IS IT A REBUILD, OR A REBIRTH? (Mike Rowe)

Mike Rowe talks with a Waste customer about benefits of Certified Rebuilds!

See below to find out how to get your FREE JACKET with a Quote.

LAST DAY FOR A FREE COAT with a CERTIFIED REBUILD QUOTE!!!!!

This is the FREE Jacket you get with your quote!

Have you hit a fork in the road?  Your machine is not performing the way it used to, but you don't have the capital to replace it. What do you do?

      Even our largest customers wrestle with this problem, how do you get the most out of machines that are reaching the end of their life cycle. Well what is scrap going for these days, and what does your machine weigh? Just kidding. If you truly want the lowest cost per hour possible, than take advantage of the fact that CAT machines are not a one and done machine. THEY ARE BUILT TO BE REBUILT!

Customers from DTE, to County Road Commissions use Machine and Powertrain Rebuilds to:

• Keep machines their operators are comfortable with, and restore LIKE NEW Performance.
• Increase RESALE VALUE.
• Get a NEW 3 year 5000 Hour Warranty.
• Get all the benefits of a New Machine for 35-65% less than the cost of new.

In order to make you rebuild affordable CAT Financial, through CAT ACCESS, is offering the following low cost financing options:

1. 6 MONTHS NO PAYMENTS @ 0%
2. 12 MONTHLY PAYMENTS @ 0%
3. 24 MONTHLY PAYMENTS BETWEEN ZERO AND 2.5%
4. 6 MONTHS NO PAYMENTS, THEN 12 PAYMENTS AT 0% (Cost is 2.225% of transaction amount)

    Getting a quote and your free jacket is easy!  Just email or call me with you Business Name, Machine Serial #, and the option you are interested in, Machine Rebuild or Powertrain Rebuild. Once we have this information we will put together a quote and let you know how we will get your FREE COAT to you! There is no obligation for the free coat, however there are a limited amount and it is first come first serve.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns as I am always happy to help!

John Millard 248-349-4800  ext. 4621

irs.gov (FREE TAX Webinar for Small Business Owners, Contractors & the Self-Employed)

April is almost here :( 
Are you ready for Uncle Sam?  Michigan CAT wants to make sure you are taking advantage of all information that can help reduce your operating costs.  


When it comes to taxes "The more you know, the LESS YOU PAY!"  Please see the information below, our tax dollars are paying for this webinar, take advantage of it!

Internal Revenue Service FREE Webinar for Tax Professionals and Small Businesses:

Business Taxes for the Self-Employed

On Tuesday, March 29, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service is presenting a FREE webinar for tax professionals, small businesses, self-employed persons and independent contractors: Business Taxes for the Self-Employed: The Basics.

The webinar will cover:

·                Reporting profit or loss from a business or profession

·                Self-employment tax and estimated tax payments

·                Schedule C and C-EZ

·                Deducting business expenses

·                Husband and wife businesses

·                Recordkeeping

The webinar starts at 2 p.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. Central, noon Mountain and 11 a.m. Pacific.

Register and attend by clicking on this link or copy and paste this URL in your browser: http://www.visualwebcaster.com/IRS/77024/reg.asp?id=77024.

For more information on IRS national and local phone forums and webinars for small businesses, visit www.irs.gov and search Webinars for information about this and other events.

To keep up with the latest IRS news and announcements for small businesses, subscribe to e-News for Small Businesses, a bi-weekly, electronic newsletter that alerts small business owners to what’s new, hot and important for them to know. It’s quick to read, easy to subscribe – and it’s FREE.  On IRS.gov, click “Subscribe Now” at the bottom of the page and enter your e-mail address.

NEW CAT TRUCK VIDEO (YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT IT, NOW SEE IT!)

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE NEW CAT TRUCK

Please feel free to contact me directly for more information on Specs, etc. for the new CAT Truck!
John Millard
248-349-4800 ext 4621
john.millard@michigantcat.com

Mike Rowe Hits the Dirt with CAT (Great Videos on Performing Inspections)

Visit our READY TO WORK site(CLICK HERE) for some great videos on how to perform money saving inspections properly. If you are interested in a visual inspection checklist for your machine email me at john.millard@michigancat.com

Mike Rowe Is Ready to Hit the Dirt with

Caterpillar Customers and Dealers

The Dirty Jobs creator and star is teaming with the company to showcase

 Caterpillar Customers, Dealers and Employees.

Peoria, IL – Caterpillar Inc (CAT: NYSE) has announced that it is partnering with Mike Rowe, the creator and star of the Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs and founder of mikeroweWORKS.com.   With Mike’s dedication to the trades and Caterpillar’s commitment to its customers, the two have joined forces to highlight the important and essential work Caterpillar customers perform everyday.  

Win a Trip to CONEXPO in Las Vegas!!!!!!!!! Enter before 2/22/11

Caterpillar Inc. Announces Sweepstakes for Trip

To See New Cat^® Vocational Truck at CONEXPO

See preview of CAT Truck and Enter contest Here

Caterpillar will unveil the first model in its full line of Cat^® Vocational Trucks, the Cat CT660, in Las Vegas at CONEXPO-CON/AG in March. As part of the celebration, Caterpillar is holding an online sweepstakes featuring a trip to Vegas.

