ls it time to replace your lift trucks?

ic life is evaluating its periodic maintenance program. Those trucks receiving regular maintenance attention operate more efficiently and last longer. Manufacturers estimate that periodic maintenance can extend a truck's economic life by 1,000 to 2,000 hours.

A change in material handling requirements may require new equipment attachments, new options or a larger lifting capacity. Sometimes acquiring a new truck is more cost effective than trying to retrofit old equipment.

Trucks might also be replaced when a warehouse expands. If the warehouse gains more square footage, the trucks will be required to travel greater distances. By increasing lift truck load capacity, the same amount of material can be handled in fewer trips.

When business activity increases, occasionally the current material handling equipment cannot keep up with demand. Rather than alienate customers with slow deliveries, companies may decide to acquire new attachments or entirely new trucks with increased capabilities and options. Today's internal combustion lift truck uses 7-l0Vo less fuel and requires lo-l1%o less maintenance than a truck manufactured l0 years ago. Ergonomic design improvements can increase operator productivity. As a result, trucks can handle more materials faster, are more efficient and usually have less down time.

When evaluating the economic life of a fleet, a trusted, professional lift truck dealer can be a good consultant. However, it doesn't take a professional to realize that trucks past their economic limit should be used less and scheduled for replacement. The key is to learn your trucks' life spans and get rid of those that are not economically effective.

Yet only about 20Vo of all lift truck owners have any type of a planned replacement program. "It seems to me that those who don't plan ahead for replacement are betting that their lift trucks will never break down," Hanson said. "And that's a gamble I wouldn't want to take."