If you make the correct decision when it’s time to invest in a forklift for your fleet, your selected lift truck will increase your bottom line enough to offset its expenditures. Your payments, interest, fees, and keeping will amount to a number that supports you in the black when you factor in the productivity aids your new truck brings to the business.
But there are periodic steps you can take that will broaden that gap even further, and help you get even higher returns on the cost of your new (or used or rented) gear. Here are a few easy moves that stretch your investment.
Preflight checks
A preflight gear review takes five minutes of your operator’s time and can result in huge cost conserving if and when these reviews reveal fraying wires, corroding batteries, tire damage, signal issues, or anything else that can be fixed before it leads to more intense damage. One quick exam can pull a truck out of rotation and get it fixed before expensive damage or product loss happens. A minor issue takes far less downtime to repair than the bigger ones that occur down the road. Create a hard copy inventory and have your operators look at each thing on the list before their shifts.
Correctly matching the truck to the task.
Before you select a lift truck, make sure you aren’t getting more trucks than you require (or less, of course). If your loads don’t typically exceed a few hundred pounds or a height of ten feet, why support in a truck with huge lifting specifications or a high-reach configuration? You’ll get more for your investment if you boost your truck in a way that maintains pace with the growth of your business or your inventory. If your growth rate is fast or unexpected, consider renting a truck until you have a better hold on the digits.
Cleanliness
Maintain your truck chassis, undercarriage, mast, and cabin clean. Remove salt, mud, sand, and rainwater after every outdoor shift, and don’t let trucks sit exposed to destructive components overnight if you have the infrastructure to stop this.
Operator training
Ground gears, sudden stops and starts, transcended specifications, poor parking positions on inclines and insufficient maintenance can dramatically shorten the life of your costly asset. Most of these blunders and blunders can be prevented with adequate operator training. Get your groups the support they require, so when it’s time for them to reach behind the controls—or make quick conclusions in the face of an emergency—they’ll have the instruments they need to control injury AND save the truck from damage.
Final Words
Improving forklift performance isn’t just about making adjustments—it’s about adopting a proactive maintenance strategy, training operators, and optimizing power usage. By implementing these best practices, you can ensure your forklifts operate efficiently, safely, and cost-effectively for years to come. Take action today and watch your productivity soar!