Preventing construction delays and downtime
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Delays in construction projects are all too common and can significantly eat into your project budget. They can also have a negative effect on your company’s reputation as you’re not completing work within the agreed timeline. This is exacerbated if those delays are the result of poor health and safety, not complying with regulations or miscommunicating with other stakeholders.
Fuel plays a major role in the success of your project. Any delays around fuel supply therefore need to be avoided by ensuring that you have a good refueling system in place.
Causes of delay in construction projects
Disruption causes downtime, starting a chain reaction of delay and organizational headaches – as missed and late deliveries cause people and machines to stand idle. There are many reasons why delays on construction sites can occur:
- Budget constraints – sometimes, plans change and you need more materials, involve more stakeholders or costs have increased more than expected, this can drain your overall budget and mean you need to find more funds before continuing.
- Labor shortages – current skill shortages in the construction sector are making it harder for site managers to fulfill project requirements, adding to the pressure and slowing progress.
- Sickness or injury – accidents can happen, and while you will take every precaution onsite to minimize these accidents, sometimes employees can still experience an injury or fall ill.
- Severe weather conditions – such as flooding, heavy snow and rain.
- Miscommunication between stakeholders – there are a number of parties involved in a project, and if there’s a mix-up on who’s coming to the site and when, you may have to wait longer for deliveries or equipment set up.
Not all of these challenges are in your control, like severe weather or illness. But there are precautions you can take to minimize the chances of downtime where possible.
How to mitigate construction delays
Clamping down on cost and maximizing efficiency is the secret to smoother operations. Taking control of your fuel is one of the simplest ways to reduce risk and overruns. Below are three ways to help reduce downtime and delays.
Plan ahead
Productivity is all about controlling costs and staying on schedule. Fuel is one of the biggest operating costs on a jobsite, and not having a ready supply in the right place at the right time can turn a profitable project into a loss-making one.
Ordering fuel in bulk means keeping a ready supply onsite at all times, extending your runtimes and keeping you up and running. Tanks like our TransCube Global offer complete flexibility, keeping your fuel safe and secure no matter where it’s stored onsite. You can refuel equipment and generators as quickly as possible, and keep track of how much fuel you’re using throughout your project.
We’ll explore the importance of monitoring your usage later in this guide.
Reducing traffic onsite
A safe site is a productive one, and fewer tanker movements on-site reduce risk. Construction sites are busy working environments, with workers, deliveries and equipment all moving around and taking up space. Accidents can occur as a result of these movements. Managing this traffic and reducing it where possible can help improve your site’s overall health and safety.
We’ve already mentioned that our fuel storage tanks are ideal for bulk storage, meaning less dependence on suppliers – and less downtime waiting for them to arrive. Our UL142 and DOT-approved compliant tanks are also double walled to prevent leaks and spills, minimizing the risk of someone slipping on a fuel spill.
Monitoring fuel consumption
Letting your fuel run dry means wasting time and money restocking and refueling. Ordering in bulk and then monitoring your usage allows you to plan ahead and ensure you always have enough fuel to stay up and running.
Our fuel tanks come equipped with a range of accessories that can help you track fuel consumption. When the fuel in your tank reaches a certain level, you’ll receive alerts so you know to order a delivery before you run out completely. If you’re still relying on deliveries or working in an off-the-grid location, we can also install GPS tracking so you always know where your fuel is and who has access.
You can read more about monitoring your fuel usage in our guide.
Refuel ready with Western Global
Fuel tanks like the TransCube give site supervisors total control and ensure workers are productive and motivated. It’s a transportable, double walled fuel tank that dispenses safe, environmentally secure fuel. It’s used on construction sites all over North America – and deployed to any situation where uninterrupted energy is vital to keep you productive, ready and running.
It’s used on construction sites all over North America – and deployed to any situation where uninterrupted energy is vital to keep you productive, ready and running.
These tough units have four-way forklift pockets, corner brackets for craning, and a lockable equipment cabinet, meaning they can be dropped straight onto site, ready for action. All our most popular tanks are in-stock for fast shipping in the US and can be ordered online.