Forklift Rental Tips to Remember

For companies that use forklifts every day, there is sometimes a dilemma on whether to buy or rent a forklift Atlanta. When investing, your own forklift may be good for a company which needs it all the time, the flip side might be true for those that use the equipment every once in a while. If you use different types of forklifts to complete different tasks, you are also better off renting one. Many entities end up feeling cheated after renting out forklifts that are not in good condition, overpriced, or simply unsuitable for the job at hand. Forklifts that lack proper servicing break down numerous times and the rental company takes long to replace it, leaving you with unsustainable downtimes. Next time you go searching for a forklift for lease, consider the following:

• Get a dealer with a wide range of clean, well serviced lift trucks, so that even when you need a different kind of forklift they can easily exchange it for you, with some adjustments in the rental fee. This is advantageous when the forklift you are using breaks down, they can easily replace it.

• Ensure that your forklift dealer has a fully equipped service shop with experienced technicians who can be dispatched to fix any faulty machine on site. In case of small faults they should not delay you from achieving your daily target.

• What is the range of the load your forklift is expected to carry? You must be clear about this one so that you get a forklift which can manage the job you need it to do.

• What kind of environment are you working in? Whether indoors or outdoors, rough or smooth terrain, it should be specified. This will help the dealer give you the right forklift. Else if you get a forklift which is meant to work in warehouses for an outdoor job, it might easily get damaged.

How long would you like to use the forklift? Decide depending on the nature of your operation, how long you will need the forklift. Though renting for a short time might be quite pricy, most dealers have different reasonable rates to customers who rent a machine for an extended period of time.
Be clear about the rental contract. Be sure that your dealer will be the one to service and maintain the lift trucks. Ask if they will give you an operator or you will need to get one by yourself.
Finally, inspect the forklift before it is moved to the site. Take note of any faults and inform the dealer about them. If you are not comfortable with the truck request a replacement.
There are a number of seasoned forklift leasing companies in the Atlanta area that boast extensive fleets featuring different makes and models. Go for one that provides a reputable service with reasonable rental rates, to make the most out of the machinery.

Tips on Choosing the Right Forklift

Selecting the right forklift is very important for you to enjoy maximum utilization in your company. There are many elements that come together to influence the best choice of Used fork trucks for sale for your requirements. If you wish to own a forklift for your company’s operations, it is best that you consider a few important aspects so that your investment is worth its while. Below are a few pointers that will help you in doing just that.

1. Nature of your work

If most of your operations require the use of a forklift truck and you use it for more than 5 hours every day, it may be better to purchase a forklift than keep on renting. You must also be sure that it is not only for temporal but you will be using it a lot more in the foreseeable future. However, it may not be necessary for smaller operators to purchase a forklift as opposed to bigger companies.
Working Environment
You must identify the environment in which the forklift will be working. Either indoors or outdoors, smooth or rough terrain etc. This helps your forklift sales provider better assist you to choose the right forklift. The right choice ensures that the forklift will have a longer lifespan, giving you value for your money.
Load Size
How much is the load that the forklift will be expected to carry? Specify the maximum, minimum and average load that your forklift will carry. The best way forward is to opt for one with a load capacity that is higher or within the range of your requirements.  It is important that you consider the nature of your load so that you get a lift truck with fork attachments that are suitable for the job. There is nothing more frustrating than getting a machine which cannot handle its operations due to configuration issues, which is why you must keep this in mind when choosing your lift truck for sale in Atlanta or any other place.
Fuel type
Choice of fuel type is related to your work environment. Let’s say you require the lift truck to work in a warehouse, it is advisable to go for battery power. This is due to the fact that it does not produce much noise, the power source is cheaper, and has a longer life span, although it has high maintenance cost.  If the forklift is required for outdoor work, a diesel or gas powered option is the best. This is because they can handle higher power requirements to maneuver around different terrain while carrying maximum loads. Big lift trucks are often either diesel or gas powered.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Forklift Servicing

If you own a fleet of forklifts for lease or your in-house operations, it is important to craft an appropriate maintenance regime designed to ensure safety in the workplace, minimal downtimes, efficient operation of equipment, few costly repairs, and long life for the equipment. Regular inspections and maintenance must be done in line with manufacturer’s instructions and standards. You must design and implement procedures to report and investigate any incidents that deviate from the norm or dangerous occurrences during operation of the lift trucks. It is always paramount to seek the services of seasoned forklift servicing service providers in Atlanta or any other place, if you don’t have the skilled people in-house. This blog covers a few do’s and don’ts that you ought to remember when it’s time for forklift servicing.

What are Some of the Do’s?

