Heavy Equipment Hour Meter

Hi,

Engine Hours is count when engine run at idle or rated. Control Hours is count when battery connected or system power up. Hope that can satisfied you !

Here in the US, the charges start when a piece of heavy equimpment leaves the yard and continue until they return. The price covers both equipment and operator. The charges don't stop when the equipment is idle.

Most hour meters are set up to run off of oil pressure. There is a pressure switch that closes once the engine has started. In aircraft, the Hobbs (as it is called) hours run just a bit off from the engine Tach time. Some say the Hobbs is for making money and tach is for keeping the engine alive.

I read your post as you do not want the hour meter to count when the engine is running at idle.

If this is in fact the case, you will need to add a limit or micro switch to any parameter that dictates that the truck is actually being operated and not just running at idle. The switch would complete the power source to the meter only when the truck is in motion or above idle.

A couple ideas that quickly come to mind are;

A- Connect a switch to the throttle linkage.

B- If a neutral switch exists you could use this.

There are many more possibility's

Regards,

Tim in Mexico (not logged in)

I might be reading his post wrong, but I don't think he wants to pay for any time that the trucks are not actually doing work.

If I'm right, all I can say is, next time you're in a cab, watch the meter..........Does it stop when the cab is stopped at a red light?

I agree with the others, it is a usual practice to charge for machine run time. Fuel is burned, insurance must be paid, and the driver must be paid.

There is, however, a device to measure as you ask. A hubometer, fitted to the axle of the truck, will tell the actual miles (or Km) driven. These devices are very common, and the trucks may already have them.

And you will need to negotiate a price between actual work/driven time and idle time.

I have a suggestion. Why don't YOU buy a truck and rent it to yourself, charge the going rate but only for the hours that the wheels are actually turning, then see how long it takes for you to realize that you are losing your ass on that arrangement?

Among other things, you are paying for the convenience of having the truck, or any rented machine for that matter, at your disposal for the duration of the rental period. Why is it idling? Perhaps on account of poor task management on your job-site?

If you rent an un-operated machine or vehicle from a rental outlet, you will pay the appropriate increment rate whether you run it for the entire period or park it in the shade and admire it. If you run it for more than the allotted hours for the period, you will pay an additional incremental rate for that use.

Anyone who has owned equipment quickly learns the means by which all of the related costs of ownership are recovered, or he goes broke.

Google "Davis Instruments". I think they have what you are looking for.

There are GPS tracking systems that do exactly what you are talking about. The one our company uses shows time in motion, distance traveled, stop time and has the ability to show PTO and idle time. We do not use the last 2. They have customizable reports available as well as many standardized reports. The question you seem to want to address may be answered by their "Exception Report". You set it up to report leaving the approved area, stopping at an unapproved area, idling longer than a specified time, etc, etc, etc. I sends an email when the exception happens. -- JHF

Well, gee, I would turn off the truck if I didn't want to pay for "idle run time".

Sounds like you are just trying to get out of paying the poor driver for his time in the truck.

it is simple, just turn the engine off.

May I make a suggestion? It sounds like you need more than one hour meter. Is the machine a newer unit with electronic controls? Try this, and yes, it will save you money! An hour meter wired to an oil pressure switch on a T so you also retain an oil pressure reading, an hour meter wired to run when the directional switch is out of neutral, and an hour meter that is activated when the ignition is on. That way you will have an accurate count on engine hours, chassis hours, system hours, and movement (operational) hours.

hi there, a dumptruck moves when the transmission is engaged. transmission pressure is also being monitored by a transducer and pressure switch setup. use signal from that pressure switch to run a separate hour meter to gauge working hours. engine hour meter is very important indicator for future overhauls or replacement so it must also be gauged working or idling.