Forklifts are generally either powered by diesel, gas, or electricity. Electric forklifts rely on batteries to operate. Gasoline or propane forklifts are sometimes stronger or faster than electric forklifts, but they are more difficult to maintain, and the fuel costs can potentially be much higher. A very important point to consider when choosing a forklift is, if the truck is mainly going to be used inside you will be much better off with an electric forklift as they do not give off noxious fumes like gas or diesel powered machines do.

Down at the lighter end of the forklift scale you have the manual or semi-manual pallet trucks that are ideal for moving in and out of small spaces and lifting relatively light loads. However where there are large pallets, or large numbers of pallets, to be moved it is the traditional forklift that will be required to move them. Of course, operating a forklift requires proper training and, depending on where you are in the word, the appropriate licence. As forkifts can be potentially dangerous pieces of equipment, both for those driving them and people around them, it is absolutley vital the proper training is given to anyone who will be tasked with using one.
Without a forklift it could take many, many hours to move products that could be moved in a fraction of the time using a forklift.

Among the popular manufacturers of new and used forklifts that you will find for sale and rent include Komatsu, Clark, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Crown, Toyota, Hyster, Linde and Yale. While buying and owning a new forklift is always recommended for those who have the budget to do so, many company owners and managers are now discovering the fact that buying a used forkift can still be a great investment and an ideal way to reduce the initial capital expenditure of obtaining a forklift.

However, while buying a used forklift may be a very appealing proposition it can be very easy to end up with a poor or unsuitable machine if you do not know what to look for when shopping around. A used forklift may appear to be in a good condition on the outside but upon further inspection by someone who knows what to look for vital components parts may show signs of heavy wear and the hydraulics may be in a poor state, so much so that they would start leaking after a few hours of use. The reason it is so important to source your forklift from a reputable dealer is that some unscrupulous dealers may tamper with the “Hours meter” and also provide unreliable information about the condition of the forklift and what re-conditioning work has been carried out on it. Much the same as buying a used car from a reputable dealer as opposed to buying one from a back street garage who is out to make as much money as they can from you.

Whether you have a small manufacturing business or own a big warehouse and storage facility, a fleet of forklifts can help your business operate more efficiently and more safely. The forklift can be used to load or unload trucks, pull productsfrom racking or storage for shipment and make the whole warehouse or manufacturing operation much more efficient. Buying a forklift is by no means an inexpensive purchase, but the forklift is one of those pieces of equipment that will more than pay for itself through increased productivity, greater efficiency and bottom line higher profit margins. Forklift trucks have revolutionised warehouse, manufacturing, storage and many more industries. They have made it possible for one person to move massive amounts of product at once.

The bulk of the new fleet is deployed at Palletline’s new central hub in Solihull which the company opened at the end of last year in response to the growing demand for its palletised freight handling services. As well as trebling pallet throughput capacity, the new hub brings together a highly efficient operating model based around total quality control. Palletline is the first palletised distribution network to operate a drive-through, side-load operation, successfully achieving total de-pedestrianisation and realising Health & Safety standards well beyond the requirements of legislation covering the palletised distribution sector.

The forklift fleet consists of forty 2000kg capacity Hyster H2.0FT Fortens Advance fork trucks which have been specified to exactly match Palletline’s demanding operational needs. The trucks will be deployed throughout the night to perform lorry loading and unloading of palletized goods for overnight distribution. Palletline invited five companies to tender for the fleet contract and selected Barloworld after a rigorous evaluation taking into consideration contract life costs, service support, reliability and feedback from its drivers during trials.

Mark Pulford, Operations Director at Palletline said

We are maintaining a close focus on efficiency across all our processes to match the cost, safety and operational improvements already achieved at our new hub. For our forklift fleet we were looking to achieve optimum levels of reliability and performance together with advanced technology for reduced wear and tear and improved ergonomics for our operators. We believe these new models will give unprecedented levels of reliability and reduced cost of operation, helping us to deliver significant operational savings.

Being a 24 hour high pressure operation the demands placed on the trucks and drivers are intense. The reliability and efficiency of the trucks is crucial because any delay in operations due to a breakdown or lack of performance could affect the service Palletline provides to its customers.

Hyster Fortens trucks feature a unique Duramatch transmission which boosts performance while reducing operating costs. Its adjustable Auto-Deceleration System (ADS) is programmed to slow the truck when the accelerator pedal is released which results in less brake pedal usage, leading to a 60% increase in brake life. The power reversal feature of the DuraMatch transmission allows even the most aggressive direction changes to be smooth, while increasing tyre life by up to 50%.

