BOELIE TRADING · PRACTICAL GUIDES
Understanding machine hours, availability and utilisation
Machine performance is easier to explain when scheduled time, downtime, operating hours and billable hours are recorded separately. A machine can be mechanically available but waiting for work. It can also operate for hours that are treated differently under a hire agreement. One number cannot describe all these situations.
Keep four time records
- Scheduled hours: the agreed time the machine is expected to be available for a shift.
- Unavailable hours: the portion of that window during which the machine cannot perform its assigned work because of a recorded equipment issue.
- Operating hours: the measured operating time, with the measurement method stated.
- Billable hours: hours accepted under the hire agreement, including any agreed minimum or standing-time rules.
State whether operating time comes from the hour meter, telematics or an approved timesheet. An engine-hour meter may include idling, so engine hours should not automatically be described as productive work.
Choose and label the denominator
For a simple shift report, availability can be calculated as (scheduled hours minus unavailable hours) divided by scheduled hours, multiplied by 100. Operating utilisation against the scheduled shift is operating hours divided by scheduled hours, multiplied by 100.
Some contracts define utilisation against available hours instead. That is a different measure and must be labelled explicitly. Agree definitions before comparing sites or using results for payment or performance incentives.
A worked twelve-hour shift
Suppose a machine is scheduled for 12 hours, unavailable for 2 hours and records 8 operating hours. It has 10 available hours. Availability is 10 ÷ 12 × 100 = 83.3%. Operating utilisation against the scheduled shift is 8 ÷ 12 × 100 = 66.7%. Against available hours it is 8 ÷ 10 × 100 = 80%.
The remaining two available hours need a reason code, such as waiting for a truck, no work front or restricted access. They should not be silently labelled as a breakdown. These figures are illustrative and do not describe an actual Boelie shift.
Reconcile the daily sheet
Record the machine identifier, date, shift, opening and closing meter readings, operator and approving supervisor. Calculate the meter difference, then check it against shift length and any rollover, replacement or correction. Log each stoppage with start and finish times, a reason and the person notified. Avoid overlapping downtime entries.
Keep the original entry when a correction is made, alongside the explanation and approval. Reconcile disputed hours before invoice preparation. A minimum-hour agreement can make billable hours different from meter hours; show that adjustment separately rather than changing the meter record.
Use fuel data carefully
Litres per operating hour equals fuel consumed divided by operating hours. For example, 108 litres over 8 operating hours gives 13.5 litres per hour. Fuel issued on one day may replenish fuel used on a previous shift, so delivery records alone may not represent consumption for that day. Use a consistent measurement period and account for opening and closing fuel where available.
Compare machines performing similar tasks under similar conditions. Material, travel distance, idling, operator changes and machine size can all affect the result. Investigate an unusual figure before treating it as evidence of poor operation.
Handle missing or zero values
If scheduled hours are zero, show availability and scheduled utilisation as not applicable rather than dividing by zero. If operating hours are missing, flag the report as incomplete. Do not replace missing records with zeros: zero means a measured absence of work, whereas missing means the result is unknown.
For a Boelie hire enquiry, agree the reporting method, sign-off responsibility and commercial treatment of delays before the first shift. Contact our team to discuss those requirements.