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.