Equipment hire is a great way to ensure you have flexible access to the equipment that you need for your next job, without incurring the costs of ownership. However, without careful planning, even equipment hire can come with its own set of challenges.

If you need to hire equipment in Hawke’s Bay; there’s no need to suffer problems with your equipment hire experience. This blog looks at common equipment hire problems and offers suggestions for steps you can take to make sure they don’t impact your business.

Don’t get caught out by poor quality equipment

Poor quality equipment is unreliable, often unsafe, and can end up costing you more in the time and inconvenience of dealing with breakdowns and repairs. The quickest way to avoid poor quality equipment is to always hire from an equipment hire company that you trust.

If you are forced to hire from another company, make sure you inspect the equipment you hire before you drive it off the lot. This opportunity for inspection should help you to identify signs that the equipment is poorly maintained or of bad quality. If that’s the case; you might want to think again before hiring.

Look out for equipment that has a poor general appearance. If the machine looks tired or rusty or there are signs of excessive wear and tear on the monitors, chances are the equipment is of poor quality. Other signs to look out for include: fuel leaks and oil drips that could signal badly maintained equipment; missing safety guards, which should all be present and in place; the lack of a professional appearance.

Don’t get held up by unavailable equipment

If you’re experienced at using equipment hire companies then you will know that some times of the year are busier than others. At these times you will find planning is important if you want to make sure you have access to the equipment you need exactly when you need it.

There are different tricks and techniques that you can use to make sure your equipment is available when you need it. Booking in advance is key, and you can either try hiring the equipment early to make sure it’s available when you need it, or build a buffer into your timelines to make sure you plan your hire for the right time.

Either way make sure you include the full cost of equipment hire in the job quote so you don’t end up out of pocket.

Protect the safety of your team and the quality of your work with the right training

Hiring equipment is a great way to make sure you can access specialised equipment for the job on hand. It’s important to remember that you are also responsible for making sure that whoever operates the equipment is appropriately trained and able to complete the work safely and to the quality standard required.

If you’re not sure what kind of experience your team needs to operate the equipment you hire: talk to your rental agent. They should be able to share the information you need to make sure your team stays safe and the job gets done well.

Don’t get caught out renting the wrong equipment for the job

Specialised jobs call for specialised equipment, but if you haven’t done a job of the same type before you might not be quite sure what you need.

Equipment for construction, agriculture and roading has evolved over the years to allow users to specialise in the right machine for the job that will deliver better results when it’s used in the right way. That means it’s important to hire the right machine or accessory when you’re preparing to complete your job.

If you’re not confident or are unsure what equipment you should hire, ask your hire company for advice. Good hire companies employ teams who are knowledgeable about the equipment they hire out and can tell you the right piece of kit for your next job. If your hire company can’t provide the support you need it might be worth looking for a new one.

Don’t get stuck with high transportation costs

Small equipment is easy to hire as it can often be put in the back of your truck and easily transported to site. Smart hire companies make sure it’s as easy (and cost effective) as possible for you to get your equipment where it needs to go.

Larger equipment and heavy or bulky equipment can be harder to transport, and if your hire company isn’t local that could add high transportation costs to your job. Try hiring from a local Hawke’s Bay equipment hire company first. Hiring local will give you the most cost-effective transportation options, especially for larger and bulkier hire equipment needs.

Hiring locally or choosing hire company that provides custom-transportation solutions can help you to keep your hire costs down.

Not taking proper care of rental equipment can add up in costs

Hiring the equipment for your job can save you the cost and time of maintaining and repairing the equipment that you need. Repair and maintenance costs are the responsibility of the hire company which is just one of the ways that hiring can be more economical.

However, if you or your team fail to properly look after the equipment that you hire, you could find yourself liable for breakdown or repair costs. Avoid unexpected and unwanted expenses and make sure you and your team always take the best care of the equipment that you hire.

Avoid equipment damage by talking to your hire team about what your equipment can and can’t do before you drive it off the lot.

The service you need to enjoy a better hire experience

The team at Allways Hire are focused on delivering a problem-free hire experience to all of our customers. We do this by thinking about what you need when you hire, and investing in making sure we’ve taken care of it.

Hire with Allways Hire and you can enjoy our ‘hire ready’ equipment hire experience. We make sure all of our equipment is well maintained, as easy to transport as possible, and ready to get started as soon as you get it on site. Not sure what you need or how to operate it? Ask our experienced team: we’re here to help and make sure you have exactly what you need to enjoy the best hire experience.