Heavy equipment maintenance software for hour-meter service, inspections and site repairs

Service every excavator, crane, loader, forklift and compressor on its hours or its calendar date, keep each machine's inspections and repairs on one history, and get the right technician and parts to a breakdown on a customer's site.

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Updated 15 Oct 2026

FieldEx scheduling board on desktop with a technician's inspection checklist open on the mobile app, as used by heavy equipment service teams

FieldEx is heavy equipment maintenance software that combines field service management with a computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) for equipment dealers, service providers and fleet owners. It schedules service by hour meter or calendar, whichever comes first, keeps every machine and component on its own history, runs crane and lifting inspections with the reports attached, and sends technicians to breakdowns on customer sites with the parts they need.

What FieldEx does for heavy equipment service teams

Heavy equipment work runs on three clocks at once: the hour meter, the inspection calendar and the customer who has a machine down on site. FieldEx keeps all three on the machine's own record, so the 500-hour service, the annual crane inspection and the hydraulic hose replaced last Tuesday sit in one history. Book a demo to see it with your own fleet.

Every machine and its components on record

An asset record for every excavator, crane, wheel loader, forklift, compressor and generator, with serial number, specifications, photos, warranty details, location and acquisition or depreciation information.
Parent and component levels, so an engine, a hydraulic pump, a slew ring or an attachment keeps its own history under the machine, in asset management.
Machines linked to the customer and site they work on, with lifecycle statuses such as in service, under repair or out of service.
QR or barcode labels on each machine, and a change history of who edited what and when.

Service by hour meter, calendar or both

Maintenance plans that trigger on running hours, on the calendar, or on whichever threshold is reached first.
Each machine's own meter interval, or one custom interval applied across a whole plan, with a default meter unit and service frequency set per equipment type.
Different checklists and technicians for different points in the cycle, such as a 250-hour, 500-hour and 2,000-hour service.
New machines that match the plan's criteria added to it automatically, in preventive maintenance.

Crane, lifting and pressure inspections

Recurring inspections and certifications per equipment type on standard or custom frequencies, with the certifying body recorded.
Due, overdue and completed status, with reminders by email, in-app notification or both.
The date, the inspector, the result and remarks on each record, with the examination report or certificate attached, through compliance documentation.
Inspection checklists that raise repair jobs from failed answers, update the machine's status and meter reading, and book a follow-up inspection.

Breakdowns on customer sites

A QR label on each machine that opens a breakdown request without logging in, with the location, a description, contact details and photos or video.
A branded customer portal where customers raise service requests, request a date and see their machines with last-serviced dates, in the customer portal.
Automatic assignment by skill, availability, shift, leave, service zone and live location, with a drag-and-drop scheduler for the exceptions, in scheduling and dispatch.
Response and repair targets per customer or per machine, measured in business hours, with at-risk and violation alerts.

Technicians at the machine

Each job on the FieldEx mobile app with the machine's history, its checklist, number fields for readings, watermarked photos and the customer's signature.
An alert when a new job repeats a recent job on the same machine, so a returning fault is seen before the technician leaves.
Travel to the site recorded as a task journey with distance and duration, plus check-in and check-out on the job.
Jobs and tasks can be downloaded and worked offline, with check-in, check-out and travel synced later.

Parts for the job

Spare parts in each warehouse and in each technician's van stock, with transfers, barcode scanning and approvals where needed.
Reorder and low-stock alerts per stock location, and part availability by warehouse, zone or technician, in spare parts inventory.
Parts used recorded on the job and the machine, with manufacturer details and warranty periods on each part.

Service reports, history and fleet figures

Completion PDFs with the equipment, fault and resolution, parts with quantities and prices, check-in and check-out times, mileage, attachments and the customer's signature, emailed with a record of when each was sent.
Service contracts with start and end dates, linked to the machines and maintenance plans they cover.
Reports on asset reliability, maintenance cost, utilization and age, and on jobs, inspections and technicians, exported or emailed on a schedule, in reporting and analytics.

