These must-ask questions will ensure your next excavator purchase is a smart one.

These must-ask questions will ensure your next excavator purchase is a smart one.

By Volvo Construction Equipment

Volvo Construction Equipment

Description

Do you know what questions to ask when you’re demoing and comparing new excavators? Working from this checklist will help determine which machine is the wise investment for your fleet.

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excavators purchasing checklist crawler excavators wheeled excavators compact excavators

These must-ask questions will ensure your next excavator purchase is a smart one.

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ActiveCare Direct™ and CareTrack® What’s right for you?

Volvo Construction Equipment

Volvo CareTrack is the telematics system that collects machine information, alerts the customer with alarm codes and provides an online portal for customers to dig deeper into fleet data. Volvo also offers ActiveCare Direct (ACD) — a 24/7/365 machine monitoring and monthly fleet utilization reporting service that relies on CareTrack data. But it’s managed by Volvo on behalf of the customer — helping ease the burden of telematics management, while enhancing remote diagnosis and catching problems before they occur. Each tool is valuable in its own right and can be used independently or in conjunction with each other — depending on customer preference. Here are a few of the differentiators between the two services and their benefits.

Three goals to set for your business using ActiveCare Direct

Volvo Construction Equipment

Are you using telematics beyond scheduling service intervals? Many business owners find it challenging to find the time and resources to use telematics beyond its basic functionality. With ActiveCare Direct, the 24/7/365 telematics monitoring service offered directly from Volvo, you can add an entire team of experts to your fleet from the Volvo Uptime Center and your dealership. With the additional support and the monthly fleet utilization reports you receive, it is easy to use telematics to its full potential, setting goals and business decisions that will keep your business more profitable in the long run.

Five ways to push boundaries with ActiveCare Direct

Volvo Construction Equipment

ActiveCare Direct is the 24/7/365 telematics solution offered directly from Volvo. At the Volvo Uptime Center, thousands of data points from machines are delivered and sorted through using a proprietary system which removes all the guesswork for customers. As telematics solutions become more common, it may be a challenge to see how any program differs from the next.

Three ways ActiveCare Direct reduces the noise to make telematics adoption easy

Volvo Construction Equipment

Data overload is a problem that many business owners and fleet managers fear when it comes to telematics adoption. There is only so much time in a day, and unfortunately, working to analyze the mountains of data that telematics provides is not something many have the time or expertise to manage effectively. ActiveCare Direct, the 24/7/365 telematics monitoring solution from Volvo helps take the added work out of using telematics data to improve your business.

Three ways ActiveCare Direct helps you give more accurate bids

Volvo Construction Equipment

One of the easiest ways to ensure that each job you bid is accurate and profitable is to do the work up front. You may have spent years at this point becoming a bidding expert; you know how long it will take to complete a job and how many machine and operator hours — but what if it could be easier and even more accurate? Using telematics, and ActiveCare Direct from Volvo in particular, can be a useful job bidding tool.

How to spot machine misuse

Volvo Construction Equipment

Using insights and alerts gained through ActiveCare Direct monthly reports allows for operator training that will help avoid five common instances of machine misuse, saving thousands of dollars in machine repair costs down the road.

How to reduce idle times and boost profits

Volvo Construction Equipment

ActiveCare Direct monthly reports provide insights on idle percentages versus work percentages across your entire fleet, by individual machine and by machine type. This allows you to easily compare utilization by operator and machine, as well as set goals for increased utilization over time. Doing so can have an immense impact on your fleet’s profitability.

How does the lift capacity of Volvo excavators compare to industry leading competitors?

Volvo Construction Equipment

The EC350E and EC380E excavators from Volvo were placed against comparable models from two industry-leading competitors. The result: Volvo has up to 12.5% greater reach during lifting and lifts up to 109% faster while traveling.

Volvo EC380E excavator trenches more in less time and at a lower cost.

Volvo Construction Equipment

The EC380E excavator from Volvo was placed against comparable models from two industry-leading competitors to test productivity and fuel efficiency for trenching jobs. See the results.

How does the lift capacity of Volvo excavators compare to industry leading competitors?

Volvo Construction Equipment

The EC350E and EC380E excavators from Volvo were placed against comparable models from two industry-leading competitors. The result: Volvo has up to 12.5% greater reach during lifting and lifts up to 109% faster while traveling

Side-by-side comparison shows Volvo excavators are easier to service.

Volvo Construction Equipment

See all the ways that Volvo excavators are easier to service in a side-by-side comparison to two industry-leading competitor machines.

Small design differences in the excavator can drastically impact safety and productivity.

Volvo Construction Equipment

When compared to two industry-leading competitors, the Volvo EC350E and EC380E excavators far exceed the safety and productivity features of the other brands. See how.

How does Volvo stack up to the competition when it comes to durability?

Volvo Construction Equipment

Little differences in quality can make a big impact when it comes to machine durability. See how two models of Volvo excavators compare to the competition.

How does Volvo stack up to the competition when it comes to durability?

Volvo Construction Equipment

Little differences in quality can make a big impact when it comes to machine durability. See how two models of Volvo excavators compare to the competition.

Volvo demonstrates 20% lower cost/ton versus competition in truck loading

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See how two models of Volvo excavators fared against industry-leading competitors in terms of productivity and fuel efficiency during truck loading.

Mining at the cutting edge

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Site simulation, Volvo articulated haulers and excavators, and flexible financing from Volvo Financial Services play a pivotal role in a family-owned garnet mining business.

Rightsize Your Hauler Fleet

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Is bigger always better? When it comes to articulated haulers, the industry certainly seems to be moving in that direction. While capacity increases can boost production numbers, and ultimately reduce cost per ton, there are many more factors at play that must be evaluated by a fleet manager to ensure the site can reap the rewards of a larger machine. Learn how site simulation and telematics can help you determine the ideal size hauler fleet for your aggregate site.

EC750E Crawler Excavator

Volvo Construction Equipment

The new 75-ton EC750E excavator from Volvo boasts significant improvements to power, productivity and efficiency compared to its predecessor. It is equipped with the Volvo D16J 516-horsepower (392 kW), Tier 4 Final engine, providing an 11 percent increase in horsepower and 7 percent increase in digging force. Its 5 percent gain in fuel efficiency enables higher production at a lower cost per ton. A 4 percent boost in hydraulic flow is made possible by its new electro-hydraulic control system that reduces loss of flow and pressure for increased production.

A60H Articulated Hauler

Volvo Construction Equipment

The A60H, the new 60-ton articulated hauler from Volvo, opens increased production opportunities and cost savings potential. The 673-horsepower (502 kW) Volvo D16J engine offers ample power, and the active hydraulic front suspension, hydro-mechanical steering and high ground clearance at the articulation joint allow for easy navigation of tough terrain. A range of new features come standard, such as Hill Assist, a dump support system, on-board weighing and serviceability improvements.

A45G Articulated Hauler

Volvo Construction Equipment

The Volvo A45G articulated hauler is designed to be both powerful and productive, while remaining incredibly nimble and efficient. The A45G — powered by the latest Volvo D16, Tier 4 Final engine — boasts 469 horsepower (350 kW) and is capable of 45-ton payloads. New improvements include the Volvo Dynamic Drive system, which provides an enhanced gear-shifting strategy that increases customer fuel efficiency by 3 to 10 percent. New standard safety features include Hill Assist and a dump support system.

Mining the cutting edge

Volvo Construction Equipment

Site simulation, Volvo articulated haulers and excavators, and flexible financing from Volvo Financial Services play a pivotal role in a family-owned garnet mining business.

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