Before winter weather, cold temperatures and adverse conditions arrive, it’s mission critical to properly prepare your fleet of heavy equipment and construction machinery. During the winter season, maintaining asset utilization, ensuring fleet productivity and eliminating equipment inefficiencies help to optimize your return on investment (ROI) and improve your cash flow.
The world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial turbines and diesel-electric locomotives, Caterpillar (www.cat.com) recommends the following ten tips for winterizing your fleet of heavy equipment and construction machinery, and keeping your equipment and machinery operating in winter weather, cold temperatures and adverse conditions:
- Install the correct lubricants and condition hydraulic hoses.
- Store equipment in enclosed storage facilities and keep fluids at room temperature.
- Use block heaters.
- Keep batteries fully charged and warm.
- Use starting fluid.
- Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature.
- Ensure your tires are properly inflated.
- Conduct a visual inspection.
- Store Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) properly.
- Fill the fuel tank at the end of a shift.
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More in the next blog about heavy equipment and construction machinery in winter weather, cold temperatures and adverse conditions…