How often does a crane need to be inspected?

In US construction, OSHA's crane rule, 29 CFR 1926.1412, sets three layers. A competent person begins a visual inspection before each shift the crane will be used, equipment in service is inspected each month, and a qualified person inspects it at least every 12 months. For crawler, locomotive and truck cranes in general industry, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.180 splits inspections into frequent ones, daily to monthly, and periodic ones at 1- to 12-month intervals or as the manufacturer recommends. Safe Work Australia's guide to inspecting and maintaining cranes (December 2015) describes routine inspections weekly, monthly or quarterly, with an annual inspection where the manufacturer's intervals are not practicable.

So one crane carries a shift check, a monthly check and an annual inspection at the same time, and the manufacturer's schedule applies whenever it is stricter.

What FieldEx does about it

Three cycles on one crane: the shift, monthly and annual inspections each run as their own recurring inspection, linked to their own checklist and due date.
Frequencies set by equipment type: schedules run daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, six-monthly or annually, so mobile cranes, crawler cranes and tower cranes each follow the cycle that applies to them.
The right person on each one: the operator completes the shift check on the phone, while the annual inspection is assigned to a qualified inspector by skill.
What is due this week: the dashboard shows overdue inspections, those due in the next 7 days and those completed in the last 7 days, filtered by equipment type or service zone.

What records does an OSHA crane inspection need, and how long are they kept?

Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1412, the monthly inspection record shows the items checked, the results, the name and signature of the person who did the inspection and the date, and it is kept for at least 3 months. The annual comprehensive inspection is documented and kept for at least 12 months. Maintenance on other machinery carries similar paperwork: where lockout procedures apply, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 requires the employer to certify each periodic inspection of the procedure, naming the machine, the date, the employees included and the person who did the inspection.

These are minimums, and a crane's records often need to follow it from one site, owner or hire customer to the next.

What FieldEx does about it

The four OSHA fields on every record: each inspection holds the checklist answers, the result, the person who did it, picked from your user list, and the completion date.
Signed on site: the technician captures a signature in the mobile completion flow, and the job's PDF shows it with the check-in and check-out times.
Kept on the crane: inspection records stay on the crane's asset record, with a change history of who edited what and when, so the 3-month and 12-month minimums are easy to exceed.
Ready when asked: inspection data can be filtered by date range, equipment type or service zone and exported as CSV, Excel or PDF.

What is a 10-year major inspection on a mobile crane?

A major inspection is a strip-down examination of the parts a routine or annual inspection cannot see. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland's alert on mobile crane boom failure (issued 30 May 2022, updated 29 June 2022) says major inspections on mobile cranes are typically carried out at intervals not exceeding 10 years unless the crane manufacturer states otherwise, and must be comprehensive, focusing on critical areas that cannot be seen during routine and annual inspections. Safe Work Australia's crane guide (December 2015) says a major inspection must be completed for registered mobile and tower cranes, and that an annual inspection may be less comprehensive than a major one.

A 10-year date is easy to lose across a fleet, especially when a crane changes hands or is bought second-hand.

What FieldEx does about it

Long cycles as certifications: the major inspection runs as a recurring certification with a custom frequency, alongside the crane's annual and monthly inspections.
Dates that survive a change of owner: acquisition information, attachments and the full inspection history stay on the crane's record, so the date of the last major inspection is on file.
Component history: the boom, slew ring and hoist can be components under the crane, each with its own repairs and parts recorded.
Reports by age: asset reports show machine age and lifecycle details, so cranes nearing a major inspection can be listed early.

Should a LOLER thorough examination be every 6 months or every 12 months?

It depends on what the equipment lifts. Regulation 9 of the UK Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) requires a thorough examination at least every 6 months for lifting equipment used to lift people and for lifting accessories such as slings and shackles, and at least every 12 months for other lifting equipment, unless an examination scheme sets different intervals. Equipment exposed to conditions that cause deterioration must also be inspected by a competent person at suitable intervals between thorough examinations.

