Lift Truck Series

Operational priorities and infrastructure constraints should guide motive power choice, though lithium is seen as gaining ground in the long term. Every option has its strong points, so it comes down to using the goals of each operation to guide it down the best motive power path.

Several recent developments here include center-rider cabs, lithium-ion batteries and autonomous operating systems. But perhaps most important is improved operator confidence.

Managing lift truck safety is daunting in today’s hectic materials handling environments, but safety-related technology is advancing rapidly, with sensor-driven solutions available that promise to avoid incidents before they happen.

Once considered the purvey of the far-off future, autonomous lift trucks have arrived. Here’s what they can offer.

Getting more out of lift truck telematics involves looking beyond basics and starting to incorporate analytics fed by integration with other systems. By marrying up telematics data from the trucks with operations data, or with real-time location feeds, users stand to benefit.

Lift truck fleet managers and operators expect more data about everything from seats and tires to on-board technologies that put critical information front and center. These advances are the only way for operations and drivers to keep pace with demands.

As the fulfillment environment becomes increasingly connected, the lift truck battery has become a new focal point for companies that want to get the longest life and usage out of their investments.

Safety, ergonomics and maintenance are the big three here. If you haven’t bought or leased a truck recently, you need to catch up on how they are improving the value proposition of lift trucks in all types of facilities.

The same fleet management tools that cut their teeth guiding unprecedented industry growth could be tasked with curbing the same fleets.

Charged with cutting waste, many fleet owners are finding battery management practices have plenty of room for improvement.

In step with automotive innovations, lift trucks are gradually moving toward autonomy.

The demographics of technician hiring and retiring do not paint a pretty picture for the near- or long-term future of the technical workforce. The lift truck industry is attacking the shortage head-on with improvements and initiatives designed to grow the technicians of tomorrow—today

Customers demand lease agreements that allow for change, reduce or eliminate penalties, and prevent surprises during or at the end of the term. Finance partners have responded by offering unprecedented flexibility and risk mitigation.

The fleet of yesteryear enjoyed plentiful helpings of fuel and money to get the job done. Now that every penny counts, managers are keen to more precisely control each lift truck’s diet.