Preventative Maintenance

What is preventative maintenance?

Preventative maintenance is the work a fleet performs to keep equipment serviceable before a breakdown occurs. It is also commonly called preventive maintenance or PM; the two spellings describe the same approach. The goal is to address predictable wear and routine service needs instead of waiting for a machine to stop working.

For a heavy civil contractor, this can include inspecting an excavator before a shift, greasing loader pivot points, replacing engine oil and filters, checking cooling systems, or servicing a haul truck at its specified interval. The correct tasks and timing come from the manufacturer instructions for the specific machine, not a universal fleet-wide checklist.

How are PM tasks scheduled?

A maintenance plan links each task to its due basis. Some work is due after a number of operating hours, some after a calendar period, and some after mileage. Where a manufacturer specifies more than one limit, follow its stated rule, including whichever-comes-first requirements when applicable. Severe operating conditions may require different intervals.

A useful plan records the asset, task, interval, last completion date, completion meter reading, next due point, required parts and responsible person. Closing a reminder is not evidence that the work was performed; the service record should capture what actually happened.

Where telematics helps

Connected machine hours and mileage can make it easier to identify approaching service without collecting every reading manually. Location information can help a service crew coordinate access across jobsites. However, a reading is only useful when its source, timestamp and continuity are understood. A stale feed, replaced hour meter or incorrect asset mapping can distort a due calculation.

Telematics supports planning; it does not replace inspections, manufacturer guidance or technician judgment. A fault alert may call for investigation outside the normal PM schedule, while a machine with no reported faults can still need scheduled service.

Preventative, corrective and predictive maintenance

Preventative maintenance follows planned checks and intervals. Corrective maintenance addresses a defect or failure that has already been identified. Predictive maintenance uses condition information and analysis to anticipate deterioration. A fleet may use all three. An hour-based service reminder alone is not predictive maintenance.

Making PM practical across a mixed fleet

Start with accurate asset records and the current maintenance instructions for each model. Confirm starting meter readings and service history before activating due calculations. Review upcoming work against production needs, technician capacity and parts availability, then record actual completion. Track overdue work separately from approaching work so the shop can prioritize deliberately.

Useful measures include on-time PM completion, overdue tasks, repeat defects and maintenance-related downtime. Define each measure consistently before comparing machines or jobsites. Preventative maintenance can reduce avoidable failures, but it cannot guarantee zero downtime or a fixed cost saving.