DC Velocity - September 2019

BY TOBY GOOLEY, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

FORKLIFTS
Material Handling

FORKLIFT DEALERS’ SHOWROOMS HAVE BEEN pretty busy lately. According to the Industrial Truck Association (ITA), sales reached a new high in 2018, the fourth consecutive year of record growth. Of the new riders and motorized hand trucks sold that year, 64 percent were battery-powered electrics, while the remaining 36 percent had internal-combustion (IC) engines.

But the choice of motive power is not as simple as that “electric versus IC” breakdown might suggest. Today, there are more forklift power options available than ever before. On the electric side, there are lead-acid batteries of various types, lithium-ion batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells. On the internal-combustion side, fuel options range from propane (a type of liquid petroleum gas, or LP) and compressed natural gas (CNG) to diesel and gasoline.

Whether buying or leasing new equipment, fleet managers must decide which type of motive power would be best for their particular operation. We asked experts who help fleet managers make these kinds of decisions to suggest steps to follow and factors to consider while investigating the options.

STEP 1. ORGANIZE YOUR TEAM

Because a new power source could have a big impact on daily operations and productivity in addition to costs, a team approach is most effective for evaluating options, the experts agree. But who should be included on that team?

One obvious choice is the forklift dealer, says Jim Hammond, president of Valley Industrial Trucks, a Clark dealer based in Youngstown, Ohio. “[Dealers] know the

With more motive-power options available than ever before, choosing the best one for your forklift fleet isn’t easy. Here’s what to consider before you make your pick.