Two hundred hours over
A dumper comes back from a long hire on a groundworks job. The fitter reads the hour meter and finds it is well past its service interval. The oil is black, a filter is blocked, and a hydraulic hose is close to failing. Nobody knew because the last hour reading was taken when it went out.
Meanwhile, another machine was pulled in for a service early, at a depot visit, because nobody was sure how many hours it had done.
Why hour-based servicing is hard on hire
Manufacturers set service intervals by hours. A hire fleet spends most of its life on other people's sites, where nobody is reading meters for you.
- Hours are recorded on delivery and return, often on paper, and sometimes not at all.
- Machines on long hires go months without a reading.
- Telematics data exists for newer machines but sits in manufacturers' portals nobody checks.
- Service records are in a workshop spreadsheet not linked to hours.
- Usage varies: a machine on one job works long days, on another it barely moves.
What missed services cost
Breakdowns on hire, with callout costs, off-hire days and angry customers. Faster wear, shorter machine life and lower resale value. Warranty questions if services are missed on newer machines. And, going the other way, services done too early, which wastes parts and workshop time.
A breakdown on hire is also where the customer judges you. They don't see the service history; they see a machine that stopped working on their site and a crew that stood idle while a fitter was found. Keeping services on time is one of the few ways to reduce those days before they happen.
Hour tracking and service planning
- Hours are collected from every source available: telematics feeds from manufacturers' systems using the AEMP or ISO 15143-3 standard where supported, readings taken by drivers on delivery and collection, and readings taken by fitters on site visits.
- Each machine's recent usage rate is worked out from its readings, so the system can forecast when the next service falls due.
- Service intervals are set per model from the manufacturer's schedule, including the different levels of service.
- A forward list shows services due soon, with the machine's location and hire status, so the workshop can plan a depot service, a site service or a swap.
- Machines on hire approaching a service trigger a message to the hire desk to arrange access with the customer.
- Completed services are recorded with hours and parts used, building a full history per machine.
| Machine situation | Where hours come from | What happens near the service |
|---|---|---|
| Telematics fitted | Daily feed | Flag and plan |
| No telematics, short hire | Driver reading on return | Service on return |
| No telematics, long hire | Reading requested from site or fitter | Site service or swap |
| In the yard | Last recorded reading | Service before next hire |
How the workshop runs afterwards
The workshop manager plans a week ahead from forecasts rather than reacting to machines that come back overdue. Long hires get site services before breakdowns happen. Service history is complete, which matters when you sell a machine. And telematics data you already pay for is finally used.
Signs you have this problem
- Machines come back from hire past their service interval.
- Hour readings are on paper, if they are taken at all.
- Telematics data sits in portals nobody checks.
- Services are planned on calendar dates rather than hours.
- Service history is hard to produce when a machine is sold.