Forklifts come with a hefty price tag. Fuel, electricity, and labor further add to the cost. Moreover, the absence of proper maintenance makes forklifts vulnerable to problems that can even lead to accidents. What follows is heavy repairs, which cost more money.
However, with a little thoughtfulness and consideration, you can save your hard-earned money. Here is how you can save your money on the maintenance of your expensive forklift:
- Keep the floor clean
Keeping the floor of your set-up clean can keep your forklift running smoothly without the need for much maintenance and repair. Dirt and dust carpeting the floor can cause wear and tear on the tires and even lead to fires. Plastic pieces lying on the floor may stick around the bearing and cause problems. Furthermore, potholes or cracks on the floor damage the internal system of the forklift due to repeated jolts.
To keep your forklift running smoothly, all you need to do is keep your floors clean and repaired.
- Train the operators
If an operator is not familiar with the machine they are operating, it could result in damage. Hence, make it a point to offer comprehensive training to all your employees who will operate the forklift.
Introduce them to the vehicle and its driving mechanism, different parts, operations, accessories, etc., Give them hands-on training on operation, regular inspection and maintenance.
Properly trained operators are able to spot the problems in their early stages and help you save money on expensive repairs.
- Avoid mixed fleet
Having a mixed fleet for your set-up is a sure-shot way of losing money. If you have forklifts from different manufacturers, you will have to keep an assortment of spare parts for each vehicle. It will be difficult for you to keep a tab on the maintenance and repair schedule for each brand. For instance, Hyster forklift transmission repair and maintenance requirements will be different from the maintenance requirement of a Komatsu forklift transmission. The cost of KION spare parts will be different from the cost of Mitsubishi spare parts. It will create a lot of confusion and cost you a great deal of money.
And, not to forget, you will have to further spend money on training the operators to handle each type of forklift.
All in all, you will be losing a lot of money in the upkeep of a mixed fleet. So, try to restrict your fleet to only one or two brands.
- Use the right kind of equipment
Your forklift should correspond to the job it is intended to perform. If you use the wrong forklift for the task at hand, the maintenance expense will be high.
Thus, use the forklift that is tailor-made to handle the job.
- Don’t ignore batteries and charger
With electric forklifts, you need to be particular about their batteries and chargers if saving money is on your mind. Use the right charger for the battery and water your battery regularly (once a week or after every five to ten charges) to enhance its shelf-life and save some money on expensive repairs.
- Reduce collisions
Forklift collisions are common at warehouses, manufacturing units, and other such set-ups. While you happily ignore these collisions, they hamper the functioning of your forklifts over time.
Use shock alarms to prevent collisions, increase the life-span, and reduce your forklift’s maintenance and repair bills.
The bottom line
While forklifts make the operations easy, they may also drill a hole in your pocket if not taken care of properly. With a little thoughtfulness and the above-mentioned tips, you can save big bucks on expensive repairs and maintenance. Hope these help.
