How continuing staff training helps you improve your vehicle workshop

Make the most of your car hoists with Levanta

As we’ve spoken about before, probably the number one consideration when you’re designing a new workshop fitout is ensuring the best vehicle throughput. If you’re responsible for the workshop operation r, there are many things you can do to ensure you’re getting the maximum number of vehicles through your workshop each day – as well as the biggest improvement to your business’s bottom line each year.

Workshop layout, the right workshop equipment, and providing your technicians with sufficient resources all play a part – and so too does your level of staff training.

Part of ensuring the best possible efficiency and vehicle throughput is making sure your staff have the training and experience they need to operate at their best.

We asked Levanta’s workshop efficiency experts for their advice on ways to give your workshop technicians the vehicle hoist training they need to perform at their best.

How does insufficient staff training affect workshop efficiency?

Though you might think there’s not much time to be saved on each service through staff training, in fact it soon adds up to a substantial loss of time.

For example, let’s say your technician is unfamiliar with the particular new model of hoist you have installed. It may take this technician an extra 10 minutes to load the hoist correctly and carry out the lift.  Multiply those extra ten minutes by the number of vehicles you expect a hoist to handle in a day – a week – a year, and you can soon see how big a problem insufficient staff training can build up to.

Every hoist is different, and every automotive workshop often has several different types of hoist installed. If your technicians aren’t familiar with the quirks of each different car lift, you could face the problem of increased inefficiency and down time with every service.

What’s more, it isn’t just efficient work flow that can suffer – the right vehicle hoist training can make all the difference to your Workplace Health and Safety too. When staff are unfamiliar with heavy equipment, the chances of a workplace accident can only increase.

That’s why it’s so important to make sure your staff are not only properly trained to use vehicle hoists – but stay that way too.

The importance of continuing car hoist staff training

It’s not just a matter of having initial training at the time of your hoist installation, for a couple of reasons.

Of course, staff turnover is simply a fact of running any business. That means that ensuring adequate training for all your staff isn’t just a matter of ‘do-it-once-and-forget-it’.

It is also important to continue to enforce positive behaviours – such as ensuring hoists are on the locks – amongst other standard procedures that should be in place at all times.

What’s more, you must make sure your technicians who do stay with you, remain familiar with the correct systems and procedures for using your workshop’s equipment.

One way to do this is by locking in an ongoing training package with Levanta.

You can arrange for Levanta’s workshop equipment experts to visit your workshop business every six to twelve months at the time of hoist servicing or as required, both to refresh your existing staff and ensure they’re still up-to-speed, and to train any new staff who’ve been hired in the meantime.

Talk to Levanta for vehicle hoist installation and training

Levanta’s workshop equipment experts are highly experienced in fitting out and maintaining the ideal vehicle workshop for your business’s needs. They can fully train your workshop technicians – and refresh them as necessary – to ensure you get the most from your new vehicle hoists.

To find out more about car lift maintenance and how we can help make your workshop safer and more efficient, call Levanta on 1300 577 541 or use the contact forms for your local branch here.  

4 ways car hoists offer you improved efficiency (and profits!)

What’s the benefit to your workshop business?

Efficiency is a common goal for most Australian businesses. And in a car or truck workshop, efficiency most often means getting cars in and out as quickly as possible (otherwise known as high vehicle throughput).

One of the major decisions you can make to increase the efficiency of your workshop business is having the right car hoists or lifts. In this news post, we take you through the top four ways vehicle hoists can improve your business’s efficiency – and your bottom line.

1) Reducing the required prep time per vehicle

With a more versatile heavy-duty lift, your workshop will be able to service commercial trucks as well as small passenger vehicles, without the need for downtime while you perform a special setup.

Thanks to your versatile high-capacity lift, no matter what type of vehicle comes into your workshop, your technicians will be able to get it up on the lift and ready for servicing in a matter of minutes.

2) Offering easier access for vehicle servicing

By raising a vehicle on a lift such as a Levanta’s 4-post hoists, your technicians will have much better access to “trouble spots” such as the suspension, diff, and other areas compared to when the vehicle is simply raised on a jack.

Your technicians will also be able to work on a lifted vehicle while standing up, rather than having to lay flat on a creeper. This also makes it much easier for them to access hand tools and other necessary auto service equipment more quickly and efficiently.

