Tracks and Treads - Finning Canada

CARE, PART TWO: Robert Knoll (left) and
Terry Mix are putting the same care given to the
980G into their latest acquisition – the 980H
winter. Compared to the old machine, Knoll
says, “It’s a little quieter, burns a little less fuel,
tweaked a bit.” So far, he has put the same
care into the operations and preventive maintenance
of the newer machine as he did the
old model.
Blaine Haukedal, preventive maintenance
manager for Finning (Canada) loves Mixcor’s
story. He’s inspired by it because it shows that
with a knowledgeable operator and conscientious
servicing, companies might extend
the expected lifespans of machines by two,
even three times.
The PM department helps Finning clients
reach these long machine lifetimes. It helps
them reduce or eliminate unscheduled downtime.
Offering a PM “Do It For Me” contract is
one way. “It’s how we streamline the process,”
says Haukedal. “We make it easier and costeffective.”
Making sure preventive maintenance
and servicing are performed on
schedule can save the client money on preventable
repairs and prevent loss of income if the
machine is down.
“It’s more than just changing the oil in
your car,” he explains. “These machines are
people’s livelihoods. It’s got to be proactive,
finding potential problems before they cause
breakdowns.”
Today there are more than 850 machines
in Western Canada under the PM contract.
In 2007, Finning delivered more than 2,600
services to these machines. To provide this
kind of service, Finning relies on 18 new, custom-built,
state-of-the-art PM trucks, with an
additional six to 10 to be added to the fleet by
the end of 2008. Eight PM staff deal with everything
from pricing a PM contract, enrolling
the client, managing maintenance schedules
and files, to monitoring the service delivery.
Haukedal equates the preventive maintenance
program with health care. Have regular
checkups, follow a proper diet and exercise
from an early age and catch or prevent problems
before they become major health issues.
Dan Morgan is maintenance general manager
for Calgary-based Caliber Systems Inc.
The busy construction company splits its time
between road construction and underground
water and sewer work. Morgan ensures the
100-plus pieces of equipment are in top
shape, ready for each job. Thirty of these machines
are under Finning’s PM contract.
Morgan’s biggest concern is ensuring
Caliber’s earth-moving machines are always
ready. “The D10s and scrapers – I like to have
Finning’s certified people looking at them.
www.finning.ca Fall 2008 • tracks & treads 25