The report itself has required contents. LOLER Schedule 1 says it must state whether the examination was within the 6-month or 12-month interval, the safe working load (or the safe working load for the last configuration examined), the latest date for the next thorough examination, and any defective parts with a description of the defect.

What FieldEx does about it

The right cycle per item: man-riding equipment and lifting accessories run on a six-month certification, other lifting equipment on a 12-month one, or a custom frequency set by an examination scheme.
Accessories as their own assets: slings, chains and shackles can each carry a QR label and their own examination record under the crane or the stores location.
Interim inspections in between: inspections between thorough examinations run on their own schedule and checklist, so deterioration checks are not missed.
Report attached, next date set: the examination report is attached to the completed certification, and the next due date and reminders follow automatically.

How often should a forklift or mobile machine be checked before use, and what happens when the check finds a defect?

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 requires powered industrial trucks to be examined before being placed in service, at least daily, and after each shift where trucks are used round the clock. Defects are reported and corrected immediately, and a truck not in safe operating condition is removed from service. In US mines, MSHA's rule 30 CFR 56.14100 requires self-propelled mobile equipment to be inspected by the operator before use on each shift. Defects that make the machine hazardous are tagged out of use until corrected, and defects not corrected straight away are recorded and the records kept until the defect is corrected.

In the UK, HSE's PUWER guide INDG291 (rev1, 2013) says inspections should be by a competent person, with a record kept until the next inspection.

What FieldEx does about it

A daily check from a scan: the operator scans the machine's QR label, opens its pre-use checklist and answers it on the phone.
Failed answers raise the repair: a failed answer creates the repair job and its tasks straight away, so the defect is reported and assigned in the same step.
Out of service on the record: the checklist can change the machine's status to out of service, and it stays that way until it is returned to service after the repair.
Open defects tracked until closed: every open repair stays in the backlog and on the machine's history until it is done, with photos of the defect attached.

What is the recommended service interval by hour meter for heavy equipment?

The machine's own operation and maintenance manual sets it, and the rule is to service at whichever interval comes first. Caterpillar's Machine Fluids Recommendations (SEBU6250-30, December 2020) says recommended service should always be performed at the interval that occurs first, and that extremely severe, dusty or wet conditions may need more frequent lubrication and filter changes than the interval chart shows. Its general oil sampling intervals are 250 hours for the engine and 500 hours for the transmission, hydraulics, differential and final drives. Fuel tanks are drained of sediment every 500 hours or 3 months, and water separators daily.

For cranes, OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1412 adds that where the manufacturer's inspection schedule is more frequent or more comprehensive than OSHA's, the manufacturer's schedule must be followed.

What FieldEx does about it

Hours or months, whichever first: a plan can trigger at 500 hours or 3 months, and creates the job at whichever threshold the machine reaches first.
Hours from the field: technicians and operators enter hour-meter readings from the machine's record or its checklist, building a reading history that drives the next service.
One plan, several service levels: the 250-hour, 500-hour and 2,000-hour services each get their own checklist and technician within the same plan.
Shorter intervals for harsh sites: a custom meter interval can be applied to the machines on a dusty quarry or a wet site, while the rest of the fleet keeps the standard one.

How often should hydraulic oil be changed and sampled?

The drain interval depends on the oil and on what the samples show. Caterpillar's SEBU6250-30 manual (December 2020) gives a 6,000-hour or longer drain interval for Cat HYDO Advanced hydraulic oils and a 2,000-hour interval for non-Cat commercial hydraulic oils, and recommends S·O·S oil analysis when the interval is extended to 6,000 hours or more. Caterpillar's guidance on S·O·S fluid analysis (17 August 2026) describes how to extend an interval safely: sample at 250 hours, then at 350 hours, extend by 100 hours while results stay normal, and keep sampling every 100 hours once the target interval is reached.

That makes oil sampling a recurring job of its own, separate from the oil change.

