When the time to purchase new forklifts comes, the focus is always on costs. This makes sense — no-one in business would want to spend money unnecessarily, and if a machine can do the job, then the lower the cost, the better.

Everyone could easily lift a package weighing a few kilograms, but what if you had to pick that same package hundreds of times a day, over the course of weeks and months, possibly from hard-to-reach places? You’d probably start feeling the strain quite quickly, and you’d end up hoping you had some equipment or solution to make the job easier.

The forklift’s steering wheel is a component that is often taken for granted, but it’s usually the most-used. Navigating a busy warehouse requires a lot of manoeuvring, and the driver has to make constant adjustments in order to drive safely.

Operating a forklift is a demanding job, and the stresses of a busy materials handling operation can put strain on drivers. This doesn't only make them uncomfortable and prone to injury, but also makes them less efficient and productive, harming the operation's bottom line.

Forklifts have existed for over 100 years — but it's only in more recent decades that ergonomic design has become a important question for manufacturers to answer.

As you know, forklift drivers come in all shapes and sizes, and a cabin that feels good and fits perfectly for one operator may be completely wrong for another.

Owning and operating a forklift truck naturally involves many different costs. There's naturally the upfront cost of the machine itself, or regular payments if it's financed, as well as costs for routine or avoidable service and maintenance, and downtime.

Over the course of its life, the total cost of operation for a forklift truck can be much more than the figure on its price tag.

Forklift safety is vital in the modern warehouse. If you want to keep efficiency high and staff happy, making sure that forklift drivers know the rules is essential. Paying attention to the regulations also reduces the risk of breaking the law, too.

Accidents can harm your bottom line and damage your company's reputation - so keeping the best practice at the top of your mind is important.

It’s possible to spend large amounts of time and money trying to reduce costs by making small changes around the warehouse - but when it comes to the total cost of owning your truck over its lifetime, the driver is often the biggest factor, and can sometimes make up 70% of the total cost.

That’s why it can be a good idea to focus on the driver if you’re trying to save money. Fortunately, there’s a range of optional features and add-ons for your forklift truck which can help make drivers more productive, more efficient, and safer when they’re on the job. And as we all know, warehouse ergonomics and forklift safety doesn’t just benefit your drivers - it boosts your bottom line, too.

Staying productive, increasing efficiency and keeping the total cost of operations low are always at the front of a warehouse manager's mind, and they need to be taken into account when making decisions.

Getting the right equipment, staff and suppliers can help you achieve your goals, but there's one factor which is just as important - ergonomics.