The functions of forklift trucks within the logistics industry is continuing to evolve as manufacturers discover ways to fully maximize their investment. After all, forklifts are not cheap to produce.
A forklift that can carry a minimum capacity load (around 1,000kg) can already burn a hole in a company’s pocket since a new truck can cost upwards of £11,000.
Prices may vary depending on the manufacturer, the mast and attachments final specification
Whatever your business, buying a forklift is a vital decision since it can help your company in many ways especially if you are involved in distribution and warehousing.
Importance of Forklifts
Here are four ways on how forklifts improve your company’s efficiency.
- Improve safety
Back when industrial forklifts we use today were still just a figment of the imagination, factory workers use ropes, chains, pulleys, elbow grease and brute strength of one (or many people) just to lift a load a few feet off the ground and into a shelf.
Nowadays ropes and pulleys alone would not be able to lift most palletised goods without causing an accident.
Forklifts remove this burden by providing a safe avenue to lift and transfer a load, no matter how heavy, from one place to another. They save your workers from unwanted accidents and make their area a safe place to work on.
- Enhance productivity
Because forklifts can easily handle so many jobs at one time (lifting, transferring, removing, restocking, etc.), you can greatly lessen your labour costs by hiring fewer workers.
Forklifts also lessen the time needed to process and deliver the product from the warehouse to the recipient. The saved time can be further used for other things such as doing inventories, focusing on quality checks and manufacturing more products.
In short, you are able to put in more work due to these pieces of equipment.
- Maximize warehouse space
As the population grows around the world, land is becoming one of the most precious and coveted commodities. That is why you must be able to maximize every square inch of land you currently have.
One of the most useful pieces of advice given by professional organisers and interior designers when maximizing space is to go vertical. Meaning, stack your stuff all the way up the roof. This is especially useful in warehouses. You may not be able to expand horizontally because of the land price, but you can do so vertically.
- Have a variety of uses
Did you know that some warehouses use their forklifts as a way to clean the area? There are products like a sweeper attachment which can be used to clean warehouse floors after every working day.
Other useful attachments include snow ploughs and shovels to flatten land and remove snow from you work area.