What FieldEx does about it

Sampling and changes as separate cycles: oil sampling runs every 100 or 250 hours as its own job, and the drain on its own longer meter interval.
Lab results on the machine: fluid analysis reports are attached to the job or the machine's record, next to the readings taken on site.
Readings as numbers: forms on the job add number fields, so the technician records exact values such as hours, pressures or temperatures.
Change the interval when the results allow: the plan's meter interval can be edited when analysis supports a longer drain, and the next service date moves with it.

Do air compressors need a written scheme of examination?

Yes, in most cases. HSE's brief guide to pressure systems, INDG261 (rev2, 2012), says that under the UK Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 a written scheme of examination is required for most pressure systems, with only very small systems exempt. A pressure system must not be operated, or hired out, until it has a written scheme and has been examined. The scheme specifies the nature and frequency of examinations, and HSE is clear that it is not a substitute for routine maintenance.

For a compressor fleet, that means two schedules per unit: the examination the scheme requires, and the servicing the manufacturer recommends.

What FieldEx does about it

The scheme's dates as certifications: each compressor and air receiver carries its examination as a recurring certification at the frequency the scheme sets, with the competent person recorded.
Servicing on its own plan: filter, oil and belt servicing runs on running hours or calendar dates in a separate maintenance plan.
The scheme on file: the written scheme and each examination report are attached to the compressor's record.
Not released until examined: a compressor whose examination is overdue shows as overdue on the dashboard, and its status can be set to out of service until the examination is done.

What should be done before a technician starts maintenance or repair on a machine?

Make it safe first. OSHA's lockout/tagout rule, 29 CFR 1910.147, requires energy control procedures to be developed, documented and used when employees service machines, and the procedure itself to be inspected at least annually by an authorized employee other than those using it. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 says a forklift needing electrical repairs has its battery disconnected first, and repairs are made only by authorized personnel. For pressure systems, HSE's INDG261 says systems should be depressurised before maintenance work is carried out.

The isolation step has to come before the spanner work, every time, and someone has to be able to show it did.

What FieldEx does about it

Isolation as the first task: the job can be built as an ordered procedure, with isolation, battery disconnection or depressurising as a task that must be completed before the next one starts.
Tasks that block closing: designated tasks must be completed before the job can be closed, so a skipped step is visible.
Authorized people only: assignment rules send repair jobs to technicians with the matching skill.
The annual procedure check: the yearly inspection of each energy control procedure runs as a recurring inspection with the inspector, the date and remarks recorded on it.

Do you have to keep maintenance records for plant and work equipment?

In the UK, HSE's PUWER guide INDG291 (rev1, 2013) says employers must be able to show arrangements to keep equipment maintained, using the manufacturer's maintenance instructions as a guide, particularly where there are safety-critical features. Inspection records should be kept until the next inspection. In US mines, MSHA's 30 CFR 56.14100 requires safety defects on self-propelled mobile equipment that are not corrected immediately to be reported to and recorded by the mine operator.

Beyond the legal minimum, the service history is what a dealer relies on for warranty decisions and what a buyer asks for when a machine is resold.

What FieldEx does about it

Every job on the machine: each service, inspection, repair, meter reading and part used stays on the machine's record, with photos and attachments.
The manufacturer's schedule built in: checklists follow the manufacturer's schedule, with questions generated with AI from a PDF or PNG of your existing checklist or procedure.
Warranty details at hand: warranty details on each machine and warranty periods on each part sit next to the repairs that used them.
A history you can hand over: the machine's jobs, inspections and parts can be reported and exported for an owner, auditor or buyer.

Does a crane need inspecting after a repair or after sitting idle?

Yes. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1412 requires equipment to be inspected by a qualified person after a repair or adjustment has been completed and before it is used again, including functional testing. Equipment that has been idle for 3 months or more must also be inspected by a qualified person before use. Safe Work Australia's crane guide (December 2015) says cranes should be routinely inspected and tested even if they are not operated regularly, and damaged cranes should be taken out of service.

