When your leased materials handling equipment reaches the end of its contract, it’s often difficult to decide what your next steps should be. Is it best to invest in new equipment that you haven’t used before, or should you just extend the contracts of the trucks you already have on site?
The correct answer will depend completely on the needs and requirements of your operation. But in many situations, bringing on new equipment can often be the best decision in the long run, once you consider the benefits that technological advances can bring.
For example, older trucks are often not as energy efficient as newer models. Constant advances in battery technology, as well as improvements and tweaks made by manufacturers over time mean that modern trucks generally consume less energy compared to models from only a few years ago. The newer trucks may come at a higher cost but depending on your operation, you could potentially see this cost paid back through lowered electricity costs.
The same applies to ergonomics. Older trucks may have high levels of ergonomic design, but manufacturers are constantly listening to the market to find out what design improvements should be made to new products. Small details like a truck’s step-in height or the position of its steering wheel may be optimised in newer machines, which over longer periods can result in greater productivity from operators and fewer injuries caused by repetitive movements.
It may be the case that your existing machines are doing the job perfectly. But with some careful analysis, you’ll often find that small optimisations made possible by your choice of materials handling equipment can result in big improvements in operational efficiency, productivity and safety, and in many cases, you’ll need to upgrade to newer forklifts to get access to them.
Interested in finding out more about the effect that upgrading equipment would have on your operation? Get in touch with us below - to ask us about getting your operation analysed. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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