Category Archives: Construction

Boost your learning skills on heavy equipment with the help of training videos

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Learning is a continuous process and when it comes to learning heavy equipment you will find your entire life is too short to learn everything about this subject. There are so many types of heavy equipment available in the market and though every other equipment has some or the other similarities but the their mode of function and utilities are way different and which is why one needs to learn how to use them, how to keep them safe and what can be done to lengthen the life of the machine. Now there are several books available that talks in length about these subjects but if you go to read them all, you may find it too boring especially if you are the kind of guy who does not like to read much.

Well there are lots of people who like to learn things but somehow are not into the process of reading. They can’t spend their entire day reading a book trying to learn a thing about an equipment as they may have a business to take care of. So people who are indeed busy throughout the day and if they want to just learn a particular thing, going through the entire book searching for the stuff they need to know can become quite problematic. In such a situation, they can always refer to training videos on heavy equipment on the internet. In this way, they do not have to spend a lot of their time going through the book. All they need to do is just latch to the net and enter the put some keywords to search the video.

Training videos are one of the most phenomenal ways to learn things quickly. Simultaneously, one does not have to spend a good deal of time searching for what he wants to know in a book as that can be more time consuming. Though reading books can exponentially increase your knowledge pertaining to a particular subject. However, learning about heavy equipment needs a lot of practical approach to it and one may find it difficult to analyze what the diagrams are saying. On the contrary if he takes help of a training video, he may not take long to understand the stuff, how complex it may be.

Number of heavy equipment training videos is available on internet. YouTube may only have thousands of videos. The only challenge that you may encounter is to search the relevant topic. Since there are so many videos available, you may have a hard time pulling out the right one for you. Therefore, entering the correct keywords is very important. Once you key in the keywords, it will throw across all the videos in several pages. You may check the first few pages and should find the topic of your interest.

Students who are learning about heavy equipment in institutes can also make good use of these training videos. They can’t always go for a site visit to check how the machines work but they can easily do it on their laptop with just a click of a button.

Low diesel prices helping the construction industry

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Construction industry is largely dependent on heavy equipment and one the most important factor that contributes to the profit making of this industry is the low diesel prices. If heavy equipments will consume fuel that is sold at a lesser price, the construction company as a whole will be in a position of making real high profits. The price of diesel plays a major role in giving a good shape to a construction or for that matter any industry that uses heavy equipment to a larger extent. Many companies are still in the process of acquiring heavy equipment that are reliable, competent in working for long hours and also that consumes less fuel and is more productive.

So when we have machines that are designed to consume less fuel and be high on productivity, it will be an incentive to have fuel at lower prices. Companies that possess such machines can experience high profits year after year. However, the crux of the matter is that diesel prices do not remain same all the year. It tends to fluctuate quite many times in a given year and that is what comes into play and cut down the profit percentage. As long as the diesel prices are in check, things are in control and all are in a merry state of mind but once the price starts soaring, construction owners’ starts getting cold on their feet. Thus it is proven that the construction companies are at their best when the prices of diesel are low.

Boon for small construction companies:-

When the diesel prices are low, it is almost a sort of boon for the small construction companies. They can’t wish for anything more. The problem that many small construction companies experience is that they can’t afford to buy heavy equipment that consumes less fuel and is high on productivity. Such type of machines are extremely expensive and often out of their budget. Therefore they have to do with construction equipment that are either used ones or not that advanced and such type of machines tends to consumes more fuel. In a situation in this, they can’t wish for anything more than to see the diesel prices at the bottom.

Eco-friendly machines are way too expensive:-

Heavy equipment manufacturing companies are also producing machines that are eco-friendly. They call them green machines. They emit low intoxicants as compared to diesel run machines. The catch is such machines are very expensive. Since they are in their initial phase and also contribute largely towards the betterment of the environment, the manufacturing companies have decided to keep it at a higher range. Thus, such machines are not in the range of all the construction companies and only few giant companies can afford to have them. This means that the ones who can’t buy them have to work on machines that run on diesel and therefore they will find it very helpful to buy diesel at a lower price.

