Excavator Hire

Sealed Condition Evidence for Every Excavator Hire-Out and Return

Tracks, hydraulics, attachments, cab, glass — excavators come back with damage that's expensive to repair and easy to dispute. PackProof seals a full walkaround at hire-out and return so the recovery is clean and the underwriter has what they need.

Excavator damage claims are the highest-value disputes in the hire yard

A hydraulic hose, a cracked windscreen, a damaged track shoe, a bent bucket. Excavator repairs run into the tens of thousands. Hire businesses that can't prove condition at hire-out lose the recovery to the customer, the insurer, or the underwriter.

Track and Undercarriage Damage Discovered After Return

Bent shoes, worn rollers, damaged sprockets, broken track tension cylinders. By the time the yard team spots it, the customer is gone and the float is back on the truck.

Hydraulic Hose and Cylinder Claims

Hose failures and cylinder damage hinge on hours, age, and pre-hire condition. Without a sealed baseline, the customer argues the hose was already weeping when they took it.

Attachment and Quick-Hitch Damage

Bucket teeth, ripper bars, breakers, tilt couplers, quick-hitch pins — attachments go in and out with the machine but rarely make it into the depot photo.

Transport Damage On or Off the Float

A cracked side window or a damaged step discovered after the truck unloads has no clear origin. Without a sealed pre-transport walkaround, the yard wears it.

Why excavator disputes are particularly hard to win

Excavators have more wear points than any other rental class. Tracks, hydraulics, attachments, cab, glass — each component has its own wear profile and its own dispute story. Without a sealed pre-hire baseline, the customer's version usually wins.

Phone photos miss the undercarriage and the boom from underneath

The two most-damaged areas on a tracked excavator are the undercarriage and the boom's underside. Yard phone photos almost never capture either properly.

Attachments and pins go in and out, undocumented

A 5-tonne excavator might leave the yard with three attachments and come back with two. Without a sealed record, the missing attachment becomes a dispute about whether it was ever sent.

Meter hours are written on the docket, not verified visually

The hour meter reading on a hire-out docket is just a number the yard team typed. The customer routinely argues it was already higher when they took the machine.

Insurers require evidence beyond a yard photo for claims above the deductible

Hire damage waiver underwriters and fleet insurers will not pay claims of $5k+ on the basis of a phone photo. They want authenticated condition documentation that the file has not been edited.

How PackProof protects excavator hire businesses

A full walkaround at hire-out and return — tracks, undercarriage, hydraulics, attachments, cab interior, and the meter — in one continuous take. Underwriter-ready. Hirer-shareable.

Tracks, Undercarriage, and Hydraulics Baseline

Captured before the float leaves the yard. Track tension, hose condition, cylinder seals — every wear point that drives a dispute is on camera.

Attachment Serial Numbers and Condition

Buckets, rippers, breakers, quick-hitches — each captured with its serial visible. Missing or damaged attachments come back to a verifiable record.

Meter and Fuel Gauge Verified on Camera

Hour meter and fuel gauge captured in the same continuous take at hire-out and return. The "meter was already at that count" argument disappears — and refuel charges on machines returned dry are backed by camera evidence the hirer can't contest.

Underwriter-Grade Evidence

SHA-512 sealed video with locked timestamp, GPS, and operator identity — the evidence standard hire damage waiver underwriters and fleet insurers actually require.

One walkaround at hire-out. One on return.

Same workflow for every excavator, every yard operator, every shift.

1

Yard walkaround at hire-out

Record the machine end-to-end with the hirer present. Record the machine hours, fuel gauge, every panel, glass, tracks or rubber, undercarriage (where accessible), boom underside, cab interior, and every attached or accompanying attachment.

2

Auto-seal and share

PackProof hashes, timestamps, and locks the file. The hirer receives a verification link tied to the hire agreement before the float leaves.

3

Return walkaround

Same workflow on return. The new meter reading, return condition, and any new damage sit against the same hire record.

4

Process damage confidently

Quote the repair against the sealed pickup record. Recover from the hirer, claim against the hire damage waiver, or charge for excess hours — each backed by evidence the underwriter accepts.

Frequently Asked Questions

When excavator damage runs into the tens of thousands, the evidence needs to be bullet proof.

PackProof seals a full excavator walkaround in under three minutes. Free to start. No card required.

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