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You likely view your forklift fleet as a necessary financial burden. These machines are vital to multiple parts of your operations, yet they require significant up-front investments and lengthy routine maintenance. Knowing the most reliable forklifts for manufacturing facilities could transform your fleet into a powerful engine for business growth. Explore how to change and where to find reliable machinery.
The Expensive Ripple Effects of the “Cost Center” Mindset
When you first purchase a forklift or add another one to your fleet, you may opt for the least expensive option. However, it is crucial to consider the long-term value. The cheapest option may cut corners on materials or pay less attention to detail during the manufacturing process. These less-expensive forklifts are highly tempting because the return on investment (ROI) appears high, although the trade-off may be increased expenses for repairs or replacements.
Additionally, postponing maintenance due to the costs can lead to significant downtime. According to findings from Forbes, shutdowns can take up 1% to 10% of production time, and unplanned downtime costs industrial factors up to $50 billion annually. You will have to contend with direct labor expenses and possible overtime and outside contractors, make up for halted production, and deal with the resulting lost revenue. Parts and materials, shipping, idle operators, and lost sales all contribute to further increased costs.
Forbes also highlights that entities with a run-to-fail program will spend up to four times more on maintenance than those with an efficient one. Maintenance departments typically operate at a 18% to 74% wrench time rate, with an efficiency rate of around 20% to 30%.
Thus, an organization with 74% wrench time could spend around $100 million a year, while one with poorer efficiency will spend around $400 million. The average auto manufacturer will lose $22,000 a minute when production stops, so if your operations rely on forklifts, strategic investments are critical.
How to Make Your Fleet a Strong Growth Engine
If you recognize these issues in your forklift fleet, it is time for a change. By giving it the attention and investment it needs, your fleet can become an engine that drives your company toward even greater success.
1. Do a Fleet Audit
The first step is to do a complete audit of your forklift fleet. Examine how often these machines break down, if there are commonalities in those breakdowns, how much recovery costs and how long it takes. You should also track current operating costs and performance to identify where specific machines are impacting your profits.
After doing so, consider whether these forklifts require entire replacements or simply adjustments to their maintenance schedules. Some of these pieces of equipment could be suffering from overdue upkeep and need more attention to keep up their ROI. Predictive maintenance is a quick way to monitor them that can lower overall maintenance spending by 18%-25% and downtime by up to 50%. For a real-life example, a chemical plant was able to reduce urgent repairs from 43% of overall maintenance jobs across 33 tools.
2. Ensure Crews Are Properly Trained
If employees do not know how to use forklifts efficiently or do not see why learning to do so is important, they will impact your bottom line. To get them on board, training sessions are necessary.
Start by teaching workers how inadequate fleet maintenance processes or machines can erode overall profits, demonstrating why you are implementing the change. Then, cover how you want your forklifts to be operated and discuss the potential new features you are adding to the fleet. By doing so, you get everyone on the same page.
You should also instruct employees on what to do if they observe someone not following or circumventing these rules, as transforming the fleet will require the participation of everyone. It is essential to solicit workers’ input and address their questions as well, so they feel involved.
3. Consider New Technologies
While additional features cost more money, they could offer a significant ROI that justifies adding them. New forklift models could have telematics, automation or special attachments that make inventory tracking, optimized fuel usage and less product damage more viable. It is crucial to avoid adding these solely because they are recent advancements. Only implement them if they can enhance your fleet’s returns.
What Are the Most Reliable Forklifts for Manufacturing Facilities?
When you are adding another forklift to your fleet or acquiring your first one, you need to find providers with the right price that also suit your needs. Arnold Machinery Company has been a top provider of material handling equipment since 1944. It has multiple physical locations across the western United States, with forklift brand options including Combilift, Yale, Drexel and Hyster.
The forklifts on its website are organized by categories — from articulated forklifts to walkie stackers — so you can easily browse for a specific model. There are even repair services, meaning you can rely on the same provider for sales and maintenance. Its mobile forklift services can get your machine back up and running.
This business’s extensive history, 24/7 Silver Service® guarantee for excellent customer service and over $10 million in forklift parts make it one of the most reliable forklifts for manufacturing facilities. With your satisfaction as its top priority, you can trust the team at Arnold Machinery Company to find the perfect tool for your needs.
How to Choose the Right Forklift
When deciding on a new machine for your fleet, you must consider the critical tasks it needs to complete, valuable optional features or services, and the trust of other buyers, alongside the sticker price. If you opt for the cheapest option, you may experience more frequent failures and a customer service team that does not prioritize your needs. On the other hand, the most expensive option could break down less but eat into the ROI too much to justify the up-front cost.
Options for customization ensure you get what you need while improving efficiency, and providers that offer training on those features add significant value. Positive reviews are also a good indicator of frequent customer satisfaction, particularly if other players in your sector trust an enterprise’s forklifts.
The Most Reliable Forklifts for Manufacturing Facilities Can Transform Your Enterprise
By focusing less on the original price of your forklifts and more on their entire ROI, you can turn your fleet from a cost center into a critical growth engine. Auditing your fleet, properly training teams and considering technological advancements are fast ways to shift that mindset. You should also invest in machinery intelligently, weighing the expenses against the possible returns.