Six Trends Influencing Industrial Forklift Selection

How to fine-tune your forklift fleet for your specific operation.

By: Adam Carraway, Contributor

Tough industrial materials handling operations use forklifts to accomplish a variety of functions, each of which poses its own unique challenges. When identifying the right lift truck solutions to fulfil your needs, consider these factors.

INDUSTRIAL LABOR SHAPES OPERATIONS

An operator charges a Hyster forklift powered by an integrated lithium-ion battery. Photo courtesy of Hyster.

Materials handling operations are experiencing widespread labor shortages. The labor gap in U.S. manufacturing, for instance, is expected to grow to over two million unfilled jobs by 2030, according to a report¹ by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute. Difficulties in fully staffing a skilled workforce can mean skeleton crews or that new or inexperienced operators are filling many lift truck operator roles.

A greater reliance on novice operators can lead to more product and facility damage, and the negative effects on productivity and cost that come in tow, making it more imperative that lift trucks are intuitive to use. Operators must be trained, and while the vast majority of companies train operators internally, that share has declined in recent years, from 85% to 74%, with dealers and independent service providers accounting for a greater share.

In this tough labor market, retaining skilled and knowledgeable lift truck operators is beneficial, and keeping an operator comfortable and efficient across a whole shift is crucial. In demanding materials handling jobs, workers may experience extreme heat or cold alongside other harsh environmental conditions such as high noise levels, dusty or dirty atmospheres, and proximity to corrosive fluids. It’s up to operations to mitigate these tough conditions and demands, and that means adopting lift trucks with ergonomic features to provide in-cab comfort.

Worker safety is also a critical challenge as operators push to get the job done without risking damage to loads, equipment or infrastructure. Operators move product in congested and compact facilities, and must maintain productivity while avoiding collisions and pedestrian interaction. A strong focus on safety is non-negotiable.

When selecting equipment, businesses should consider how their choices can help combat operator discomfort, fatigue and the likelihood of lift truck incidents. For example, consider how assistance technologies can help increase an operator’s confidence in getting the job done efficiently and safely.

PAIN POINTS FOR PURCHASING MANAGERS

It is no surprise that those responsible for purchasing have a keen eye on budgets. But smart budgeting isn’t always about trying to get something for the lowest initial purchase price. Some purchasing managers may be looking to balance the initial spend on a truck purchase with lower monthly costs on maintenance, repair or fuel. A low total cost of ownership can result in a beneficial long-term impact on an operation’s capital expenditure.

Conversely, other businesses may be seeking to hit quarterly key performance indicators (KPIs) for spending and have a closer eye on short-term value. Here, factors like enhanced support and extended warranties will play a larger part. Depending on motive power source, energy and water costs may also be considerations.

Once forklifts are in operation, telematics and fleet data can be useful tools to help purchasing managers assess the realized total cost of ownership of individual units as well as the entire fleet, by monitoring utilization, maintenance and performance data. According to industry surveys, those responsible for purchasing forklifts list purchase price, quality, safety and total cost of ownership as the top four factors they prioritize.

Importantly, individuals in purchasing roles are not necessarily lift truck experts. Thus, purchasing managers can find support through a consultative relationship with a forklift dealer who can provide application-specific advice and identify the right solutions and potential alternatives. This process can help avoid overloading trucks with unneeded specialized features that will unnecessarily drive up the price. When handled correctly, these dealer relationships can help purchasing managers increase their knowledge for the next time they source equipment. Making the correct, informed choice is important, as those decisions have everyday consequences for nearly a decade. On average, businesses replace lift trucks every 7-8 years.

OPERATIONS AND SERVICE MANAGERS HAVE NEEDS, TOO

The Hyster H40-70A carrying a number of metal beams. Photo courtesy of Hyster.

Some organizations have personnel designated for operations and service. Others fulfill these responsibilities as part of other positions. Either way, most will share the common goals of maximizing uptime and minimizing downtime in the face of unrelenting demand. Market-wide, about a quarter of companies handle service in-house, with the remainder outsourcing to a dealer or other providers.

Compressed margins in the industry are reducing new equipment budgets, meaning equipment is expected to remain in service longer and businesses must do more with less. In some cases, operations are running significant numbers of older and under-maintained equipment that can leave them vulnerable to interruptions. Forklift maintenance and downtime can cause major operational disruptions, and possibly unforeseen costs. Plus, suitable service expertise is not easy to obtain, which could have a residual effect on keeping trucks operating optimally or on carrying out essential maintenance.

Some lift trucks offer features to help lighten the load on service managers. For instance, telematics can include maintenance flags that remind operations to perform preventative maintenance and complete daily operator checklists, which help to alert operations to maintenance needs. Telematics also enable impacts or other issues to be automatically flagged so problems can be addressed faster, and downtime can be minimized. Market data shows nearly half of companies use fleet management software, with over 80% tracking maintenance history and over 60% tracking maintenance costs.

Businesses should also consider potential maintenance that may be required by the technology features they opt for on their lift trucks. For instance, some integrated stability systems require operations to keep up with maintenance that can be both frequent and involved, needing weekly inspection and lubrication as frequently as every 250 hours. But other systems require maintenance far less frequently, or even not at all.

FINE TUNING FORKLIFTS TO UNIQUE DEMANDS

There are many considerations and factors that influence the right choice of forklift for an application. No two individual applications face identical challenges. Each application is unique, and even different job roles will have varying perspectives about what is needed from materials handling equipment. Above all, consider how you can fine-tune your forklift fleet for your specific operation. WMHS

Adam Carraway is Fleet Service Manager for Hyster, a leading lift truck designer and manufacturer whose lift trucks combine award-winning designs, industrial-strength components and high-tech manufacturing to deliver versatile and dependable solutions. Hyster’s tough lift trucks have lifting capacities ranging from 2,000 to 105,000 pounds. Learn more at www.hyster.com.