Using Machinery the Right Way

Posted on: 29 May 2016

It isn't uncommon for construction crews to avoid purchasing cranes. After all, they're very expensive and they aren't necessarily needed on every single project. Instead, when they are needed, companies tend to rent them. However, when you rent a crane, you want to do everything that you can to keep your rental costs to a bare minimum so that you aren't losing money on your overall project. Here are three tips to help you do that:

Go With a Bare Crane Rental

If you are going to be renting a crane frequently, it may be a good idea to keep an employee on your payroll that holds a license to operate a crane. This will allow you to get a bare crane rental. Essentially, this means that you don't have to rent an operator along with the crane. You can just rent the crane itself. This means that it will be more affordable. However, you should expect to be required to show proof that you have someone who is licensed to operate the crane and that their license is up-to-date. If you cannot do this, you will be unable to proceed with a bare crane rental and the crane rental company will insist on sending out a crane operator for insurance purposes, which will increase your upfront costs.

Opt for a Mobile Crane

If your project and terrain will allow, you may want to consider renting a mobile crane instead of a tower crane. Usually, mobile cranes are better suited for areas where there is limited space, lots of trees and uneven ground. This is because, unlike tower cranes, they are easier to maneuver. In terms of cost savings, opting for a mobile crane will help reduce transportation expenses because these pieces of equipment don't require special vehicles to transport them. Plus, you won't have to be out additional money paying for a skilled technician to set up or maintain the crane while you are using it.

Minimize Your Rental Time

When you first rent your crane, you pay for a certain number of hours or days. However, circumstances can sometimes come up and you need additional time. Most crane rental companies understand this and you can get extra time. However, this doesn't come free. For every extra hour or day that you have your crane, it's more money out of your pocket that you weren't expecting. To help keep this from happening, you need to make certain that you create a plan before you ever rent your crane. Make sure that everything is ready to go before the crane ever arrives on the work site. Make sure the crane operate has a to-do list that they can begin working on. You also want to make sure the proper number of workers are on-site and ready to begin work with their own to-do lists. If there are any obstructions that may be in the way of the crane operator, make sure they're removed prior to the crane's arrival. Contact crane companies for more information about rentals.