scyther5/123RF
E Q U I P M E N T
The Shift
Towards Renting
and What It
Means for
Maintenance
Best practice maintenance
and lubrication are a safe bet
in uncertain times
Submitted by Shell Lubricants
Equipment rental is a rapidly evolving, billion-dollar
industry – and one the far-sighted pioneering equip-ment
renters of the 1950s would heartily applaud for
its modern capabilities and innovative drive.
Today’s earth-moving machinery has made great strides in
reducing site waste and increasing productivity. The range of
products available for construction companies has widened
extensively in recent years – and equipment manufacturers
are also increasingly incorporating highly sophisticated new
technologies into their kit.
When Brian Jones became president of the UK’s
Construction Plant-hire Association last year, he noted
that GPS, drones, 3D mapping and Building Information
Modelling (BIM) will soon achieve mainstream deployment
throughout the sector.
These advances are a response to fundamental changes
the construction industry has undergone over the past 40
years. Contractors rely less on in-house skills and often
choose to hire in the services of specialist sub-contractors
on a project by project basis. This has allowed contractors to
boost their balance sheets and become leaner operators in a
highly competitive world, where margins rarely exceed one
to two per cent.
ALBERTA HEAVY Quarter 1 2020 39