Wet Hire Vs Dry Hire

Deciding whether to opt for wet hire or dry hire is a key decision site managers have to make when planning the excavators, earthmoving equipment, and other machinery needed to complete a project. Whilst wet hire of a machine includes hiring a skilled operator, dry hire involves simply hiring the machine. An operator for a dry hire needs to be provided by the hirer. Both wet and dry hire have their advantages and downsides. Here we take a look at the pros and cons of each, as well as determine what type of hire is going to be most suitable in specific circumstances.

Hiring an operator along with the machine means you can be confident of ending up with a winning combination. The operator will know the machine well and be extremely skilled in its use. Many excavators require considerable skill to use correctly - with wet hire, you know you'll get an operator who can perform complex manoeuvres quickly and accurately. If you need a specialist job completed promptly and exactly as required, the wet hire will deliver.
 
Wet hire also means you don't have to worry about additional recruitment, training up an operative or providing additional insurance for a fresh worker to do the job. Wet hire operatives are insured to use their machines. They don't require training and are used to working as part of a team on-site. In most cases, they will know exactly what needs doing and will crack on and get the job done.

Like any other worker, a wet hire operative comes at a cost. Unlike other site workers, they won't be a "jack of all trades". The wet hire operative's role is to operate the machine, not complete additional tasks. 

The initial outlay for dry hire is less. There is also potentially more flexibility around how you use your workforce - for example, if the use of the machine is going to be sporadic, you can deploy your own operative to complete other tasks between machine operating duties. If you want a job completed a certain way, a time-served member of your team can frequently complete it without additional instruction, as they know what's needed. In contrast, you may need to brief a wet hire operative.
 
Using your own workforce means you know exactly what safety training they've completed. They will also have a good knowledge of corporate expectations and culture.

You may need to hire an additional worker to operate the machine or take a worker away from another job. If the piece of equipment requires a specialist to operate it, you may not have a suitable operative available. If your worker isn't extremely familiar with the hired machine, they may take longer to do the job, or not get it done correctly the first time.
 
Both wet and dry hire have their own pros and cons - the best choice will vary depending on your circumstances. To find out more about hiring high-grade earthmoving and excavating equipment, talk to the team at Rayment Excavations.

Dry hire is very limited and is only available on special request.