Equipment Maintenance at MJP
“You take care of your tools, your tools take care of you,” wrote James S.A. Corey, and here at MJP Painting Contractor Corp., we feel those words especially close. With heavy, complex, and oftentimes, dangerous equipment, taking care of the tools becomes a risky and tremendously responsible job – one that our shop manager Shane has perfected over the years.
Starting and Planning the Projects
Every morning for him starts with a meeting alongside Mike John Jr. (our Vice President and Field Operations Manager) and Chris Schlosse (Project Manager and Safety Coordinator), where the team reviews any upcoming jobs and the machines that need to be prepared for the crew.
“For painting jobs, we are, for the most part, ready to go at any time of any day,” says Shane, “unless there is something that a job requires that is outside the norm. At that point, if there is something special, we will make a list, and we will have it loaded up on a trailer or set out with that job number on it so the guys can find it.” Preparing the equipment in advance ensures the safety, success, and speed of the crew – three of the topmost priorities for MJP Painting Contractor Corp.
While painting projects require fewer adjustments, ROW jobs and, consequently, gear depend on a lot of specifics: how far the job is, the time frame the team has to work in, how thick the growth is, and what the terrain is like.
That, in turn, means studying the maps of the terrain, creek crossings, maps of housing in developed areas (private yards), and most importantly, the information on what the re-growth is like (i.e., when was the last time it was mowed).
The Preparation To-Do List
With all of those conditions in mind, the team makes a list of the necessary equipment, and then it’s up to Shane and the other staff to get the machines ready for the crew. Depending on the complexity of the project, it can take them anywhere from a few hours to a week to have everything prepared. On a typical ROW job, Shane’s list may look something like this:
- Three CAT skid steers
- several reel mowers
- one mulching head
- two UTV’s (utility task vehicles)
- two chainsaws
- three trimmers
- one pole saw
- all the hand tools
- extra fluids for the equipment (fuel, engine oil, hydraulic fluid, etc.)
All of this would take him two days to have ready; needless to say, Christmas shopping lists must be a breeze for Shane!
Safety Always Comes First
Servicing the gear is not a safe job either – there is plenty of danger when working with the equipment. The crew has to watch out for everything from electrical shock to pinch points. ROW equipment is very heavy: CATs’ weigh about 12,000 lbs; chainsaws are sharp; air compressors and trucks all have motors that run anywhere from 180-212 degrees Fahrenheit; truck beds are high off the ground and require a ladder to access.
Needless to say, MJP Painting Contractor Corp. takes safety extremely seriously.
“We here at MJP all walk around in the yard with high vis vests, safety glasses, and hard hats,” mentions Shane. “Working in the shop, I typically have FR [flame-resistant] coveralls and safety glasses.”
Equipment Maintenance
Once the crew is back on campus for the day, they fill out the MJP inspection report that Shane uses to track if any equipment broke down or had issues. The ROW machines then go through the post-job maintenance treatment: they all get washed, belly pans pulled, the CAT skid steers’ underside gets cleaned, all the grass on the mowers gets taken out; all equipment gets a grease job, and all fluids are checked and topped off. The shop manager has to pay special attention to trucks – since they are used 7 days a week, he has to come in on a night or a weekend to ensure they are serviced and ready for work as soon as possible.
On top of the regular maintenance and checks, the gear goes through an evaluation period starting every January. Replacements are ordered if needed, and all the equipment – ROW machines, trucks, compressors, paint sprayers, and pressure washers – gets a complete teardown, pressure washing, new fluids and filters, as well as getting reassembled and tested (talk about a “new year, new me”!).
“This is a long task with all the equipment that we have here at MJP,” says Shane,“it usually starts around the first of the year and is pretty much wrapped up by the end of February.”
Such rigorous procedures ensure limited breakdowns, and thus, mean less time spent on fixing the gear. These yearly check-ups are one of the many steps MJP Painting Contractor Corp. takes to provide our customers with high-quality and timely services.
Jack of All Trades
The position of a shop manager is not just about maintenance – during MJP’s busy seasons, Shane uses his expertise and years with the company to keep everything running smoothly. “There might be a day where I am doing mostly office paperwork, and the very next day, I could be jumping in with a crew that might be a man down and mowing with a CAT for the next 12 hours,” he says. “I might be wiring in lights in the shop, I might be pouring a concrete pad, or I could be tracking down an overheating issue on a portable air compressor.” Truly a jack of all trades!
Lightning Round
During the interview, we asked Shane some lightning-round questions about his job:
Do crew members forget their belongings in machines? “The guys are pretty good about keeping trucks clean and not forgetting stuff behind. The number one most unusual thing that I have found so far is a chunk of a deer antler. The operator said that he saw it in the ROW and picked it up to avoid a hole in one of the UTV [utility task vehicle] tires behind him.”
What are the worst and best work seasons for me? “That is a tough question, really. There isn’t really a worst or best season. I like the summer months because I like the warmth; everything runs better in warmer temps. I also like working in the winter because it’s nice knowing that you will be doing maintenance for the next few months.”
What is your favorite piece of equipment? “My favorite piece of equipment is a CAT with a mulching attachment. It’s just satisfying to take a tree and turn it into mulch from the top of the tree all the way to the stump.”
If you’d like to see more of the equipment MJP crews operate, check out our “How We Work” page.
ABOUT MJP Energy Services – MJP Energy Services is a division of M J Painting Contractor Corp., a nationwide leader in blasting, coating and painting services. Since 1970, our expertise has spanned the renewable energy and oil and natural gas industries, with flagship services in comprehensive interior and exterior painting solutions for commercial and industrial facilities. They hold many safety and industry certifications and are members of numerous associations. Headquartered in Olean, New York, M J Painting Contractor Corp. has leveraged its expertise and commitment to quality over the years to grow exponentially with a second location near Pittsburg, PA. The company offers a comprehensive collection of services while acting as the parent company to divisions including MJP Energy Services and Signature Concrete Floor Coatings.