Think you know how to properly park your Cat® equipment? You may be surprised! Proper parking is critical for ensuring the safety of your operators and those working around them, and for keeping your machine in top condition for as long as you own it.
Things like temperature and ground conditions affect proper safety protocol, and even the most experienced operators can forget the basics, or get sloppy and complacent over time. Fortunately, MacAllister Machinery is here to help. Check out our brief video on proper parking technique for a Cat mini excavator:
Video Transcription
Hey, I’m Colin and this is today’s Quick Tip.
Today I am going to show you how to properly park your Cat Mini Hydraulic Excavator.
Proper parking technique is important to protect yourself, your machine, and those around you.
First, reduce your engine speed as you approach your parking location. Ensure that your parking location is on level ground.
Lower your blade and extend the stick and bucket, lowering the boom until your bucket is resting on the ground.
In freezing conditions be sure to park the machine on boards to prevent the tracks from freezing to the ground.
Next, raise the hydraulic control console to disengage the hydraulic control system.
Be sure to run the engine for 5 minutes at low idle to avoid engine overheating.
Now you can shut down the machine.
Move the controls to relieve any working pressure.
Now you’re ready to exit the cab using three points of contact.
Now the machine is parked safely and ready to go back to work again soon.
As always, consult your operation and maintenance manual for more information.
That was today’s Quick Tip, thanks for watching.
Why Proper Parking Matters
How you handle your heavy equipment is just one component of your overall productivity. As your partner for success, MacAllister Machinery offers a combination of productivity and technology tools that help you maximize equipment uptime, minimize safety risks and get the best overall performance out of your entire fleet. Some of the ways we can help include:
- By arranging operator training in machine control, site calibration, fleet management software and other things related to productivity
- By connecting you with Product Link™ remote asset tracking technology and helping you use the insights it delivers to identify behaviors and trends that are costing you money
- By putting together a complete preventative maintenance or equipment management package that helps you get the most out of your machines
- By signing you up for Parts.Cat.com, our online ordering platform that makes getting genuine OEM, remanufactured and used Cat parts easy and worry-free
MacAllister Machinery: Your Partner in Safety
At MacAllister Machinery, our role involves more than just selling and servicing equipment by Cat and allied brands. In everything we do, our goal is to help you run a more profitable, productive and sustainable operation — from the ground up. Our team will provide support and expertise that lets you enjoy the full benefits of a fleet of advanced Cat equipment.
From something as simple as teaching you the proper parking technique for a Cat machine, to big-picture strategizing, MacAllister Machinery will be there for your organization. To learn more about our services and solutions, keep browsing our website or fill out the contact form on this page to get in touch with a representative directly.