In today’s heavy equipment market, finding dependable, professional labor is extremely difficult. Construction companies are worried about how the labor shortage is impacting the market, according to a 2018 survey conducted by the US Chamber of Commerce. Ninety-four percent of those surveyed said recruiting employees was tough.
This has an effect over everything from work site productivity to compensation to security, with 80 percent of respondents expressing concern about the potential hazard presented by having too few skilled employees on their construction sites.
This shortage’s saving grace is how companies are resolving these issues by standardizing heavy machinery operations and increasing security. As a consequence, equipment efficiency is rising while labor costs are decreasing.
Electrification of Equipment
Heavy machinery is now ready to join the electrification of automobiles, buses, trucks, and other transportation vehicles, which has been years in the making. Companies like GM have announced their optimistic desire to go all-electric by 2035, going to phase out gasoline and diesel engines.
These automated control mechanisms are worth exploring if you regularly have new operators or if you want to maximize performance and energy consumption.
The targets of zero emissions, lower noise, and better feel and handling with comparable power have led companies like GM to announce their visionary intention to go all-electric by 2035, phasing out gas and diesel engines.
Automated Equipment
Equipment manufacturers have recently adapted automation and made construction easier to manage. These new automations help even newer operators to be comfortable with operating heavy machinery. Some new equipment allows technicians to enter requirements, draw 2D figures directly within the vehicle, or pick prototypes from a catalogue, which serves as a virtual checklist for them to follow when completing the job. The ability to add slopes or several levels to these structures eliminates the need for extra inspections and measurement. It also assists in ensuring that the job is performed correctly the first time.
Dig Assist / Load Assist
Operators can enter depth and height limitations into equipment communications systems, which add to the project’s protection. Equipment like Dig Assist can detect utility or power lines, and sends visual and auditory warnings to the controller.
Besides providing guidance in digging and trenching, other modern equipment assists in other jobs involved in construction. For Instance, Volvo Load Assist improves the precision of front end loader operators in much the same manner as Dig Assist does for transporting soil. Load Assist is an on-board measuring device that displays legitimate information to the controller that is precise to within 1%. This reduces labor costs by minimizing the need for reloading and measuring, enabling technicians to complete jobs correctly the first time around.
Data Assisting at Work Sites
By eliminating overloading, it also increases the overall protection. By downloading the provided data, which includes loads of information, amount of equipment, density, job name, and customer. These can be incorporated into an ERP system saving administrative.
All of these machine control functions have a short training period and is as easy to use as a computer or smartphone. These technologies not only help you maximize the overall efficiency of your work sites, but they also help you cope with the widespread skilled labor shortage. In order to operate the same old used heavy machinery experienced technicians and operators are needed. However most of them are now retiring and skilled professionals are in short supply.
Consider learning more about high tech machinery. It does not matter if you’re one of the 94 percent of companies struggling with a labor shortage or just want to increase productivity. Investing in modern machinery can be extremely beneficial, especially in a time when labor is so scarce.