Heavy equipment industry likely to grow in 2016

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The year 2016 has a lot of things in store for the heavy equipment industry. It has been predicted as the year of prosperity in the construction domain and therefore there will be an up-beat in the heavy equipment industry as well. The sale figure of heavy equipment is assumed to rise. However, it is to be seen that which company will make the most and which one will stand at the edge. The year 2015 has overall been a good year as far as the construction industry is concerned and experts have come down with the analysis that this year will be no different in spite of political uncertainties that has gripped most of the industries. It is perhaps the construction, mining and heavy equipment industry that will not bear the brunt of the uncertain and volatile market. It has more happy time to witness. Apart from minor hurdles things are expected to be well for the industries that are closely connected with the construction sector.

Since the construction industry is doing well, more such businesses are blooming and people are in the mood to buy more advanced heavy equipment. They being more concerned about the environment and hence things are gradually moving towards attaining environment friendly machines. This has given rise to an increase in the demand of heavy equipment that are low of carbon emission and does not harm the environment like the earlier versions. Countries like Germany have induced millions of dollars to produce eco-friendly heavy equipment because they feel that the future of heavy equipment is these eco-friendly machines.

Many other countries are following suit. Though they have not completely given up on producing orthodox machines, they are giving extra impetus on producing green machines. Talking about the overall heavy equipment industry, it seems that the companies in Europe have managed to rope in an increase of 19% in the total sales figure. This is quite a dramatic one as it was not so often seen in the last many years. The sales figure only suggest that on the whole the future of the construction segment is going to be terrific and people can expect to make good business. Not just the old construction house but even the newer ones are getting enough business which is indeed a very good sign for the entire business. Market experts are all happy with the way the market is performing but some are also asking companies to be a bit cautious and not overspend on buying heavy equipment.

The news headlines in the US is no longer coming up with stuffs that speaks ill about the industry. Though some companies may have suffered loses but that does not reflect the complete mood of the industry. So it seems things are better off in the US. If we check the Middle East, there are enormous growth opportunities present for the heavy equipment industry. Countries like Saudi Arabia has shown tremendous growth as far as the construction segment are concerned. This has further glorified the prospect of heavy equipment industry for the year 2016.

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Caterpillar 312 Excavator

Over the last few decades we have seen the construction industry has developed manifolds and is continuing to grow at a very steady pace. This certainly means that people who are linked with the construction as well as with the heavy equipment manufacturing industries have a lot to gain in the next many years to come. Since we are just in the beginning phase, we have a lot to make and for which we need more sophisticated heavy equipment that has the capacity to endure more, deliver more and cost less when it comes to maintenance. This is probably what many expect from their machines. The most common thing that one ever witnesses when he approaches a construction site is an excavator. You need to dig the ground to put up any kind of foundation and for that you need the best of excavators which can dig deep inside the ground and carry all the mud out.

When it comes to buying an excavator, no name other than CAT comes into the minds of people who have been using CAT products. The reason is pretty simple. CAT is renowned for producing machines that are not only reliable and cost effective but also consumes less fuel and are low on maintenance. So machines that cost you low on maintenance and does not pinch you hard when it comes to fuel does invariably become the number one choice of users.

Speaking a little briefly about the CAT 312 excavator, the gross and net power of this machine is 94 hp and 90 hp respectively with a displacement of 259.4 cu in and the power is measured at 1950 rpm. Moving towards the operational side of the excavator, the total operating weight of the machine is 12778 kg. The total fuel capacity is 66 gallons. The cooling system, hydraulic system, engine oil and swing drive fluid capacity is 4.6 gallons, 42.8 gallons, 4.6 gallons and 0.79 gallons respectively. The alternator supplied amperage is 55 amps and the hydraulic system pump flow capacity is 33.5 gallon per minute. The swing speed of the machine is 12.9 rpm and the swing torque is 22496 lb ft.

Talking briefly about the undercarriage, the shoe size of the machine is 24 in with a ground pressure of 4.8 psi. The maximum travel speed is 3.4 mph. speaking about the bucket, the minimum and maximum bucket capacity is 0.31 yd3 and 0.98 yd3 respectively. Talking about the stick, The maximum digging depth of the stick is around 18.2 ft in and the maximum cutting and loading height is 27.8 ft in and 20 ft in respectively. The maximum vertical wall digging depth is 16.3 ft in.

