the need arise.  

3. Leverage New Technology 

Staying up on the newest technology has the potential to not only minimize machine downtime, but turn greater profits as well.  

“From a labor-saving standpoint, equipment technology and advances have the ability to make things a bit more productive and a bit easier,” Dave says. 

New technology such as the Bobcat Machine IQ telematics system helps you stay on top of construction equipment maintenance, increase machine security and monitor operator efficiency – all from your smartphone or tablet. In addition, the Bob-Dock attachment mounting system allows you to switch out hydraulic attachments from inside the cab without skipping a beat.       

Looking for another take on fleet management? Check out how this entrepreneur’s attachment philosophy helped him transform a small family operation into a thriving business.