On a hire fleet or a dealer's yard, idle machines are the ones most likely to miss an inspection, because nothing about their use reminds anyone.

What FieldEx does about it

Post-repair inspection booked automatically: completing the repair's checklist can create the follow-up inspection, assigned to a qualified person.
Idle cranes on a calendar plan: a calendar trigger keeps inspections coming even when the hour meter hasn't moved.
Find what has been standing: asset lists filter by status, location and type, and reports show each machine's last service date, so idle cranes can be checked before they go back out.
Back in service on record: the inspection can update the crane's status, so passing it puts the crane back in service on its record.

What should happen when a defect is found on a crane or machine on site?

Stop using it, record it and get it fixed. DOSH's competent person guidelines require crane competent persons to inform the State DOSH office of any defects found on the crane structure and components under their supervision. There is no Malaysian rule on tagging other mobile machines, so international practice applies: the US mining rule MSHA 30 CFR 56.14100 requires a tag or other effective marking on defective items to prohibit further use until the defects are corrected.

On a busy project, a defect reported by WhatsApp is easy to lose; a defect logged against the machine is not.

What FieldEx does about it

Defect to repair job in one step: a failed answer on the site checklist raises the repair job and its tasks immediately.
Not to be used: the same checklist can change the machine's status, so planners see straight away that it is off hire or out of use.
Photos as proof: watermarked photos and video of the defect are attached to the job.
A record for the State DOSH report: the defect, the repair and the follow-up inspection are all on the crane's history, ready for the competent person's report.

Customer story

Sime Industrial, a heavy equipment provider serving construction, mining and energy customers with machinery, servicing and rentals, runs its field service operations on FieldEx. Its story describes moving off Excel and WhatsApp to real-time job tracking, live technician locations and task progress in one view, and mileage and job claims backed by real-time logs.

Read the Sime Industrial story

Questions heavy equipment dealers and fleet owners ask about FieldEx

What is the best heavy equipment maintenance software for a service team in the field?

It needs hour-meter maintenance, inspection records, parts and field jobs in one place. FieldEx combines a maintenance system with field service management, so the plan that schedules a 500-hour service also dispatches the technician, books the parts and keeps the report on the machine. Compare approaches in our guide to CMMS software.

Can FieldEx schedule maintenance by engine hours and by date?

Yes. A plan can trigger on running hours, on calendar dates or on whichever comes first, using each machine's own meter interval or one interval across the plan.

Can we track components such as engines and attachments separately?

Yes. Components sit under their parent machine, each with its own jobs, parts and history.

Can our customers report a breakdown themselves?

Yes. They can scan the QR label on the machine to open a request form without logging in, or use the branded customer portal, and the request arrives as an unassigned job ready to dispatch.

Can FieldEx manage crane inspections and certificates?

Yes. Inspections and certifications run on recurring schedules per equipment type, show as due, overdue or completed, send reminders and keep the report attached.

Can technicians see a machine's service history on site?

Yes. The mobile app shows the machine's record and past jobs, and alerts the technician when a new job repeats a recent one on the same machine.

Can FieldEx track parts in technicians' vans?

Yes. Each technician has their own van stock alongside the warehouses, with transfers, reorder alerts and a record of every part used on each job.

Can we set response times for customers on a service contract?

Yes. Service-level agreements can apply to selected customers, scoped to a specific machine where needed, with several stages and at-risk and violation alerts.

Does the mobile app work on remote sites without a signal?

Yes. Jobs and tasks can be downloaded and worked offline, with check-in, check-out and travel synced later.

What does it take to get our fleet running on FieldEx?

Once we know your requirements and your data is ready, FieldEx can be implemented in as little as a week with standard features for small businesses. Larger setups and custom work take longer. Setup, data upload and training are included in the subscription, with no setup fee. Machines and parts can be uploaded. FieldEx helps with setup, and training is included. See FieldEx implementation.

See your fleet's hours, inspections and repairs in one system

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