Being such a demanding application, tyre usage can be high so Barloworld fitted Continental CSEasy tyres to the fleet which uniquely can be mounted without the need of a tyre press. This reduces potential down time whilst the tyres also return improved fuel efficiency and a performance of up to 3 times the life of a standard tyre offering significant savings on running costs.

Of course, keeping the trucks in prime condition is also vital to the operational efficiency of the hub. This is provided for by the fully-equipped on-site servicing bay manned by Barloworld engineers who carry out regular planned maintenance on the trucks to ensure they perform to their maximum.

To help manage fleet performance Barloworld has installed a state of the art telemetry device to each truck which monitors the trucks’ productivity and automatically uploads information such as run time and availability to Barloworld’s Fleet Management portal. Additionally, in the event of a problem with the truck, a fault code is sent to Barloworld so that a technician can be dispatched, with the correct parts, to repair the truck before any costly breakdown may occur. The Fleet Management reports generated by the portal enable Barloworld and Palletline’s operations management team to review fleet performance and make informed decisions to aid continuous improvement.

Having previously experienced Barloworld Handling’s service and account management, Mark Pulford says this was a major factor in them winning the contract.

The performance and reliability of the materials handling fleet is key to Palletline meeting it’s operational targets and this is achieved in part through excellent service support which I have no doubt Barloworld will provide.

Original article courtesy of MHW Magazine

You have your favourite parking space at work, you park there every day, you look after it, keep it clean, maybe even pluck out any weeds that may have somehow broken through the tarmac…… well, maybe!

Then, one day, you pull into the car park and someone has parked their car in YOUR spot, not only that this thing is a wreck, you try to compose yourself and convince yourself to park somewhere else but, whats this, OIL dripping out of the car onto your sacred parking spot!

So you march into the office and inform the ignorant cretin who has parked in your spot that it better not be there tomorrow.

Low and behold, you arrive for work the next day and there it is again. Staring you in the face, mocking you with it’s oil dripping all over the place.

You find the first sane person you can and inform them:

he better come and move it or i’ll move it for him!

Obviously the owner of the car thought these were hollow words, either that or he didn’t realise your were a Forklift Driver!

You go straight over to your forklift, drive over to the offending car and lift. Move it out of your beloved parking spot and drop it in the middle of the car park!

Job done and you can get on with the rest of your day, except now you are wanted on charges of second-degree criminal damage to property and on the run from the law!

Oh well, some things are worth fighting for!

A bit of a dramatisation obviously but as the story below shows, some people really are protective over their parking spots!

Police hunt man after car moved with forklift

Police are looking for an Augusta man who used a forklift to move his co-worker’s car Tuesday.

David Johnson, of the 2000 block of Country Place Drive, told a witness that the victim had taken his parking spot and that “he better come and move it” or that he would “move it for him,” according to a Richmond County sheriff’s report.

The witness told police that Mr. Johnson lifted the vehicle, which was parked at Southeastern Equipment Co. on Mike Padgett Highway, off the ground twice and then let it fall.

Mr. Johnson is wanted on charges of second-degree criminal damage to property, the report said.

The new company’s forklift range consists of lift capacities from 5,000-18,000kg (11,023lb-39,683lb) and has Daimler-Chrysler engines and transmissions from Poclain Hydraulics.

Shaw claims the engine-powered counterbalanced forklifts “completely overturn conventional design parameters with its novel concept to provide productivity, comfort and economy”.

David O’Callaghan, Shaw’s chairman and founder, says competitors’ basic designs have not changed since Clark first designed a forklift in 1917.

“The basic design is a mast, chassis with paneled oil and fuel tanks and ballast weight. The chassis and paneled tanks have one fault – they hamper the access to the engine and transmission components. As the engine is in a high position, the centre of gravity is higher and more ballast is needed for stability.”

Shaw’s iLift forklifts are different because they are designed using modular construction and have less ballast and a lower centre of gravity. The forklifts also have a hydrostatic transmission instead of a torque converter. Linde is currently the only manufacturer producing forklifts of 10,000kg (22,046lb) and over with hydrostatic transmission.

The iLift range has a kit-form design incorporating seven units – low centre of gravity ballast weight, clear view duplex mast, driver’s cab, a power pack, rear axle, front wheel motors and a chassis.

According to O’Callaghan, the ballast weight and chassis require no maintenance or replacement. If any of the other five units is faulty, it can be temporarily replaced while the faulty unit is brought to the factory for repairs. He explains that the hydrostatic design enables a rapid and easy changeover of units, not offered by conventional manufacturers.

“Unlike conventional transmissions, the Shaw hydrostatic drive has no multiple clutch pack, no mechanical differentia, no reverse gears, no gear selection lever and none of the wear and maintenance associated with these components, and is virtually maintenance-free,” O’Callaghan claims.

