While it’s impossible to predict when a machine will experience maintenance issues, knowing how to properly maintain articulated dump trucks (ADTs) can significantly reduce downtime and lower your total cost of ownership when these issues occur.

Brandon Crockett is the DEVELOP ADT Product Manager. He explains how predictive maintenance planning can help you predict costs, minimize downtime, maintain an ADT with ease, and increase resale value.

Predicting expenses

Unplanned maintenance can result in lost production, higher parts costs and longer maintenance times. By analyzing your daily equipment usage, you can better predict costs and incorporate this information into a planned maintenance (PM) contract.

“As with any heavy equipment, proper and timely maintenance extends the life of the equipment and saves money in the long run,” said Crockett. “A PM contract also allows owners to perform maintenance during off-hours rather than having to shut the machine down on the jobsite.”

Additionally, a planned maintenance contract can provide your company with future hourly costs to better understand the current cost of operating your machine. By working with your equipment dealer on a PM contract, you can improve cost forecasting, reduce downtime, and extend the life of your machine.

“Dealers know what parts should be in stock, not only themselves but also the equipment owners,” said Crockett. “They ensure that scheduled maintenance is performed on time and at a time convenient for the equipment owner. All of this helps keep costs under control.”

By creating an easy-to-follow maintenance schedule and documenting maintenance intervals, you and your operators can easily ensure each item is completed weekly, monthly, quarterly or as scheduled. You should also evaluate parts, labor, travel, consumables, lubricants and GPS fleet tracking systems like telematics to better budget for ongoing maintenance, Crockett added.

“Wearable parts should be in stock and common consumables should be available to reduce downtime,” he said. “When it comes to lubricants, owners should be aware of the manufacturer’s requirements. Using the wrong lubricants can lead to expensive and unnecessary repairs.”

If you’re having mechanical issues, Crockett recommends running a visual and onboard diagnostic check and then contacting your in-house mechanic to better understand what repairs are needed before calling a service technician, if necessary. Gathering as much information as possible about the problem before speaking to the service department will greatly simplify the repair process and reduce downtime. However, Crockett added that working on major components of your ADT requires special training, so a dealer service technician is often required.

A standard maintenance schedule is posted on the ADT cab for easy reference and can be found in your owner’s manual. Knowing the fixed costs of scheduled maintenance in advance can help you minimize unexpected business expenses. Fixed costs give you the peace of mind of knowing what the cost of ownership will be and by incorporating scheduled maintenance you can ensure your machine is serviced on time.

Minimize downtime

ADTs are designed to move as much soil, rock, stone and gravel as possible while keeping the cost per tonne transported as low as possible. These machines are also excellent at loading and unloading on soft and slippery ground compared to other equipment and are particularly good at overburden removal, transport to crusher, from crusher to dump and site reclamation. If your machine is experiencing problems, you certainly don’t want to waste valuable time servicing your machine.

With a PM contract, maintenance time is typically based on the schedules of manufacturers and equipment owners. According to Crockett, a PM contract also ensures that maintenance is performed as needed to minimize machine problems that can arise due to a lack of scheduled maintenance.

In addition to a PM contract, Crockett recommends that ADT owners and operators perform three additional preventive maintenance activities.

• Check the automatic lubrication system (if installed) to ensure that premature component failure is not occurring due to lack of grease.
• Regularly check tire pressure, wear and damage.
• Use diagnostic tools to monitor engine temperature and speed, for example, to prevent future engine damage and major premature repairs.

The automatic lubrication system lubricates major components about every 30 to 45 minutes when the machine is running, Crockett said. Although the system saves valuable labor, the system must be monitored to ensure the grease reservoir is full and there are no error codes associated with the system.

Another point of preventive maintenance is the visual and manual inspection of the tires for wear and damage.

“Low tire pressure can cause sidewall damage and machine instability,” said Crockett. “A visual inspection will show if the tire has holes in the tread or sidewall damage due to road hazards. Also look for rocks trapped between the dual tires, as these can cause tire failure.”

Diagnostic tools can be used as a preventative maintenance measure by analyzing historical data on components, especially those related to the engine, transmission, electronics, and the automatic lubrication system. Owners and operators should ask their dealer about purchasing diagnostic tools.

Crockett also pointed out that you should repair faulty components immediately rather than waiting until the likelihood of component failure is higher.

“Repairing a component before it fails is less expensive and can be scheduled at the owner’s convenience,” Crockett said. “In the long run, this saves a lot of time and money because the cost of repairing it before it fails is less than the cost of the overall failure.”

Easy maintenance

Scheduling proactive on-site maintenance intervals is critical to extending the life of your machine. When properly maintained, ADTs – even those used in extreme environments – can have a life expectancy of around 10 years (between 10,000 and 20,000 hours).

“What is really necessary is easy access to filters and other parts involved in PM,” said Crockett. “Labor is a big part of PM costs, and easy access to all areas of the engine compartment helps keep costs down.”

For example, ADTs operating in extremely hot or cold temperatures require more frequent maintenance intervals as well as alternative oils, Crockett said. Machines operating in extremely dusty conditions may require multiple air filters to be replaced and cleaned daily. When operating in muddy environments, ADTs may require more frequent lubrication because the drive shaft and other bearings are in constant contact with the mud. Failure to meet maintenance intervals can affect engine performance, reduce productivity and lead to higher fuel consumption.

Visit your dealer to create a customized package that meets your maintenance needs and evaluates key machine functions (parts, labor, travel costs, consumables and lubricants) before servicing the machines.

Additionally, by reviewing telematics systems, owners and dealers can identify when an ADT needs servicing and better budget for ongoing maintenance costs.

Increase resale value

The condition of the machine has a significant impact on the resale value of the equipment. For example, if there are visible signs that the equipment has not been properly maintained, has visible damage or wear to the components, the resale value can drop dramatically.

“A low resale value can greatly affect the cost of running the machine and may make the purchase questionable,” said Crockett. “The most important thing when reselling is that the major components such as the engine, transmission and differentials are in good condition. Evidence of a PM contract is also valuable in maintaining resale value.”

To maximize your resale value, follow these tips before entering into a PM contract:

• Check the machine’s scheduled maintenance table.
• Determine how you will use the equipment.
• Identify low-usage times for maintenance.
• Determine the period for which you want to implement preventive maintenance.
• Discuss the plan with your dealer.
• Create a PM contract.

After the truck’s operating hours reach a certain predictable level, many ADTs can be converted for what is known as a “second life.” In other cases, ADTs are used as spare units or converted into water trucks.

“All major components such as the engine, transmission and differentials have a certain lifespan and need to be replaced periodically,” he said. “When this is done, the life of the machine can be extended at a lower cost than replacement.”

This period varies considerably depending on whether the ADT was light, moderate or heavy.

By proactively planning maintenance, you can predict costs, minimize downtime, maintain the machine with ease, and increase the resale value of your ADT.