This winter’s forecast calls for lots of rentals. Are you ready?
The weather forecasters are predicting an extreme weather winter. El Nino is predicted to make for wet weather in some areas in the world while hot and dry in other countries.
This meteorological havoc will likely be a boon for the equipment rental industry. Earthmoving equipment will be required to clean up after floods and landslides. Generators will be needed to power homes, businesses and even cities after downed power lines. Water pumps, lifts, light towers and more will be in high demand.
Take these 5 steps now to get ready for the winter:
- Determine what equipment you will likely need in each localized areas to meet the expected weather extremes. Landslides in Southern California will require different machines than snow storms in the UK.
- Evaluate your fleet to estimate available equipment inventory. Back out long term rentals and estimate if your current equipment in each category classes is enough to get you through the winter.
- Study your equipment utilization trends to determine if you have enough of each cat class. It may be time to consider buying additional equipment or transfer equipment from a site with lower utilization. Equipment already at high utilization is likely to go fast, leaving you wishing you had more inventory.
- Make sure your business’ operations and systems are ready. Dust off your disaster recovery plans – or develop one if you don’t not already have it in place. Confirm that your personnel knows what to do if a disaster affects your shop or they can’t get to work. Check to ensure that your software is protected and you have a backup plan to enable you to continue processing sales. Make sure you equipment is protected and accessible – that might mean stocking up on sandbags or hiring extra snow removal resources. And don’t forget to secure ample fuel to keep your equipment up and running.
- Your shop floor should also be stocked with items that will likely be needed. Extra gas cans, shovels, chainsaw blades, etc. could also be high demand items in an emergency. And even items like water or Gatorade will likely fly off the shelves.
These are just a few of the steps you should consider regardless of the winter forecast. You unfortunately never know when a disaster will hit, and being prepared is always a good idea. If you have questions on backing up your rental software or want to talk more about equipment utilization, please reach out to your Wynne team.
