The Advantages Of Having Ground Support Equipment Maintenance Plans In Place

With a poorly implemented ground support equipment maintenance plan in place (or no plan in place at all), you open yourself up to costly damage, repairs and possible accidents that can impact your business. When you instead decide to implement regular preventive maintenance procedures for your ground support equipment (GSE) and vehicles, you're investing in not only your employees but also the overall lifespan of your GSE.

Preventive maintenance includes everything from cleaning and lubricating to measuring and repairing. And when a piece of equipment comes to the end of its lifespan, preventive maintenance also includes shopping around to find a reliable aircraft tug for sale as an adequate replacement. Just keep in mind that a qualified and experienced technician should always conduct your regular inspection and maintenance routines.

The following are just a few of the many advantages that come with having a comprehensive airport ground support equipment maintenance plan in place and using it regularly.

It Clearly Defines GSE Instructions & Standards

Without a ground support equipment maintenance plan, your employees have no direction. Because of this, constant and unexpected equipment downtime will become the norm. A maintenance plan for airport ground support equipment will prevent this.

A comprehensive GSE preventive maintenance plan, when scheduled and followed, takes the guesswork out of tasks. It ensures that all employees are following the same standards for inspection and instructions for maintenance. This means that all involved will know precisely which GSE will be down for maintenance or inspection, and at what time. So, you wind up with minimal disruption to your employees' workday and your hanger's overall efficiency.

It Allows For Optimal Equipment Operation

Did you know that when you regularly conduct preventive maintenance on your GSE, your equipment will begin to operate at its optimum performance level? Things that used to negatively impact your equipment's performance, like hydraulic contamination or inadequate fluid levels, are drastically minimized when standards and maintenance plans are put in place. This means your ground support equipment and vehicles are now running at their peak operational conditions, equating to a measurable bump in their efficiency.

It Extends Your Equipment's Life

By correctly maintaining your GSE as opposed to waiting until something goes wrong to conduct repairs, you'll experience longer working lives from your ground support equipment and vehicles. From Bobtail Tractors to aircraft towbars, your equipment will operate and retain value for extended periods of time — which will ultimately save you money in the long run.

It Provides Considerable Cost Savings

At the end of the day, the most significant advantage to putting a maintenance plan in place for ground support equipment and vehicles is the considerable cost savings you'll see. From inspecting your towbarless tug to lubricating airplane jacks and engine compartments, every little bit will help to improve the efficiency and operating ability of your equipment.

You'll begin to notice a dramatic decrease in unexpected repairs, operational expenses and unscheduled downtime — all resulting in an overall reduction in costs. When you invest in preventive ground support equipment maintenance, you'll experience a significant impact on your productivity and thus your company's long-term return on investment (ROI).