NB-80 Lube Skid
LUBE SKID | NB-80
Whether it’s a 250, 500 or 1,000 hour plus preventative maintenance interval, Heritage Industries’ lube skid has the capacity to do the job. This self-contained, all aluminum unit can be used as a standalone or in a van, pick-up truck or other service vehicle. Docking rails, forklift pockets and hoist points on each of its four corners make securing and moving the lube skid simple and safe.
With its 5 reels, the flow optimized NB-80 provides versatility and capacity plus spill and leak containment. The NB-80’s integrated DECKED™ system provides plenty of storage and easy access to items such as filters, tools, shop towels and more.
“Driving a van with a lube skid has many advantages that I like. I can squeeze into many jobs and tight spots where before machines would’ve had to be moved to another location. I can go into driveways and small sites and not worry about breaking the concrete, hitting low wires, and not having enough room to work efficiently. I often get called to be a pump truck because I have the ability to pump oil from barrels or buckets. This comes in handy when using oil from customers or oil that we do not carry in bulk. Recently, I pumped 15 barrels of hydraulic oil for a customer using their own oil. Last week, I pumped 80W90 gear oil into a Cat scraper without HANDPUMPING. It took the whole 55-gallon barrel. That is a major win!! The versatility is awesome, it’s easy to use, so many applications, and it is all around a very valuable part of our fleet for sure!!”
— Matt Pontius, a Wheeler lube service tech for 12 years
Why Use a Lube Skid…
Background
Companies using large field service trucks to maintain heavy equipment face many obstacles such as high fuel costs, after-hour noise restrictions, finding qualified labor, DOT regulations among others. These obstacles make it difficult for lube service providers to be profitable, safe, flexible and efficient. Heritage Industries’ patent-pending lube skid provides a solution to address these challenges.
Greater Flexibility
Whether it’s a 250, 500 or 1,000 hour plus preventative maintenance interval, the lube skid has the capacity to do the job. Integrated storage and capacity provide easy access to items like tools, filters, shop towels and more. Large trucks are often not welcome in neighborhoods, and complaints of large trucks are often received once darkness falls. Time restrictions can lead to a backlog causing lost bandwidth for taking on new clients. With an inconspicuous, quiet van, the night opens up for maintenance scheduling. This self-contained unit can be used as a standalone or utilized in a van, pick-up truck or other service vehicle. Docking rails, forklift pockets and hoist points on each of its four corners make securing and moving the lube skid simple and safe.
Ease of Finding Labor
The skilled labor shortage is an ongoing challenge for many industries. This is especially true when it comes to finding service technicians to perform maintenance and repair on heavy equipment. Add in the requirement for a CDL, and it’s an order many companies can’t fill. Even when companies are willing to sponsor a service tech to get a CDL, many techs are unwilling. Easily transportable in a van, the lube skid eliminates the need for a CDL and thus the hassles that come with it – no more dealing with medical cards or logging DOT hours. Plus, vans are easier to maneuver, park and drive thus decreasing the stress even tenured techs can experience while operating large trucks.
Increased Safety
Less bulk and increased visibility make driving a van safer than a large truck. With a narrow body, mobility increases, and parking is far easier to procure. This is particularly important in the freeway environment where many maintenance jobs are performed. Certain job site locations like city streets and ski resorts often times are unable to accommodate a large service truck.
Reduced Owning & Operating Costs
In addition to lower price tag, a lube skid equipped van consumes far less fuel than a traditional field service truck. A field truck gets an average of 6 miles per gallon whereas a van gets 16. With 10 miles more per gallon, jobs in rural or far away areas are no longer inaccessible due to profits being eaten up by travel costs. More jobs paired with greater profits per job, make the lube skid the choice major companies are adopting. Heritage Industries’ lube skids are quickly becoming the preferred method for Wheeler Machinery Co., a leading and innovative Cat dealer, to perform maintenance services for its customers. Plans to expand its fleet of lube skid vans are underway due not to only to increased profits and more jobs but technician requests as well.
Conclusion
The heavy equipment industry is moving toward the lube skid equipped vans rather than field trucks to maintain and repair equipment in the field. This new and innovative approach saves money while enhancing safety, profits and flexibility.
U.S. Patent No. 11,598,231