The company plans to be a top five heavy materials handling equipment manufacturer in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, selling 352 units per year, in five years’ timeIt will also expand its range by adding 20,000-32,000kg (44,092-70,548lb) capacity forklifts and an empty and laden container handling forklift range. All products will be based on the modular construction platform and have hydrostatic transmission.

Shaw has a manufacturing base at Abu Dhabi’s 12 sqkm (2,965 acre) 1CAD111 industrial zone and a research and development centre in the UK.

“As heavy materials handling in the Middle East continues to expand, Abu Dhabi will emerge as a worldwide heavy materials handling hub with one of the world’s largest ports nearby in Dubai.” O’Callaghan says. Shaw can ship units globally via Taweelah Port and Jabel Ali Port in Dubai.

Shaw is currently building a new 40,000 sqm (430,556 sqft) plant and a 20,000 sqm (215,278 sqft) training academy in Abu Dhabi that will be completed at the end of 2009.

O’Callaghan says: “The main aim of the company is to become the world’s largest heavy forklift manufacturer by 2020.”

O’Callaghan adds that Shaw is talking to a top 20 forklift manufacturer on a possible joint venture but cannot comment further.

“At present, demand is not anticipated to recover before the second half of 2010,” it said in a statement.

The market contraction will likely mean forklift and counterbalance truckmakers like U.S.-based Nacco and global leader Toyota Industries could also see significant business declines in a highly cyclical industry that depends largely on global trade.

With more and more people turning to refurbished and second hand forklifts in a bid to cut financial outlay it is unsurprising that the current financial climate is set to test even the biggest forklift truck manufacturers. A quick look at referral traffic to our site would show that are much more searches for used forklifts (used forklifts in Bristol for example) than there is searches for new forklifts.

The 8-9 tonne forklifts share features with the H6.0-7.0 FT series including the frame construction, low-maintenance oil-immersed brakes, leak-free hydraulics and drivetrain. They have a compact design, with a wheelbase of 2,450mm.

Ergonomic traits include a full suspension seat with swivel option, adjustable seat armrest, user-friendly mini-lever controls, more floor space and an isolated operator compartment that minimises vibration.

Hyster claims the forklifts’ Tier 3-certified 82kW Cummins QSB3.3 turbo diesel engine has the lowest CO and particulate emissions levels in the 8-9 tonne forklift segment.

This series wraps up the induction program for the entire 1-9 tonne Fortens diesel/LPG truck range, which started in 2005. [It] allows us to compete strongly in the 8-9 tonne segment

says Han Seijger, managing director for Hyster Europe, Middle East & Africa.

UK orders for forklift trucks fell 14.5 per cent during 2008 to just over 26,500 – the lowest since 2001, according to the British Industrial Truck Association.

The figures, which only cover forklift truck manufacturers that are members of BITA, show that orders in the forth quarter, at a little over 4,700, were the lowest since the final three months of 1993.

In the final quarter of 2008, orders for reach trucks fell by 20.1 per cent, low level order pickers fell by 16.9 per cent and powered pallet truck orders fell by 11.5 per cent. Overall orders for warehouse trucks fell by 16.1 per cent.

The number of engine counterbalance trucks ordered in the UK was also disappointing, with a 13.5 per cent fall in 2008’s final three months, coupled with an 11.2 per cent fall in electric counterbalance trucks. The overall fall in counterbalance truck orders was 12.7 per cent.

The economic climate did not start to affect forklift truck sales until the second part of 2008. Just over 8,000 orders were placed in the first three months of the year, and around 7,500 placed in quarter two, but sales then fell sharply, with 6,000 orders in quarter three, followed by a slump to 4,700 for the final three months.

BITA secretary general James Clark said: “Early figures for 2009 do show a continued fall in order levels, and it is difficult to predict how quickly the UK forklift truck market will recover and return to the exceptional levels of success enjoyed by the industry in recent years.

“However, the lift truck industry is resilient, made up of stalwarts who have been in the field a very long time. Their experience and knowledge will undoubtedly help companies weather the storm, and BITA will remain a firm support to our members through these tough economic times.”

Credit – Logistics Manager

With this in mind it will be vital for Forklift companies to explore new avenues of sales generation as they head into 2009. One of the fastest growing areas of the web is advertising with a local search feature. Customers have become more and more dependent upon the internet as a go-to source for virtually all of their needs, and advertising plays a key role in determining which websites receive the heaviest traffic.

According to Borrell Associates, a company that tracks local advertising and helps online companies develop marketing strategies, revenue from local search engines will double from $2.5 billion to $5 billion in 2008 and will hit $12.6 billion by 2012.