Planning a large project requires pulling all the factors together into a single coordinated effort. Part of that is making sure the equipment arrives on time, ready for the teams to use it. In the midst of setting up your lot and contractors, you will also want to schedule your rentals as far in advance as possible. And not just to cross it off your list. There are distinct advantages to scheduling your equipment rentals early in the planning process:
1) Guarantee Availability of the Equipment You Need
Renting equipment means that you are relying on the supply and availability of your local equipment rental service. Whatever they have ready to go on your start day is what you’ll be able to take off the lot. If someone else is using it, or if what you need is down for servicing, then you’re out of luck.
Booking equipment rental dates in advance ensures that what you need will be available on the days you need it. No conflicting rentals, and everything ready to leave the lot. This is vastly superior to arriving a day or week ahead of time to see what’s available.
2) Equipment is Serviced and Fueled at the Start of Your Project
Booking early also gives the equipment rental service time to prepare the gear you plan to use. Last-minute booking can mean renting equipment that someone has just used and turned in. By scheduling in advance, the team can schedule a full service of each piece of equipment. It will be clean, ship-shape, and fully fuelled the morning you arrive to pick it up, or the day it is delivered to your site.
3) Time to Work Out the Details
Equipment rental isn’t always as simple as picking up the gear you need. In many cases, additional services offered by the rental team will be exactly what your project needs. Delivery of large equipment to your site, special servicing, or warranty offers are designed to help out companies and teams working with the equipment.
You don’t have to figure out the details of your rental contract right away to reserve the equipment you need. By reserving early, you can lock down the dates and availability first. Then take all the time you need to decide if you also want delivery drivers, rent guard insurance, or services in addition to the rented equipment.
4) Lock Down Equipment Budget Early
Once you schedule your equipment rental, the service will give you a basic quote. While choosing add-ons can change that quote, you can continue all future budgets using a known quantity for your equipment rental costs. This can be incredibly helpful during the planning process for a large project; everything starts as a variable and eventually becomes a concrete number. The more concrete numbers you know in advance, the better you can estimate your budget and adjust to keep the final numbers within budget.
5) Equipment Arrives at Your Site on Day One
Finally, you can ensure that your equipment won’t just be ready, but it will arrive on the site on the day you’re ready to start. If you have scheduled for large equipment to be delivered along truck routes, the service will plan to start and complete that delivery on your scheduled start date. If you are coming by to pick up your equipment, it will be polished, fueled, and ready to load up when you arrive.
By scheduling ahead, you ensure that there are no unexpected delays and that even delivered equipment is ready to go when you are.
Renting equipment is an important part of project planning. For more information on the right equipment for your project or how to schedule in advance, contact us today!