Building new roads or maintaining the old ones can be a messy business. It is often a long process, that others don’t fully appreciate until the task is completed.  However, if you are part of the road crew then you know getting jobs done as quickly as possible means having well-maintained equipment.  Be it the bulldozer, the steam roller, or the paver all of this equipment must be ready.

To have the road construction equipment ready, consistent maintenance must be performed.  Failing to take care of the small items will add up and result in much bigger problems – not to mention get the ire up of those who are waiting to travel the road.

Road Construction Equipment Maintenance Tips

Preventative Maintenance

Don’t wait until there is something wrong with a piece of equipment to inspect it.  As much as possible, look under the hood, or at the axle, chassis, or other parts of the machinery.  Be intentional with giving equipment a thorough inspection each week. Check the tires, inspect for leaks, ensure all wiring is free of breaks, nicks, or exposure to the elements.  Examine the rollers, brakes, oil, fluids, and other features and adjust as needed.

Be Prepared

Ideally, have a mechanic on staff to perform maintenance and repair tasks.  As a good management call, it saves time and money.  And, taking things a bit further, have replacement parts, the assorted fluids and filters, brake pads, and other commonly changed items readily available.  Likewise, for lubes, hydraulic oils, filters, and more purchase AMSOIL products in bulk from Buy Great Oil.   Buy Great Oil is your premier retailer for synthetic materials for all your machinery.

Keep It Clean

Road construction is messy work, and your machinery is going to get dirty.  To be sure things work as they’re supposed to, don’t let the road debris build up on the construction equipment! This will hinder how well it works and can create mechanical problems. Make time for cleaning off all the moving parts, mirrors, etc. on all the equipment used.  It doesn’t have to be done daily, but at least once a week is a wise approach!

Top Off Fluids

No matter the type of engine, all construction equipment needs oil to stay properly lubricated.  Accordingly, using good synthetics keeps everything running smoothly.   The amount and type of oil will vary by equipment.  Likewise, how frequently you need to top it off or have it changed will vary on the machinery.  So, be sure to make and keep a schedule. For your machinery’s lubrication tasks use AMSOIL’s line of Heavy Duty oils and filters, or check out their Heavy Duty Bypass System.

Operational Record Maintenance

Keep up with how often each piece of equipment is inspected, any repairs or replacements made, mileage, when fluids are topped off, and other notes pertinent to its mechanical history. This will not only help you head off problems, but should you bring on someone new they will have a record, and know what to expect from the machinery.

Building or repairing roads is a task that is often unappreciated- until there are potholes everywhere or commuters want a better route. By keeping the road construction equipment ready for whatever job is slated, you can provide smooth rolling for all those on the road- and perhaps even keep people from getting as impatient as they wait for the project to be accomplished.