Looking into the dimension of the machine, the width to outside of tracks is 8.5 ft in, the height to the top of the cab is 9.1 ft in and the ground clearance is 1.4 ft in. CAT 312 excavator can be purchased directly from the manufacturer and also on the internet.

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Care for the environment by procuring green machines

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During the recent climate summit that was held in Paris and was attended by almost every nation of the world, they all came down to a common ground and that is to reduce carbon emission and subsequently saving the earth from global warming. Well the term Global Warming has now become a big threat to the existence of every human being as we are all in some way or the other are getting adversely affected by it and it is high time that we all act to tackle the menace so that we can give a cleaner environment to the next generation. Heavy equipment has become a major contributor of emitting harmful carbon in the environment polluting it further and making lives riskier. The amount of construction happening all over the world and the number of heavy equipment used to work on each project can only talk aloud about the aftermath it can have on the climate.

The orthodox types of heavy equipment not only pollutes the environment but also proves to be unhealthy for the company’s expenses as it consumes lot of fuel to work continuously on the jobsite. This should be replaced by environment friendly machines that does not emit large amount of carbon and also consumes less fuel. Engineers are also working on machines that work on bio-fuel, biodegradable and things thereon. They have also introduced some heavy equipment that are very eco-friendly but when it comes to performance, it can hardly match the conventional ones. This is why they have not yet caught the attention of the big construction companies. Though many big construction companies eagerly want to take up eco-friendly machines; however, it is just that they also want those machines to perform faster which unfortunately is not the case for the time being.

The way forward is pretty simple. The engineers of heavy equipment construction companies have to work hard to manufacture a league of machines that has the capacity to work like the conventional machines and at the same time are also not posing any threat to the environment. As a matter of fact, they are already working towards it but getting a milestone is probably a bit far stretched. Secondly, the green heavy equipment will be very expensive as it will have all the latest technology that will cost more to the end user. This means that not everybody will be able to afford to buy them. This will result in just few construction companies taking up the onus to a cleaner environment and the rest will keep on polluting it.

This will definitely not serve the purpose and might further create a divide within the industry making things more complex. The solution to this will be with government intervening and announcing some kind of concessions to companies who are using environment friendly machines. This will boost other companies to follow suit and this is how more and more construction companies will adopt the idea of using green machines.

Hiring ace salesman for 2016

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Heavy equipment companies have by now realized that the year 2016 will be a wonderful year for them as far as the sale of heavy equipment is concerned and perhaps this is why they are recruiting salesman in high numbers. They need qualified as well as experienced people who can do the high pressure work with ease and also guys who will stick to their company for years. People who have studied from management schools are welcomed.

There is a huge requirement of people who have studied sales and marketing and know a bit about heavy equipment. Guys belonging from heavy equipment industry can also expect fat packages thus making it an awesome opportunity for everyone. Heavy equipment companies are not only hiring salesman for North America but also for European and Middle East countries. The businesses in Africa are also catching up and therefore there are also opportunities available in these countries.

Since the construction, mining and oil industry are doing well all over the globe, there has been a rise in the employment of salesman. One of the important criteria is that the candidate should be ready to travel and he may have to stay out of station for months and could be even years. Though such candidates will be paid more than the others but they got to be tough and should not feel homesick. Getting such guys is real tough and therefore people who are approaching these companies for interviews should make up their mind in advance and also should be ready to move in case they are being asked to.

There are also certain prerequisites that these heavy equipment companies have from the aspirants. They want them to have some degree of knowledge in heavy equipment. They may not know about the technical aspect as that will not be needed much when you are trying to sell machines but knowing them will always help. You may come across few companies that want their aspirants to even know about the technical aspect. If not in complete detail but definitely should have sound knowledge about what they are dealing with. For instance, if they are trying to sell a machine that is used to extract oil, then ideally companies prefer the salesperson to know the basics of the machine and in case if he manages to gather more information then he stands a fair chance to get quick promotion. So the knowledge he has about the subject can fetch him good results.

Countries like Saudi Arabia, Dubai and other Gulf nations are busy constructing sky touching buildings. The construction companies out there want hi-tech machines that simply the job of the operator in many ways and also help to get the work done in a shorter time. Here the role of a knowledgeable salesman becomes quite essential. He will then not sell machines that are being asked to him to sell. He will rather try to understand the requirement of the client and pitch his products accordingly. This approach of his will be highly appreciated by the company and he will have a higher chance to sell more equipment. Overall, the year 2016 will be a good one for heavy equipment salesman.

