The Material Handling Blog

There's many ways that the carbon footprint of a materials handling operation can be reduced. Using electric trucks instead of IC trucks brings down emissions, for example, and energy can be saved by choosing more eco-friendly heating and lighting systems.

However, if you want to reduce the carbon footprint of your company's forklift service operation, then choosing a service partner with a high first visit fix rate (FVFR) is a great solution.

The traditional lead-acid forklift battery is a tried-and-tested technology. However, Li-ION (lithium ion) batteries, which power your laptop, smartphone and maybe even your car, are now a viable energy solution for forklifts. But what advantages does this new technology offer?

You can have a fleet of the most technologically-advanced trucks on the market, but if you don't have a decent service partner to rely on, your operation will really suffer.

Downtime is a major threat for any materials handling operation, especially if you have high turnover rates and tough delivery deadlines. That's why the ability to get a machine back up and running after something goes wrong should be one of the most important factors you should consider when choosing a forklift service supplier. 

But what makes a good service partner? There's lots of different qualities, and the correct answer for you will depend on the unique details of your operation. However, the best service partners will be able to provide things like these.

If the surface you step on to get into your forklift is well-designed, you probably won't even notice it at all. But a lack of care from the manufacturer when it comes to this small detail adds to the strain that drivers experience on the job, which will ultimately affect your operation and increase costs.

Generally speaking, the step-in height on a forklift should be as low as possible. This means that it takes less effort for the driver to climb on or off the truck during a busy shift.

Picking, packing and dispatching 3,500 customer orders every day in a 118,000m² distribution centre is a constant challenge. However, Skechers makes it happen at their facility near Liège, Belgium, with a fleet of UniCarriers trucks to help.

However, the operation hasn't always run at such an intense level. Skechers began working with UniCarriers in 2002 when the European sales and distribution network was being set up, when they ordered six forklifts.

Cold stores, warehouses where frozen goods are stored, can reach temperatures as low as -35°C and are some of the most demanding environments that forklifts can operate in.

Fortunately, most forklift suppliers offer machines that are capable of working reliably in such cold temperatures. Freezing environments can make steel more brittle, make the oil and lubricants more viscous and reduce the truck's battery capacity, but adaptations can be made to forklifts to reduce the impact of these issues, ensuring both safety and reliability.

Since the advent of containerisation and the forklift truck, the pallet has become vital for the storage and transport of goods around the world. Palletising goods make a lot of sense - pallets are a consistent size, meaning businesses can be sure they will fit in their racking, and ensuring that all kinds of forklifts will be able to pick them up.

Pallets are also lightweight and strong in comparison to other storage and handling solutions. Pallets are everywhere, but what happens if the goods you handle are much, much bigger than the standard Europallet?

Lithium-ion, or Li-ION batteries are everywhere these days — in your smartphone, in your laptop, possibly even on your bicycle or in your car. However, they're probably not in the forklift trucks your company uses for materials handling.

When purchasing new forklift trucks, it's tempting to get caught up comparing different options on the purchase price alone. The graphic above should hopefully show you why that's not the best option. 

"The representation of the behaviour or characteristics of one system through the use of another system, especially a computer program designed for the purpose."

That's the dictionary defintion of simulation, but how does it relate to logistics and materials handling? Since modern logistics began, managers have been looking for ways to accurately predict the effects of changes to a materials handling operation. Will moving a certain type of item to a different rack produce more efficient results, or just create new problems? With experience it's possible to make good predictions, but the complexity of a materials handling operation means it's very difficult to have a lot of confidence in them.