10 Things You Need to Know About Planned Maintenance

Like your annual physical check-up, a well-thought out Planned Maintenance agreement with a qualified and reputable service company can dramatically increase the longevity of your equipment and significantly reduce your operating costs.  Conversely, operating forklift equipment without planned maintenance, or trusting an inexperienced company to manage your program can result in increased operating costs, more downtime and a shorter useful life of your forklifts.   

Through years of performing planned maintenance for hundreds of companies on thousands of forklifts we have learned a few important things about Planned Maintenance. We are going to share what we have learned with you, so that you will understand Planned Maintenance more thoroughly, or simply be able to confirm that the plan you already have is the best one for your company.

1. Beware of the “Teaser” – Particularly when budgets are strained, it is tempting to “take the bait” on low-priced introductory PM rates for a full-service PM.  Statistics show that it takes approximately 60 minutes to perform a proper PM.  Ask your prospective provider for the stated hourly labor rate. If their hourly rate is not in-line with the quoted PM rate, something is going to suffer and it’s usually the amount of care that your forklifts receive.
2. Ask to see a PM inspection form of the company you are using.  If there is no such form, it is likely that your forklifts are not being properly inspected and maintained.  Have someone do an occasional random inspection to be sure grease is getting where it’s supposed to, and that inspections are being done correctly.  Remember, you have spent tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on these assets and you not only want to of the longest useful life out of them, but the lower possible maintenance costs.  The only way to ensure both is to have competent and thorough service technicians service your forklift equipment.  Anything less is most likely going to cost you far more in the long run.
3. What are completion rates? Do you know how many of your forklifts are being serviced according to the schedule laid out in the agreement?  If you are considering new service providers, asking for completion rates is not only appropriate, it’s essential.  If the prospective providers cannot tell you their completion rates, they are not keeping tabs on them, which likely means your forklifts are not going to be serviced on time.
4. Ask for referrals.  You literally have a lot riding on your forklift fleet every day. Productivity and employee safety are right at the top of the list.  There’s no better way to find out what kind of service to expect from your prospective service provider than to ask their current customers.  Get a short list of three to four companies and give them a call.
5. How Planned Maintenance reduces costs – Like the old Fram Oil Filter commercial whose moniker was “you can pay me now, or you can pay me later,” ignoring small costs now leads to bigger costs down the road.  But what does that mean, and what causes them?
   
   1. Keeping lines clean – Let’s face it: our forklifts operate in less-than-optimal atmospheric conditions.  This leads to build-up in the filters that keep the air, oil and hydraulic fluid clean. Particulates can wreak havoc on the internal working parts and result in premature failure, thus increasing your costs over the life of your equipment.
   2. Tires – Worn or damaged tires increases the resistance of that tire and lead to increased fuel costs.
   3. The squeaky wheel needs the grease – When a part breaks, a forklift is out of service; this means more down time and decreased productivity. Keeping key points lubricated reduces friction, and wear.  This results in smoother operation, improved performance and longer part life.  Taken together, these reduce your operating costs.
   4. Worn parts – Replacing worn parts before they break makes economic sense.  When one part fails, other parts will likely follow.  Replacing what’s worn now improves up-time and reduces the likelihood of the forklift needing to be taken to the shop for more extensive repairs.
6. OSHA recommends it – From a safety standpoint, making sure that your forklifts are operating safely is important.  As part of OSHA’s regulation of forklifts (29CFR 1910), “preventive” or planned maintenance is recommended.  Ignoring this recommendation can be costly in the event of a workplace accident due to parts that give way, or if an operator slips on or around equipment that has not been maintained.  It’s not only the fines that can result, but the legal costs that undoubtedly will be incurred if a company has not followed OSHA recommendations.
7. One size does not fit all – Working with a company that asks questions can optimize and reduce the cost of your Planned Maintenance program.  If your forklifts operate under extreme conditions (with heavy loads, in the heat, bad weather, cold storage, multi-shift etc.), they will need more attention.  However if your forklifts are lighter duty and are used for less than a full shift, they will not need frequent attention from your service tech.  Knowing how often your forklifts need to be serviced is a product of experience.  Be sure your service provider asks questions and listens.  
8. Your operator’s responsibility – As required by OSHA, a daily inspection is required of each and every forklift you operate.  This daily inspection extends beyond the typical lights, alarms, seat-belt, brakes and accelerator that we frequently see.  The required inspection elements include, among others, belts and hoses, engine oil level, engine coolant, air filter and brake reservoir.  
9. Visit your prospective service provider – You can learn a lot by visiting your prospective service provider.  How orderly is the parts department?  Ask about their processes.  Ask to see how they track Planned Maintenance and meet the people who will be responsible for managing your fleet’s Planned Maintenance program.  Is the facility clean? Are the grounds well kept?  A sloppy and disorganized facility usually means you can expect the same for your Planned Maintenance program.
10. Working with a qualified source – Our experience is that there are few qualified resources in any given city that can execute a proper Planned Maintenance program.  You can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire this equipment, so it deserves to be the hands of a company that understands them and has extensive experience with them.  You want people that you know will be here for the long-haul, and can stand behind their work.  OSHA only requires that a forklift be serviced by “authorized” personnel.  However, although “authorized” is not clearly defined, you want to be sure that your service company can pass the litmus test of having extensive experience to understand the complete spectrum of forklift maintenance.

Cardinal Carryor performs thousands of forklift PM’s every year and know what it takes to optimize your Planned Maintenance program. We would appreciate the opportunity to speak to you about your current, or help you establish a customized Planned Maintenance program for your forklift fleet.

Contact us today at 502-363-6641 to speak with a Planned Maintenance professional. Or visit us on the web at www.cardinalcarryor.com. Download .PDF Version