About

The Hour Meter is written by Mr. Richard R — a heavy-equipment and fleet operations leader who has run machines on two continents, from East Africa’s red dirt to the job sites of the Gulf.

This publication looks at heavy equipment from the operator’s side of the table: fleet and lifecycle economics, the rent-vs-own call, disposal and residual value, maintenance strategy, and the economic crossover point where a machine stops earning its place. Alongside the iron, it covers AI transformation, manufacturing, and where new technology genuinely earns its keep on real job sites — without the buzzwords.

New articles are published regularly. Subscribe to get each piece as it lands.

If you work in equipment, construction, mining, or manufacturing — or you’re wrestling with the same questions — connect with me on LinkedIn.