Southeastern Intermodal Industries Increases Productivity with Hyster’s Materials Handling Equipment

Southeastern Intermodal Industries offers the widest array of intermodal services in South Florida, including the area’s largest off terminal storage and repair depot. Founded in 1981 by Angel Donas, the diversified company employs nearly 200 people, including mechanics, welders and drivers.

Southeastern Intermodal Industries’ 46-acre facility, which includes a 55,000-square-foot-repair shop, is conveniently located near South Florida’s two major seaports, Port of Miami and Port Everglades, as well as the Florida East Coast Railway.

The company utilizes materials handling equipment to move containers on and off of trucks and around the yard efficiently. The equipment needs to be durable and dependable in order to meet Southeastern Intermodal Industries’ customers’ demands and provide the high quality service they expect.

Challenge
Southeastern Intermodal Industries’ primary business is container storage and repair service for dry containers, refrigeration units and specialty equipment, such as generators. On a continuous basis, containers come into the yard on trucks, are removed from the chassis, moved to various locations throughout the yard, repaired and then moved again. In some instances, the contents of the container must be unloaded and moved as well. Southeastern Intermodal Industries depends on materials handling equipment to keep the business running. If the lift trucks or container handlers are not dependable, there is a loss of productivity and a significant impact on the operation.

“We pride ourselves on providing the highest level of service, so it’s very important that we have the machines running, and if there is an issue, we need parts to be available and maintenance to be completed quickly,” said Angel Donas, President and CEO of Southeastern Intermodal Industries. “Sometimes we have 50 to 80 trucks coming in with big containers, and if time passes and we are unable to serve them, it costs us—both in productivity and fees.”

Solution
To manage the company’s numerous materials handling needs, Southeastern Intermodal Industries turned to Hyster Company. With the broadest capacity offering in the industry, Hyster’s materials handling equipment options range from the largest container handlers, reach stackers and high capacity forklift trucks to internal combustion and electric counterbalanced forklift trucks designed for dependability and productivity in heavy duty applications.

“After I tried another brand, I decided to start using Hyster, and so far it’s the best decision I’ve ever made because of the superior quality and reliability of the equipment,” said Donas. “We have Hyster® trucks with capacities ranging from 6,000 to 100,000 pounds. My background is as a mechanic, so I know about machines, and I can assure you that these Hyster machines are the best in the world in any category.”

The company’s most recent purchase is the Hyster® H450HDEC empty container handler, which features the ComforCab II. Ergonomically designed hydraulic controls and the direction control lever are within easy reach—noted by Donas as a plus, along with the container handler’s great visibility. The superior ergonomic design of the cab and controls reduces operator fatigue and helps improve productivity.

Results
In addition to being pleased with the durability and ergonomic design of the equipment, Southeastern Intermodal Industries has seen a marked decrease in downtime since switching to Hyster® lift trucks and working with their dealer, Briggs Industrial Equipment—a result of increased serviceability and parts availability.

“The downtime on this machine is almost zero. It is very, very rare that I need a service mechanic to do something other than maintenance on the machines,” said Donas. “If we do need a part, Briggs brings it the next day. There’s no way a truck is going to be down for more than two days, which is an improvement over other dealers and saves us money.”

Southeastern Intermodal Industries has purchased nearly 50 Hyster® lift trucks in the last 20 years, with plans to continue working with Hyster and Briggs Industrial Equipment for their materials handling needs well into the future.