• Wear the right protective equipment, such as goggles, aprons, rubber boots, leather glove, as and when required when grinding, handling batteries, and changing LPG fuel tanks.
• Make sure to disconnect all batteries before beginning any work
• Keep all forklifts in your fleet clean to make it easy to detect defective or worn parts
• Use water to clean, as opposed to flammable liquids to clean the forklifts and also keep the work area clean and well lit
• Only trained and certified people should inspect maintain, or repair your forklift trucks
• 
• Your qualified tire fitters must use a safety cage when fitting or inflating tires, and the compressed air hose must be a clip-on feature to allow fitters to be away from the wheel rim when inflating the tire.
• Check all tools before use and remove them all before starting the engine
• Make sure to inspect the forklift for twisted, distorted, or bent sections and conduct the necessary tests if you observe any defects.
• Magnetic particle testing ought to be done for main mast welds and forks if cracks develop or annually, and on couplings, hoses, cylinder connections in the tilt control system and main mast assembly

What are Some of the Don’ts?

• Don’t drive, initiate maintenance or repairs without first checking the operator’s daily checklist or finding out why the forklift is in for repairs
• Never remove the counterweight without first attaching a chain hoist
• Don’t work under an elevated forklift if it is not safely supported by blocks

5 Tips for Better Maintenance of your Forklift Fleet

It is important for companies that use heavy equipment such as forklifts to ensure that it is always in tip-top condition to ensure safety in the workplace, efficient operation, longevity, and low running costs in the long run, through periodic and timely servicing. Forklifts, like any other piece of mechanical equipment, go through wear and tear and sometimes develop problems that get worse with time. Even if you rely on forklifts for rent in Atlanta or any other place, you need to ensure that they are properly maintained before renting from the forklift leasing service provider. Failure to conduct regular forklift maintenance erodes your investment due to frequent breakdowns and expensive repairs. Poorly maintained forklifts for hire also expose you to downtimes that disrupt your productivity. In this blog post, we look at tips to ensure proper maintenance of your lift truck fleet.

Always lubricate your machine.

Parts that are constantly in motion need to be well greased to avoid the harmful effects of friction.  Make sure to check if your forklift is well lubricated every day before putting it to work. The practice saves you money that would otherwise be invested in expensive repairs and replacing parts, as they wear and age quickly without adequate lubrication.

Perform a routine daily check.

Before you start any kind of work, check all the important parts of your forklift.  Every operator must be able to thoroughly check the lift truck’s tires, brakes, fuel, batteries, and engine and hydraulic oils. Ensure that safety features such as seat belts, mirrors, and emergency disconnect for all batteries, are intact. Check for leaks in hydraulic pipes. If anything needs fixing, ensure that the work is done without delay.

Lift your fork tines

Many operators make the mistake of dragging their fork tines around. Such action wears out the fork tines faster and increases fuel consumption of the lift truck. It is, therefore, advisable to always lift the fork tines of the lift truck and ensure all operators are advised of this fact.

Forklift Leasing 101: Read This Before Hiring a Forklift

Many businesses, large and small, require forklifts for rent every now and then, either due to breakdowns to some of their own, periodic requirements for such heavy equipment, or catering to their requirements as they save to buy their own. Whatever the reason, it is important to ensure that all your bases are covered before you set out shopping for the right forklift for your requirements. There are many forklifts in the market configured differently in various ways to cater to a plethora of unique tasks. Let us look at some of the groundwork that you need to do and tips that can guide you to the right forklift leasing companies in Atlanta and other places.

Before You Set Out Shopping

Know what you want first before you start hunting for forklifts in the market. Forklift hiring rates vary, depending on their size, capacity, equipment cost, brand, and fuel cost. Avoid going for a capacity that is larger than necessary or a premium brand if it doesn’t add any value to your work. Also, consider any height restrictions that may exist within your workspaces, such as doors as forklifts come with different closed heights and mask types. Just ensure the forklift can handle the job for which you require its services and also suits your budget.

When Shopping

The first thing that you need to do when shopping is to compile a list of forklift leasing companies in Atlanta or any other place. Conduct background checks of all the service providers on your list to eliminate unreliable options that have a bad reputation in the market. You can achieve this objective by conducting online research and checking out the company’s reviews and its portfolio as shown on the official website. You can also check whether they are registered and their reputation with entities such as the Better Business Bureau. When you finally have a shortlist of real contenders, request quotations and use your knowledge from prior research on forklift rental prices to pick the best option.

On Concluding Deal

Before you can sign on the dotted line, it is important to remember that forklift leasing companies in Atlanta and other places offer lower rates for longer lease periods. It therefore makes sense to go long term if the need for the equipment is not temporary. Cover yourself for as long as you know you will need the equipment. You can also negotiate lower rates if you are willing to pay in advance or use automated payment options.

