several other factors that also influence how long an individual truck will last. For example, electrics generally run
more total hours than internal combustion (IC) trucks do.
Operating conditions also play a big role, says Bill Rowan,
president of Sunbelt Industrial Trucks, a dealer that represents Narrow Aisle, Nissan (now UniCarriers), Komatsu,
and Doosan. You’ll get more hours, for instance, from a
truck that operates indoors in clean, dry conditions than
you will from one that’s exposed to extreme temperatures
or messy loads that can gum things up.
One of the most important factors affecting operating
hours is maintenance. A properly managed planned-main-tenance program will help any truck operate more efficiently and last longer. “Being proactive on the maintenance
side is one way to increase the economic life of the lift
truck,” Rowan says.
Utilization also affects longevity; a lift truck carrying
heavy loads over multiple shifts will not last as long as one
that sees light duty in a single-shift operation. In some cases,
though, it is possible to extend a
truck’s lifespan, says Scott
Craver, product manager of
business and information solutions for The Raymond Corp. If
a few trucks have lower utilization rates than others in a fleet,
“locking out” some high-mileage forklifts for a while and
using the low-utilization trucks
will wring more hours from the
latter and allow the fleet vehicles
to wear at the same rate. But, he cautions, it’s critical to
investigate why certain vehicles are underutilized and to
make sure there’s nothing wrong with them before putting
them to heavier use.
THE COST OF MAINTENANCE
For companies that buy their trucks rather than lease or
rent them, it’s tempting to focus on getting as many hours
as possible out of each piece of equipment. But that
approach is counterproductive. Experts advise fleet owners
to pay equal attention to maintenance costs, because these
can eventually outweigh the benefits of keeping an older
truck running.
Maintenance costs, which include parts and labor, usual-
ly are predictable for the first couple years of a lift truck’s
life. But after a few years and several thousand hours of use
(the numbers will vary depending on individual circum-
stances), maintenance costs inevitably rise. In a hypotheti-
cal but common scenario, a new truck might have no main-
tenance expenses to speak of in its first year, and in its sec-
ond year, maintenance might cost $1.50 an hour, says Bill
Pedriana, director of sales for Big Joe Forklifts. “Then, in
year five, that may go up to $3 per hour, even with good,
planned maintenance,” he says.
