In the first month of introduction, nearly 200 members enrolled into the program, by a world’s top tire producer.  With the program, Petrocon members become part of a 24/7, emergency roadside assistance within two hours of placing the emergency call.

Other program services include suspension, drive train, alignment and service work through dealers and service centers nationally.

Joseph D. Giovinazzo, president and founder of Petrocon states, “Petrocon members are excited about the anticipated savings and operational benefits the tire program has to offer.”

Petrocon members are national in scope, and this program offers consistent pricing across the U.S. to Petrocon members.

Giovinazzo expresses his concern on how the tire industries’ challenges are impacting construction companies.

“The tire industry faces tough challenges with rising costs and product allocations along with product shortages,” Giovinazzo says. “The impact is harder on the off-the-road (OTR) tires, but shortages are also affecting commercial truck and trailer tires.  Market conditions favor sellers, not buyers. We are getting close to reaching a point where the questions are not about price, but rather, availability of certain tire sizes. Availability is becoming a major growing concern.”

Petrocon, a wholesaler of commodity materials gains it strength by leveraging commercial and industrial businesses in the aggregate, mining, cement, and heavy-duty trucking industry sectors.

Originating, as a commercial petroleum-buying group comprised of construction companies, Petrocon leverages buying efforts to purchase lubricants and antifreeze nationally through a wholesale buying platform. Today, Petrocon has expanded its services to provide an avenue for construction companies to leverage buying efforts for lubricants, antifreeze, tires, energy, and wireless expense management.

Routine tire maintenance can improve performance and reduce operating costs on mobile equipment.

By E. Bradford Pugh

It doesn’t matter what type of equipment you are using, the condition of your tires can make a big difference in how that equipment operates. That is why it is important to make sure that your tires are well maintained and in the best condition possible. Routine maintenance can help optimize tire performance, improve safety, and reduce overall operating costs. Following just a few important steps can help extend the life of your tires.

The pre-shift and post-shift walkaround inspection

Before any shift begins, it’s important to conduct a full inspection of the tires for wear and repair.

Before any shift begins, you should take the time to perform a walkaround inspection of both the vehicle and the tires. As you are making your inspection, there are several things to look for to ensure your tires are in proper working order.

Pre-shift inspections should begin with a thorough visual inspection of the tires, which includes checking for cuts in the sidewall and tread area. Depending on the environment and application in which the equipment is being used, cuts can develop quickly. If cuts have penetrated the tread or sidewall, and ply or belt cords can be seen or felt, the tire should be pulled for additional inspection, repair, or replacement. (Inspection may be necessary even when cuts and cords cannot be seen as there may be internal damage.) Serious cuts in a tire can potentially cause damage to the equipment and pose an increased risk for an accident. Also important to note, cuts should be repaired before water is allowed to migrate into the cords.

Pre-shift inspections should begin with a thorough visual inspection of the tires, which includes checking for cuts in the sidewall and tread area.

Every inspection, regardless of how extensive, should include a check of tire inflation pressure. Under-inflated tires, over time, can increase operational costs due to premature replacements, repairs, and lost productivity.

It is important to inspect the tire tread for abnormal or uneven wear patterns, the front struts for leakage, the toe-in, and general alignment of the tire. The rear struts should be checked for leakage, as well. A leak in the strut could cause a shift in weight, leading to irregular tire wear or an unbalanced load condition.

During inspection, check for rocks lodged in the tread. If rocks are found, it may seem simple to remove them, but it’s important to make sure the rock is removed in a safe manner. The person performing this procedure should stand to the side of the tire for proper and safe removal. The force of removing the rock, if embedded in the casing, can cause the rock to come out of the tire at high velocity, potentially causing injury.

Cuts and cracks can develop quickly, potentially causing damage to the equipment and posing an increased risk for an accident.

Before the inspection is complete, check the tires for signs of damage, broken or cracked rim and wheel components, missing valve cap, or oil or grease leaks. If any are found, the tire should be pulled for inspection and possible repair or replacement.

