How To Reduce The Total Cost of Forklift Ownership

Lowering maintenance costs and keeping the fleet productive are sure-fire methods to reduce the overall cost of ownership for any forklift fleet. Plant machinery can represent a significant investment to businesses, sometimes equating to the largest business asset over all.

Keep your fleet working for you

The biggest drain on the cost of forklift ownership is having forklifts that aren't making you money. Breakdowns, repairs and refuelling all add up and compound costs when they aren't operational. A great strategy and tactic to lower maintenance costs is to prevent the need for maintenance in the first place.Ensuring employees and personnel check the forklift prior to each and every use can aid in detecting a problem early and reducing costs long-term with swift action. In addition, a great way to prolong the life and performance of any forklift is to make sure oil changes are conducted on a regular schedule with adherence to the prescribed regimens.Furthermore, keeping your battery is appropriately charged and verifying hydraulic fluid levels are two more ways to prevent accidents and any collateral damage that comes as a result of these vital components malfunctioning.These small yet simple steps can ensure the forklift is a quality investment and provides maximum return on investment.

Consider electric forklifts

Like electric cars, electric forklifts have fewer moving parts than their internal combustion alternatives. This means that they are easy to maintain, there's less that can go wrong and the fuel cost is far less.The cost of diesel is always on the rise, while technology is only making electric forklifts cheaper and cheaper to operate. Today's electric forklifts can perform two shift's worth of work from a single battery charge and can regain energy from braking, prolonging overall charge.While they do generally require higher initial investment, due to up-front costs, electric forklifts can keep the overall cost of your fleet down.

Work smart

Rearranging the warehouse is an underutilised option for effective fleet management, which is essential to managing costs. Moving your aisles to optimum positions to allow your fleet to work more efficiently. This boosts both forklift productivity and reduces wear and tear.

Optimise and customise

Forklift attachments allow you to customise your fleet, allowing them to take on multiple tasks without needing more machines. By making your forklifts flexible, you can pursue a variety of revenue channels without the need for additional overheads. Forklifts can be very flexible tools that can lower your overall costs when optimally used.These are just a few ways you can reduce the total cost of forklift ownership. When it comes to your forklift fleet, productivity is essential. Getting the best return on investment for your machinery requires expert logistics, regular maintenance  and effective operator training. When you take these elements into consideration, your costs will be easy to manage.