The grand prize winner will receive: two VIP access passes to attend the invitation-only unveiling event hosted by Caterpillar on Sunday, March 20; roundtrip airfare for two to Las Vegas to attend the VIP event; accommodations for five nights at a select Las Vegas hotel; five days of rental car use; $750 and two tickets to attend CONEXPO.

Entries can be submitted online through February 22 at www.DriveCat.com. The site also contains detailed information about the sweepstakes, including the official rules. The winning entry will be selected in a random drawing on February 24. The website also offers opportunities to sign up for updates on the Cat truck line and to participate in an interactive blog.

If you are interested in specs, etc. email me john.millard@michigancat.com and i will send you some more detailed information!

Get your money's WORTH! (Tips for extending Undercarriage Life)

EXTEND TRACK LIFE

Undercarriage Maintenance

Whether your construction machine travels on steel or rubber tracks, its undercarriage components take a beating. You can’t prevent them from wearing out altogether, but there are ways to slow the process.

Protecting steel tracks

Steel tracks are designed to perform in tough underfoot conditions, but long hours in wet, muddy, slippery, rocky or abrasive materials can translate into rapid wear and high repair costs.

• Start every shift with a clean undercarriage. Mud and debris build up on the lower part of your machine, components speeds wear. If a cleanup didn’t happen at the end of the previous shift, take a few minutes to get the job done before you go to work. If you’re operating in very cohesive or abrasive materials like mud or clay, you may need to clean the undercarriage more than once during a shift.
• Inspect the undercarriage before you start working. Spend a few minutes on a visual inspection. Check for loose bolts, leaky seals and abnormal wear patterns. Spotting potential problems early can often prevent them from turning into bigger issues.
  Don’t spin the tracks. Track spinning delivers several hits to the bottom line. It reduces production, so your revenue potential declines. It increases fuel consumption without increasing productivity. It also accelerates undercarriage wear, so your costs escalate. Grouser bars are especially prone to wear problems associated with track slippage.
• Watch your speed. There are times when a job requires higher speed operation, but as speed increases, wear accelerates. Links, rollers and idlers are particularly vulnerable. Keep them working longer by controlling your speed.
• Avoid unnecessary reverse operation. Operating in reverse — even at slow speeds — compounds bushing and sprocket wear. So don’t run in reverse unless you have to.
• Alternate turning directions. If you’re always turning in the same direction, the undercarriage components on one side of the machine will wear at a different rate than those on the other side. To ensure even wear, pay attention to the way you’re turning and change directions whenever possible.

Extending rubber track life

Most of the operating tips that help extend the life of steel tracks also can have a positive impact on rubber undercarriage components. However, there are several other ways operators can prevent premature wear of rubber undercarriage components, particularly those found on Multi-Terrain Loaders.

• Make gradual turns instead of counter-rotations. Counter-rotating a multi-terrain loader accelerates wear on the tracks and other undercarriage components. Instead, turn the machine gradually while slowly moving forward or reverse. Gradual turns minimize cuts, tears and excessive wear in the undercarriage. They also reduce damage to soft or sensitive work surfaces.
• Work up or down a slope whenever possible. Working across a slope can shorten undercarriage component life, so try to structure the job with minimal cross-slope activity.
• Watch transition areas. A transition is any place with a change in slope or elevation, such as a curb, a ledge or a spot where a level surface turns into a sloped one. Avoid working along a transition where one track is not fully supported by the ground, as inadequate ground support subjects the undercarriage to side stress that can result in rapid, excessive wear. Try to minimize travel over transitions and position the machine 90° to the transition when you must cross one.
• Backdrag with loader arms in the FLOAT position. Some skid steer operators like to apply enough down force on the loader to raise the front tires off the ground, maximizing down pressure on the bucket when backdragging. Don’t use this technique with a multi terrain loader. You’ll just lose traction and reduce undercarriage component life. Instead, keep the loader arms in the FLOAT position while backdragging. If more pressure is needed, add enough to smooth the surface, but not so much that the front of the machine is lifted off the ground.

Think outside the cab

Although improving operating technique is an excellent way to prevent premature undercarriage wear, several other factors beyond operator control also affect component life.

• Applications can cause accelerated wear. Dozing, ripping, loading, grading, digging and trenching are a few examples of applications. Generally, work in high-horsepower, high-torque applications will speed undercarriage wear.
• Material type can speed wear. The more abrasive the material, the more rapid the wear rate.
• Terrain on the jobsite can contribute to wear. The more time you spend in rugged, sloped areas, the faster the undercarriage will wear out.
• Machine configuration can help preserve your undercarriage. To minimize undercarriage wear on steel-track machines, always use the narrowest track shoe possible that meets your flotation requirements. If you work in very sticky materials, consider using center-punched track shoes to reduce material packing in the undercarriage area. Use roller guards designed for high-impact underfoot conditions only when necessary.
• Maintenance discipline plays a big role in undercarriage component life. One of the most critical maintenance practices is track adjustment. Whether your track is too loose or too tight, improper adjustment accelerates wear which can increase downtime and repair costs. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for track adjustment, and always perform the adjustment in the machine’s working environment. Cleaning the undercarriage helps to maximize wear life. Remove mud and debris at the end of every shift, or more frequently if necessary.

Talk to your experts here at Michigan CAT

Your local dealership can help you fine-tune your maintenance processes and manage your equipment investment over the long term, achieving the highest possible production at the lowest total cost.