Tire record keeping system

For the best performance, and to help get the most out of the life of your tires, it’s not only important to inspect your tires on a regular basis, but also to keep accurate maintenance records of those daily inspections. Inspection records make it easy to identify tire program efficiencies, isolate wear patterns that could potentially create wear issues, forecast tire needs, and provide the data necessary for a tire inventory system that ensures limited interruptions in your operation. A basic maintenance program check list should include:

Check front and back struts for leakage, as this could cause a shift in weight, leading to irregular tire wear or an unbalanced load.

Tread wear measured in 32nds or millimeters;

Hours or miles since the last inspection;

Inflation pressures (hot and cold); and

Records of the tire condition.

These points will help improve productivity, lower costs, and extend tire life. Bridgestone Off Road Tires TreadStat Tire Tracking program is an option for keeping those types of maintenance records.

Simple steps like these, performed during regular maintenance inspections, can help improve tire life, avoid costly downtime, and increase productivity and profitability. AM

It is important to inspect the tire tread for abnormal or uneven wear patterns.

by Daniel C. Brown, Contributing Editor

In today’s economy, everyone is trying to stretch dollars as far possible, and the aggregates industry is no exception to this trend. With nearly 40 percent of respondents to Aggregates Manager 2009-2010 Forecast study who reported they intend to decrease capital spending this year, many operators throughout the nation are looking for ways to extend equipment life at their sites.

What does this mean for day-to-day operations? Many operators run equipment for more hours than normal. Capital for new machines is scarce so equipment is being kept longer and worked harder. Knowing that the equipment has to last, managers carefully watch oil samples for wear particle signals that mean component failure is approaching. And some equipment managers are even replacing small components, such as water pumps and alternators, before they fail.

Finding the “sweet spot”

Although at first glance, longer equipment life may cause concerns, the actual age of the equipment isn’t the key parameter, says Dan Connelly, vice president of equipment services, Oldcastle Materials Inc. in Atlanta. With about 40,000 pieces of rolling stock and eight divisions, Oldcastle is one of the nation’s largest integrated construction materials companies.

 Connelly says that because its demand is down, Oldcastle’s equipment is being kept longer. But, he adds, the equipment is not working its usual number of hours. “Operating hours, not calendar days, is the important factor in determining our replacement cycles,” Connelly says.

He says Oldcastle strives to replace most equipment at the “sweet spot” — the optimum point in a machine’s financial life just before its repair costs balloon and major components need to be replaced. Oldcastle determines its own sweet spot for each category of equipment, based on historical records and analysis of owning and operating costs.

However, in some categories of equipment, such as 7-cubic-yard wheel loaders, Oldcastle considers going for a second life by replacing major components. Forty-ton and larger rigid frame haul trucks would also be considered for major component replacements. The company owns about 500 dozers and 800 excavators, but “typically we don’t rebuild them,” Connelly says.       

How about replacing small components before failure? Yes, says Connelly. “We certainly attempt to replace components such as starters, alternators, and water pumps before failure,” he says. “We advocate condition-based maintenance.”

The level of service that Oldcastle procures from equipment dealers depends on the relationship of each division with its local equipment dealers, Connelly says. Each division has multiple shops that do preventive maintenance and some repairs.

Oldcastle also uses Viewpoint management software, which has an equipment module that identifies each piece of equipment by a unique number. Revenues, as well as operating hours and all costs, including oil changes, parts, and repairs, are tracked for each piece of equipment. “We take data that is housed in Viewpoint to determine the optimum equipment life cycles,” Connelly says. “We look at each piece of equipment multiple times each year.”   

Keeping it longer

The Washington Division of URS Corp. keeps equipment based on site-specific applications, says Bob Merritt, director of maintenance at the Boise, Idaho-based firm. The Washington Division owns 2,000 plus pieces of equipment that work at construction sites, quarries, and mines around the world. 

 “We keep equipment on long-term projects based on application and production,” Merritt says, noting that while many operators try to get rid of machines before the first major rebuild, his company may hold it longer and go through one or two rebuilds on many pieces. “The number of hours is driven by the class of equipment,” he adds.

