diff --git a/src/app/dashboard/plant/equipment/page.tsx b/src/app/dashboard/plant/equipment/page.tsx
index 361444a..966f6f9 100644
--- a/src/app/dashboard/plant/equipment/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/dashboard/plant/equipment/page.tsx
@@ -78,10 +78,13 @@ export default async function PlantPage({
     ...allFuelLogs.filter(l=>activeIds.has(l.site)).flatMap(l=>l.expand?.vehicle ? [l.expand.vehicle] : []),
     ...periods.filter(p=>activeIds.has(p.site ?? "")).flatMap(p=>p.expand?.vehicle ? [p.expand.vehicle] : []),
   ].filter(isPlant).map(v=>[v.id,v])).values()].sort((a,b)=>a.description.localeCompare(b.description));
+  const monthStart = `${today.slice(0, 8)}01`;
   const aggByVehicle = new Map(allVehicles.map(v=> {
-    const points = plantUsage(allFuelLogs.filter(l=>l.vehicle===v.id), periods.filter(p=>p.vehicle===v.id), v.cost_per_hour ?? 0, today)
-      .filter(p=>activeIds.has(p.site) && p.date.slice(0,10) <= today && p.date.slice(0,10) >= rangeStart);
-    return [v.id, {totalHours:points.reduce((s,p)=>s+p.hours,0),totalValue:points.reduce((s,p)=>s+p.value,0),logCount:points.length,reviewCount:points.filter(p=>p.rejected).length,projectCodes:[...new Set(points.map(p=>siteById[p.site]).filter(Boolean))].join(" · ")}];
+    const visible = plantUsage(allFuelLogs.filter(l=>l.vehicle===v.id), periods.filter(p=>p.vehicle===v.id), v.cost_per_hour ?? 0, today)
+      .filter(p=>activeIds.has(p.site) && p.date.slice(0,10) <= today);
+    const points = visible.filter(p=>p.date.slice(0,10) >= rangeStart);
+    const monthHours = visible.filter(p=>p.date.slice(0,10) >= monthStart).reduce((s,p)=>s+p.hours,0);
+    return [v.id, {monthHours,totalHours:points.reduce((s,p)=>s+p.hours,0),totalValue:points.reduce((s,p)=>s+p.value,0),logCount:points.length,reviewCount:points.filter(p=>p.rejected).length,projectCodes:[...new Set(points.map(p=>siteById[p.site]).filter(Boolean))].join(" · ")}];
   }));
 
   // All plant vehicles show up — even those without a cost_per_hour
@@ -99,6 +102,7 @@ export default async function PlantPage({
       historical: !activeIds.has(v.site),
       canManage: scope.allowed.some(s=>s.id===v.site),
       totalHours: agg?.totalHours ?? 0,
+      monthHours: agg?.monthHours ?? 0,
       totalValue: agg?.totalValue ?? 0,
       logCount: agg?.logCount ?? 0,
       overBudgetCount: 0, // no per-period budget field on fuel_logs
@@ -106,6 +110,12 @@ export default async function PlantPage({
     };
   });
 
+  // Default order: rated equipment first, then most hours this month, then name.
+  rows.sort((a, b) =>
+    Number((b.costPerHour ?? 0) > 0) - Number((a.costPerHour ?? 0) > 0) ||
+    (b.monthHours ?? 0) - (a.monthHours ?? 0) ||
+    a.description.localeCompare(b.description));
+
   const sites: PlantSiteOption[] = allSites.map((s) => ({
     id: s.id,
     project_code: s.project_code,
diff --git a/src/app/dashboard/plant/equipment/plant-view.tsx b/src/app/dashboard/plant/equipment/plant-view.tsx
index b697efe..3d661cc 100644
--- a/src/app/dashboard/plant/equipment/plant-view.tsx
+++ b/src/app/dashboard/plant/equipment/plant-view.tsx
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ export interface PlantRow {
   fuelLimits: string;
   /** Per-vehicle totals computed from fuel_logs (odo diffs for plant). */
   totalHours: number;
+  /** Hours in the current calendar month; drives the default sort. */
+  monthHours?: number;
   costPerHour?: number;
   reviewCount?: number;
   historical?: boolean;