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Borrow money to purchase heavy equipment or take it on rent

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Starting a new project and need heavy equipment? You are ideally left with 2 options. Either you can rent construction equipment or you can go ahead and buy it. The thing that you need to take into consideration is if you have hard cash to buy the machine or you need to finance it from a lender. The other option is more viable under certain conditions. You should rent the machine if you only need it for the project and once the work is done you have to discard it. If you fall in this condition, then renting the machine should be the most viable option for you. However, if you feel that you will require the equipment for your future projects as well, then it makes every sense to buy it.

Do not drain out all your reserves to buy the equipment:-

Just in case if you have hard cash available to buy the construction equipment, it is advisable that you do not shell out all the money to buy the machine. You never know when you will need the money and if you end up everything to procure the new machine, then you may have to experience some hard time to fix tough situations. What you can rather do is make an upfront payment of 20% of the total value of the machine and the rest borrow it from a lender. It is important that you do a thorough study of the different interest rates being offered by the financial institutions. Go to the one which will charge you with a lower rate of interest and also will not charge much closing costs. Take a calculated decision when you intend to buy a machine.

Ensure to pay your monthly payments in time:-

If you intend to purchase the machine and borrow money from a lender, you should also ensure that you pay your monthly payments in time. Please do not become a defaulter for even a month. That will have a huge impact on your credit score. So when you think about borrowing money, you should also keep in mind that you can’t play around with your credit score. These things must be planned in advance and if there are any deviations later, then that must be taken care by the reserves that you have with you.

In case you decide to take the machine on rent then you need to analyze the period for which you may need the equipment and how much are you ready to pay as rent.

Check online to rent a machine:-

The simplest option to locate the person who wants his machine to let out is on the internet. You can just type the kind of equipment you want to take on rent and the search engine will throw all the option that it has or call us at B&R Equipment. You can check the one you want and contact the giver. If you agree to his terms and conditions, you can finalize the deal.

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7 Simple Tips for Young people starting a career in Construction

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When one thinks about beginning a career in the construction sector, he needs to be pretty sure what he is getting into because though this industry rewards people who work hard to achieve success, it also punishes those who are not able to perform. So one has to be sure which side he wants to be in. There is no rule book that one can follow to make a career in the construction business; it is just that they need to be patient enough and follow what is right and ethical. They won’t be able to taste success in a year’s time. They got to work hard and if they feel that things are not working right for them, then they need to work harder. Follow the right path, devote yourself completely and you will see things working out for you.

Give a thought before you finally pull the trigger:-

You should not want to make a career in the construction domain just because you see your friend’s dad making huge sum out there or you see one of your relatives doing good in his business. That should be a motivating factor for you as they all must have worked extremely hard to get to the place where they are now but that does not mean that you should do exactly what they did. You can get success in anything that you do provided you give your 100% to your work. So before you decide about walking in this industry, think if you really want to stay here for your entire life or else you will end up wasting couple of years of your life into this.

Know more about heavy equipment:-

Knowing about heavy equipment is very important if you want to be in this business. You should know which machine is used for what purpose and accordingly you can take decisions on procuring heavy equipment.

Check your finances before you go for any procurements:-

Starting a business in construction sector is no child’s play and it requires huge amount of investments. You therefore need to check your finances before you go ahead with any procurements of construction machines. You also need to keep into deliberation the operating and non-operating expenses that may incur while you are active in your business.

Hiring competent operators is the key:-

Ensure that you hire competent operators who are experienced in working with different kinds of heavy equipment. They are the ones who also know what needs to be done to keep the heavy equipment healthy.

Try to generate contacts by picking up small projects;-

Since you are new to this business, it is pretty evident that you will not be able to bag big projects as the giver won’t have the confidence in you. Simultaneously, it will not be feasible for you to handle big projects if you do not have any experience in handling any projects. It will be complete chaos. Therefore, pick up small works and try to complete them on time. This will help you to gain experience and simultaneously you will also develop contacts.

Be honest and ethical to your work:-

Honesty and ethics are very important in a business where you are dealing with your client’s trust. Be honest with your work and maintain ethics while conducting our business.