Take 50- to 70-ton excavators, for example. Washington has some that range from 14,000 hours up to around 25,000 hours on longer-term projects. Front shovels and mining excavators run longer — up to 60,000 hours.

How about dozers? “Typically we try to get rid of the less-than-300-horsepower class at about 10,000 to 12,000 hours; the 300- to 500-horsepower class in 20,000 hours, and the above-500-horsepower class in 50,000 hours,” Merritt says. “Even at those hours, that’s longer than most people run them.”

Washington Division will do a major rebuild at 12,000 to 14,000 hours on a construction dozer. That means the complete power train gets rebuilt components —engine, transmission, torque converter, and final drives.

Why keep equipment longer? “If it adds value, we do it,” Merritt says. “In the last few years, until the downturn, it’s been difficult to get the equipment we needed. The low availability of new and used equipment made the price go up. Now, with the change of the economy, lots of equipment in the smaller- to medium-sized classes is currently available.”

Planning for the long term

While lower-than-normal demand and slim profit margins have swayed some operators to keep equipment longer than planned, they run the risk of catastrophic failure if the machine is pushed beyond its limits. The two main concerns are having an equipment failure cause the entire plant to shut down and losing any residual value of iron assets that are not saleable. If a company decides to hold onto equipment, planned, predictive maintenance and component change-outs are recommended.

 “Through scheduled maintenance, we’ve gotten as many as four life cycles, or 24,000-plus hours, out of large wheel loaders,” says Mike Monnot, vice president of equipment for Worcester, Pa.-based American Infrastructure. The wheel loaders work for a subsidiary called Independent Construction Materials. He recommends getting expected component lives from the manufacturers, then watching all indicators of wear — oil samples, vibration analysis, wear measurements, and the like. “You come as close to that end of life as you can,” he says. 

Through careful planning and proper maintenance, operators who plan to delay capital expenditures can extend the number of hours they get from their mobile equipment. But best practices for equipment maintenance make sense for all operators, not just those looking for longer equipment life.

Quick Tips

To keep mobile equipment running smoothly, consider the following guidelines.

Haul Trucks

-         Perform daily maintenance according to manufacturer recommendations;

-         Clean windows and mirrors;

-         Check front and rear lights;

-         Inspect the seat belt;

-         Review electronic fluid monitoring and air filter reports;

-         Use clean fuel with low sulfur content; and

-         Avoid over-servicing the machine.

Excavators

-         Check coolant level;

-         Check engine and hydraulic oil levels;

-         Drain water from fuel separator/tank;

-         Test indicators and gauges;

-         Inspect the undercarriage and track adjustment;

-         Inspect the boom, stick, and bucket and lubricate linkages;

-         Inspect the seat belt; and

-         Test the travel alarm.

Wheel Loaders

-         Perform regular sampling and oil analysis;

-         Check coolant level;

-         Inspect linkages;

-         Inspect the bucket and its cutting edge; and

-         Look for leaks from hoses and cylinders.

Tires

-         Select the right tire for the application;

-         Follow the manufacturer’s air pressure recommendations;

-         Check tire pressures at the start of a work shift;

-         Train operators on proper procedures;

-         Remove hazards from haul roads and workways; and

-         Follow the recommended maintenance schedule.

by Chris Rhoades

According to the analysis of equipment use in nearly 1,000 locations and more than 1,500 tires, 36 percent of every tire discarded by aggregate producers in 2008 went unutilized. In other words, multiply the total dollars spent on tires last year in the aggregate industry by 0.36 and you can arrive at the industry-wide potential cost savings available. To make it more personal, what was your tire expenditure last year, and what is your utilization rate?

Even though supply and demand are catching up, tires remain one of the largest expenditures for any operation. Given the economic downturn, companies are seeking every means possible to be competitive by driving costs out of the system. Thankfully, the tire situation throughout the last few years has encouraged best practices to be implemented, and — from every indication — they will be continued, even if for different reasons.