3) Allowing you to offer a wider range of workshop services

By installing large-capacity hoists that can safely service many types of vehicles, your business can expand into new markets and offer a wider range of services. In turn, this will bring more customers through the doors – leading to increased revenue and profits.

4) Helping you attract quality employees

One thing we’ve noticed over the years is that auto technicians will actively seek employment in a workshop that’s fitted out with the best equipment. This is because they know that by working with the most modern, up-to-date vehicle servicing gear, they’ll not only add to their skills, but also have the best chance of career success.

This means that when you equip your workshop with high quality auto hoists, you’ll not only give yourself the best chance of attracting more talented employees, but also of retaining them for longer. This can save your auto service business some of the costs of finding and training new employees.

Download our FREE guide to smarter workshop design

Talk to Levanta for the right car lift for your workshop

At Levanta, we understand that as a workshop business owner, you always have an eye on efficiency and the bottom line. So to make sure your car or truck workshop is performing at its best in both areas, choose quality auto lifts from Levanta and help your technicians do more in less time.

To find out more about our range of car lifts and how they can help make your workshop safer and more efficient, call Levanta on 1300 577 541 or use the contact form for your local office here. 

8 tips to ensure car lift safety in your workshop

Keep your hoists in top working order with Levanta’s helpful guide

Car hoists have become the must-have equipment for every Australian light vehicle workshop. Modern car lifts are designed to be easy-to-use, safe, and a more comfortable way for your technicians to repair or service vehicles.

Yet, like a lot of heavy equipment in many industries, car hoists can be dangerous if used incorrectly. We asked Levanta’s car hoist team for their advice on the best ways to use this useful workshop equipment in safety. Here’s what they advised.

1. Read the owner’s manual before you begin

Every different brand of car lift will have different features, and call for different safety precautions. So take the time to read the owner’s manual provided by your auto lift manufacturer before you begin using the hoist.

2. Check the specific “lifting points” of the vehicle you’re working on

Every different car or truck will have different lifting points. Make sure you know exactly where they are with the help of an approved resource such as a reputable website or OEM’s reference manual before you start work.

3. Never exceed your vehicle lift’s maximum capacity

It sounds like a “no-brainer” but it’s worth stating again: never be tempted to exceed the weight-bearing capacity of your auto lift, even for a short while. It’s simply not worth the risk.

If you do find your workshop consistently needs a higher capacity auto service lift, Levanta have an extensive range for you to choose from. Check out Levanta’s vehicle hoist range here.

4. Don’t rely on a single lift arm to bear all the vehicle’s weight

When considering the maximum capacity of a car hoist, be aware that it must be divided equally among the number of arms your lift has. A single lift arm shouldn’t be expected to bear excessive weight, such as a vehicle’s entire mass. This is especially important if you’re working with vehicles that have uneven weight distribution between their front and rear axles.

5. Choose an auto lift with automatic safety locks

Automatic safety locks will prevent the sudden lowering of your car lift from the raised position – an obvious advantage. So make sure the car service lift you choose has this crucial safety feature.

6. Always engage your lift’s safety features before starting work

A good quality car hoist will come complete with many safety features, such as wheel chocks, arm restraints, and anti-sway blocks. Yet these safety features don’t work if they’re not engaged – so make sure you use them before starting work on the vehicle.

7. Stay up-to-date with your lift maintenance

To keep your car hoist in the best condition, there are different maintenance and safety checks you should perform every day, every week, and each month. See Levanta’s car hoist maintenance checklist here for a comprehensive list of regular maintenance activities.

8. Have your car hoists serviced annually

It’s not just good sense – it’s the law. In Australia, you must have your workshop’s car hoists serviced by a certified technician every 12 months.

An easy way to ensure your car lifts are serviced on time and to budget is with an ongoing service plan from an experienced provider. Levanta’s flexible service plans let you know your equipment is always compliant with Australian standards – while making it easy to budget for your hoist servicing. Find out more about flexible service plans here.

Find out more about car hoist safety with Levanta

By sticking to these eight car hoist safety tips, you can ensure your workshop’s vehicle lifts give you good service for years to come.

Want to know more about safety for your workshop’s car hoists? Talk to the vehicle hoist experts Levanta on 1300 577 541 or with your local branch’s contact forms here.