Base Your Preventative Maintenance Schedule on Actual Work Conditions

Fleet managers know that preventative maintenance is critical to keeping bucket trucks and digger derricks running safely and at peak efficiency. But the key to keeping costs low and uptime high is a maintenance plan that goes beyond the manufacturer’s recommended schedule. A more accurate method is to create a PM schedule based on usage and then build out daily maintenance tasks that are reflective of that. The best people to complete those daily tasks are the truck’s crew, because they know the most about the truck’s idiosyncrasies.

Daily Checks  

If any components or functions of the truck are not working properly, these items need to be brought to the attention of a trained service technician or mechanic and be immediately repaired or replaced. It is easier to deal with things little by little rather than have something fail and face the consequences. 

Adverse Conditions  

Maintenance intervals are a good time for the crew and the company’s service technician or mechanic to have an open discussion about how the truck is being used and the conditions it’s operating. Information about adverse conditions, such as in extreme hot or cold temperatures, is important for the service team to know about because there are specific maintenance tasks that should be done to keep the truck performing in these conditions over time. 

Annual Once Overs 

Because ANSI prescribes the dielectric integrity of a utility truck’s boom must be tested every year, this is a good time to take care of two important maintenance tasks at once—the dielectric testing and the full review of all the truck’s components and functions. During the annual inspection, everyone involved in the truck’s operation and care needs to look at the truck’s maintenance records to spot any patterns. 

Benefits of Outsourcing 

Occasionally, a repair may be beyond the ability of company’s in-house service team, and so the task is sent to a specialist. But outsourcing all the fleet maintenance tasks also has its benefits. 

Terex Services can customize a maintenance program for customers that documents all maintenance activity, anticipates future needs including parts orders, provides for warranty work, assists with compliance of industry standards, and required manufacturer service updates, as well as emergency service needs. Ultimately, outsourcing fleet maintenance tasks may be more convenient and cost-effective. 

According to one Municipal Utility, the Terex service program often catches issues with its trucks when they are minor problems, reducing the City’s need to call for repair outside of the regularly scheduled maintenance checks.