Benefits of Renting a Forklift Vs Buying

A forklift is a necessary piece of equipment for companies which require a lot of handling, lifting and maneuvering of large quantities of material. This is especially true if you are in the construction, landscaping and transporting and logistics industries. In most cases, however, it is preferable to Rent a forklift in Atlanta or any other place as opposed to incurring a significant cost on purchasing one.

Buying a forklift is a huge investment and you need to consider all factors before you can go shopping. If you do not use a lift truck on a regular basis, it is advisable not to invest in one. If you plan to use a forklift for a couple of days or weeks, or your line of work is seasonal, it is more economical to rent one. The same goes for when you need different kinds of lift trucks to handle different tasks then you can rent as per need. Companies that offer forklift rental services in Atlanta and other jurisdictions have extensive fleets of trucks from which you can choose one that meets your need and budget.

 

Some of the pros of renting a forklift are:
1. Escape High initial costs of Buying
Organizations can cut unnecessarily high initial costs associated with purchasing a forklift by simply renting from companies that specialize in forklift rental services. If you require a forklift for a longer time, a leasing arrangement can be agreed upon between you and the lift truck rental company. Such arrangements help keep your costs low and manageable.
2. No Maintenance cost
Once you buy forklift, you need to take care of its maintenance and repairs. If, however, you are renting it, there is no need to cater to such expenses as they are borne by the forklift hiring services company. If a lift truck is to break down whilst you are still using the leasing company can easily replace it with a functional one, saving you from extended downtimes that you would otherwise experience with your own forklift.
3. Wide Choice
If you need to use a forklift for a job that requires a specific model, you can always pick from the options available with the rental company, without the need to buy another forklift. You can also easily upgrade to the latest technologies in an instant, something that world otherwise be almost a non-starter if the old one is owned by your company.
Check out online reviews to establish their reputation in the market and ask to speak with some of their clients to hear about their experiences working with the forklift hiring service provider. Last but not the least, go through the contract document before signing to ensure that it mirrors any verbal promises and agreements and doesn’t contain any hidden charges or vague clauses.

Important Tips When Buying a Used Forklift for Sale

Do your company operations require a lot of product handling, such as moving wood at construction sites, unloading crates of cargo from a container, or simply retrieving and packing goods in a warehouse? A forklift is a handy machine use in such scenarios on a daily basis to carry out he various tasks with ease. Although renting a forklift seems to be an affordable way out, it often proves to be costlier in the long run when compared to buying your own brand new or used forklift in Atlanta and other jurisdictions. Renting has the down-side of limiting the amount of time you can use the forklift. This eventually increases your cost of operations while lowering operational efficiency, making it prudent to purchase your own forklift. This blog post discusses the various elements you must consider when buying used forklifts to ensure that you get value for your investment,even if you want to add another forklift to an already existing fleet.

New or Used?

If you are thinking of purchasing a forklift, used forklifts make a great option owing to the many advantages that you stand to gain. This is advantageous in that the initial cost is greatly reduced without necessarily compromising on the quality of product. It is easy to find reputable dealers providing reliable forklifts for sale in places such as Atlanta. Since you would be getting a used forklift, you should be ready to also put in a little repair work or replacement of a few components to get it in tip-top working condition again.Make sure you conduct a thorough inspection of the forklift before purchasing. You may want to get a mechanic to check it for you, just like when you are buying a used car to ensure that you are getting your money’s worth. Ensure that the forklift does not have any major damages to the forks, mast and its rails. You must also check for any leakages and if the tires and the rest of the frame are in good shape. The cabin of the lift truck must be in a condition to protect the operator in case of a dropped load and the windows must not be broken.

Inspection and Other Considerations

When purchasing a forklift, you should consider which truck is suitable for you in respect of the maximum weight it can carry, power type- electric, diesel, LPG, or a dual fuel powered machine. Consider the environment in which you will be using the forklift, whether it is rough terrain or in a warehouse. Remember to consider the total number of hours the forklift has worked rather than its age. For example, you may get a 2010 forklift that has worked for at least 40 hours a week outdoors and a 2005 forklift which has been working for 6 hours a week. Go for a forklift with lesser operational hours as it will serve you efficiently for a longer time. Make sure to ask your supplier for a service record for the forklift truck to verify the machine’s working hours.

Take the lift truck for a test ride to also ensure that it is fully operational and all of its safety features such as the seat belt are intact. Eventually you must always get a warranty when purchasing a used forklift for sale. If the dealer is not willing to give a warranty, it may mean the forklift is not in a good condition, and you should entertain other options. To improve your chances of getting a good and reliable forklift for sale in Atlanta or any other place, be sure to check the dealer’s reviews online to establish their reputation on the market.
Happy shopping!