The Material Handling Blog

The struggle to keep unnecessary costs to a minimum is always important for materials handling professionals. But when economies slow down and business is disrupted, like during the current COVID-19 crisis, using your resources efficiently becomes even more vital.

Forklifts are durable machines, and they can stand still for long periods without creating too many problems. However, during the ongoing crisis, it's important to make sure that your equipment will be able to return to work quickly and smoothly once things return to normal.

The coronavirus crisis is creating huge amounts of disruption for business and society all over the world. Companies are having to deal with high levels of staff absence, reduced demand for services and products and even mandatory shutdowns in some countries.

Many businesses' services have become even more vital - for example, in the food distribution or medical equipment industries. However, other sectors are experiencing a serious slowdown, and for companies that have a materials handling operation, their forklift fleet may be at a complete standstill or utilised much less than normal.

Shuttle racking certainly isn't the cheapest storage system available, but if you want to maximise the capacity of a warehouse, it's a fantastic option.

As we've shown in other blog posts, forklift ownership can have advantages in certain operations over other financing options, such as short-term rental or leasing.

Out of all the different tasks you complete in your materials handling operation, order picking is by far the most expensive.  When you look at the cost involved with handling 1000kg of goods in different stages of the materials handling process, the contrast becomes clear.

Automated guided vehicle (AGV) technology has been used in materials handling for decades, but with more recent developments in technology it's becoming a more affordable and flexible solution than it used to be.

There is no such thing as an ‘off the shelf’ forklift. Instead, the buying process involves speaking with a representative from your supplier, analysing your operation and business needs with them, and agreeing on a suitable solution. While this may take time, the result is well worth it – you get exactly the right truck, perfectly suited to your operation.

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.

Battery-powered counterbalance trucks are really nothing new for internal operations – they’ve been the standard choice for decades, due to their quietness and lack of emissions.