Engage with your employees:-

Always maintain a good rapport with your employees as they are the ones who will work hard with you to give a good shape to your business.

 

 

Modern heavy equipment are the need of the hour in the construction business

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The construction business has always been a competitive zone and it has been observed that more and more people are getting into this industry making the competition all the more difficult. With new competitors in the market who are ready to take bigger risk, the one with more experience are having a tough time dealing with the fact that there is an urgent requirement of sophisticated heavy equipment to sustain in the competitive environment. There is only thing that can keep you above from the rest and that is technologically advanced machines. Your machines should be capable of doing work that others take days to complete and if you possess such machines then you have more chances of getting big projects that has huge profit margins. At the end of the day, it is all about the quality of work that you give to your clients that will decide the existence of your company.

Follow the best brands in the market:-

Technologically advanced machines are manufactured by many heavy equipment companies. However, the difference lies in the quality of those machines. Not every machine manufactured by different set of companies will deliver in the same manner. Some will last long enduring the same wear and tear and others will give away sooner. So you have to decide which one will be yours. Often the heavy equipment manufactured by the top brands lasts longer than their counterparts and therefore that should be your first choice. You can then do your own research and nail the one that suits your requirements. However, it is critical that you go for the top brands and not with companies that does not have significant name in the heavy equipment industry. Other than that, you can expect decent resale money if you sell machine of branded companies but can’t expect the same from a non-branded one.

Though expensive but worth the price:-

The technologically advanced machines are quite expensive given the ease and comfort it provides to the user. It is agreed that such machines are not affordable to everyone but at the same time also not beyond the reach of people who seriously want to upgrade their arsenal. The user will undoubtedly find it to be expensive but at the same time they will also feel that it is absolutely worth the price. If it is an absolutely out of budget case, one can opt for the smaller version of such machines. They will not cost much and also will be within the reach of many. It can act as a substitute for the larger version.

Real comfort for the operators:-

It is the operators who go through the pain of operating the machine. They have to take immense care when they are working with equipment that is not much advanced. Any mistake from their end can result in a big casualty. They will always appreciate if they are given machines that are simple to operate and does not need too much of their attention. They call them intelligent machines and they need such machines for work.

Do not spend all your reserves for buying heavy equipment – Take a loan instead

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When you are in the construction business, it is very important to keep your reserves intact and not spend the entire sum buying heavy equipment. The money that you make from your business helps you to run the business and also allows you to buy some machines that are much needed. However, it is also important to understand that these construction equipment are too expensive and one should not utilize all the reserves in buying machines. They should rather look out for options that can be adopted instead of clearing the reserve amount from your account.

If the need of the heavy equipment is too urgent then you should probably look for taking a machine on rent. You will a lot of people willing to rent their machine. Here you do not have to shell all that you have in your reserves to get the stuff. You can pay the rental amount to the giver on each and every month till the contract expires. The rental amount must be agreed upon by both the parties and if you see a chance to negotiate the amount, do not hesitate to do so.

However, if you feel that you may need the machine for your future projects as well and you consider it to be an integral part of your project then you can opt to buy it. Here you have 2 options, either you can buy a used one or you can go for a brand new machine. The used machine will definitely cost you less than a brand new one and hence if you feel that you want to content yourself by buying an used equipment then you got to start looking for sellers who want to sell their machines. Once you ready for the purchase, the next crucial thing that you should do is always pay a small portion of money from your reserves as down payment. The rest of the money should be borrowed from some organized financial institution.

Though you have to pay some interest on the amount you have borrowed but that will not lead to the complete depletion of your financial resources. You will still have money to run the company which is the most needed aspect when you have a construction business at hand. You always got to ensure that you have parked sufficient money for the smooth functioning of the company. Your employees should get their salaries on time and you should carry on with the same goodwill that you have earned over the years.

Before you go for the loan, do some research on the banks that offer business loans and at what rate of interest are they offering the money. They may have some other terms and conditions that one needs to know before they end up taking a loan from them. There may be certain hidden costs which they will come up once you have taken the loan. So try and read the reviews of their existing customers. If they are happy and content with the services of the bank and if they recommend others to go with it, you can take their advices seriously.