One of the key best practices in any tire management program is utilization of tire tracking and analysis software. As product manager for Bridgestone’s TreadStat for the last decade, I will share the key ingredients for a successful data-driven program based on experiences working closely with aggregate producers and dealers.

Partnering with an authorized off-road tire dealer is foundational. Dealers are the most important link in the chain because they are on the front lines and are performing tire changes, pressure checks, and fleet surveys. In undertaking a tire tracking initiative using software, every tire change needs to be recorded every time. Having a relationship with a dealer willing to commit the sweat equity and the time in tracking your tires is one of the first steps in reducing your overall operating costs.

Tire tracking does not equal tire management, however. In order to reduce tire costs, you first have to know where they are. In order to know where they are, not only do tires need to be tracked, but, more importantly, they have to be analyzed and the results have to be communicated. Having a dealer sit down and review a regular report showing all of the operation’s in-service tires with recommended actions, as well as discuss the tires that recently were discarded, is integral to finding opportunities to extend tire life. It is also recommended that either bi-annually or annually a different set of reports be run for review to compare improvement over the last year and to set a budget and goals for the next.

Over the years, tire management software has become easier to use and has streamlined the dealer’s job of inputting data. One of the challenges has been how to make the analysis easier. With more than 50 reports to choose from in various combinations with filters, analysis can be daunting. Over time, we have identified a set of reports that should be reviewed on a regular basis, as well as an end-of-year basis. It should also be noted that it takes time to build up enough historical scrap data to fully use the discard reports. If you are just getting started, data from other locations in your organization with similar operating conditions and equipment may be available for comparison until you have sufficient data.

Reports that should be reviewed regularly and can be useful immediately include the following:

·                    Tires in service by vehicle: This provides a snapshot of current running inventory. Ideally, the report should include your last inspection’s pressure readings, total hours on the tires, remaining tread depth and percent, estimated wear-out date based upon the current wear rate, and, most importantly, a place for dealer comments. This is the most important field because this is where recommendations are communicated.

·                    Tires with less than 25 percent of tread remaining: This report can be run by either percent remaining or tread depth remaining. This should show all of the tires by vehicle and position that are coming out of service soon. Rerun this report with 26 to 50 percent to see the next batch of tires due to be replaced. This will aid in hitting those monthly budget numbers.

·                    Inventory reports: To better understand asset status, spare tire inventory, tires out for repair, and retread reports should be kept on hand and updated regularly.

·                    Tire cards for tires discarded in the last month: Review the data for reasons for failure, total utilization, and final cost per hour. Looking at the tire card should show that the tires were inspected regularly and air pressure was maintained.

Reports that should be reviewed annually and will require data to be built over time include the following.

·                    Discard tread utilization: Use this report to determine what percentage of purchased tires are used (on average) when the tires come out of service. The report also should show the associated realized costs and dollars lost to early failure.

·                    Discarded tires damage code analysis: Once you have determined what percentage of tires is being used, it is important to find out why tires are being lost early. You should be able to look at what percentage of tires is worn out, rock cut, or fail due to workmanship and materials. Other metrics to look for include hours achieved per category, all condition hours, and tread depth remaining.

·                    Tires out of service: Take a closer look at any batch of tires and see a tire-by-tire and a batch average of why tires came out of service, the cost per hour, average hours, etc.

·                    Tire damage by vehicle: View out-of-service tires by vehicle to determine if particular vehicles/drivers have issues. Opportunities for further training or vehicle maintenance will become apparent.

At the end of the day, data will abound. The key is to narrow the focus to key management reports that yield actionable information. Having a tire expert in the form of a local service dealer and/or manufacturer’s representative will provide the necessary interpretation to turn the data into reduced costs. Remember that all of the data in the world will not result in lower costs if the information is not communicated and acted upon. Before the data can be analyzed, it must exist. Happy tracking!

Chris Rhoades is the TreadStat product manager. He has been with Bridgestone Americas Off Road for 10 years and oversees development, support, training, and implementation.