Whether you are new to the concept or already familiar with the process, it always pays to know exactly what ‘dry hire’ actually means.
What does dry hire mean?
In short, dry hire is the hire of any equipment without an operator or driver.
Simply put, you receive the equipment with the standard inclusions that the company you hire from has advertised.
Typically, this includes modern, well-maintained equipment plus all the onsite paperwork and site-required safety specifications with every machine.
This also means the equipment you are hiring is fully compliant.
What is included with dry hire?
Regardless of the machine you hire, there are things that will always be included when you hire from Solution Plant Hire:
- The equipment you ordered in a safe, presentable and working condition (every machine is serviced and cleaned prior to delivery)
- All safety and other paperwork is taken care of
- Pre-start checklists
- Operator manuals
- Service log books
- Operator keys
- A full tank of fuel
- Standard buckets
- All safety specs fitted
- ROPS/FOPS canopy
- Standard equipment such as seat belt, pilot controls, rubber or steel tracks (excavator), rotating LED beacon, working light etc.
Things that won’t be included in your dry hire
- An operator – make sure you have someone authorised and experienced to drive it.
- Additional fuel – make sure you have access to more fuel if it is a big project that requires more than one tank.
- Lubricants – these should not be required, as your equipment should have been serviced prior to delivery.
- Attachments – unless ordered separately (always make sure you have requested the correct ones).
So why should you dry hire your equipment?
The benefits of dry-hiring over buying are obvious, given the high cost of heavy machinery and the need to have it constantly in use to justify the expense.
If you only need an excavator periodically for specific jobs, then hiring is the most cost-effective way to go, and dry hiring even more so than wet hiring.
If you are a reasonably large company with employees experienced in operating heavy machinery, dry hiring is a cheaper alternative than hiring your excavator with a driver.
Dry hire also gives you more control over your project, as your driver works for you and knows exactly what is required, as opposed to a hired driver, who must be instructed and then constantly supervised.
On the other hand, wet hire may be the most appropriate choice if you are a small business which doesn’t have an experienced operator on staff.
As well as the convenience, a hired driver has already been vetted by the hiring company and is fully conversant with the machine, meaning they are likely to do a faster and more efficient job once they are familiar with the project requirements.
Licensing and regulations
A particular incentive for dry over wet hiring is the recent change to Work Health & Safety legislation, which has done away with the need for a licence to operate plant equipment such as front-end loaders, rollers, graders, dozers and excavators.
Those operating cranes and forklifts or performing high-risk work will still need to be licensed, but many types of heavy machinery including excavators no longer need a licenced operator.
However, this doesn’t mean you can just hop aboard and start digging.
The project manager is solely responsible for what happens on-site, and any operators they use will still need to be either highly-experienced or at the very least, trained and in possession of a certificate of competency.
When testing someone’s ability to operate an excavator, they should look for minimum requirements such as:
- Logbooks of on-the-job training in the operation of that particular piece of machinery.
- A previously-issued Workplace Health & Safety certificate or certificate issued by the operator’s state of origin.
- A statement of attainment in the National Unit of Competency Conduct civil construction excavator operations.
Ready to hire?
If you’ve done the math and decided dry-hiring is the best option for your particular project, one final consideration is to ensure that you choose the right equipment for the job.
Every minute an excavator is on your site it is costing you money, so it’s vitally important to select a machine of the size and power needed to do the job in the fastest and most efficient manner.
Fortunately, because you are reading this, you already have a company you can trust to provide you with state-of-the-art equipment that will enable you to complete your project on time and on budget. At Solution Plant Hire, our consultants can offer expert advice based on your requirements and assist you in selecting the exact equipment you will need.
So, for further information, or to get a quick quote for your next project, contact us now at Solution Plant Hire.