Most folks running warehouses assume their forklift fleets are doing “fine”—until someone asks for hard numbers. That’s where benchmarking comes in. Not as a buzzword, but as a mirror. It shows you what’s working, what’s dragging you down, and where the money’s quietly leaking.
Here’s how to make benchmarking actually useful—without turning it into a spreadsheet swamp.
1. What Is Benchmarking, Really?
At its core, it’s just a comparison. You take your fleet’s metrics—usage hours, repair costs, how often you’re fixing broken lights—and stack them up against industry averages. No need to overthink it. The goal is spotting gaps and trends you might otherwise miss.
2. Track the Stuff That Matters
You don’t need to monitor every beep and blink. Focus on:
- How many hours a truck is actually moving (not just turned on)
- Average time between maintenance issues
- Fuel or battery drain per shift
- How often your operators bump into racking (yep, it happens)
- Downtime. That one’s a big deal.
If it affects cost or safety, track it. Otherwise, let it go.
3. Know What “Good” Looks Like
There’s no single golden number, but some rough benchmarks help:
- 70%+ utilization is a solid target
- Impacts? Low and trending lower
- Maintenance cost? If it’s creeping up monthly, something’s off
Don’t just aim for averages. Use them as a starting point—then try to beat them.
4. Use Tools, Not Gut Feeling
Your gut might tell you that Truck #4 is your MVP—but data will show if it’s actually parked 40% of the day. Telematics and tracking systems give you the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.
They’re not perfect, but they’re better than guessing.
5. Make the Comparison Count
It’s not enough to collect numbers—you’ve got to act on them. If three trucks are doing the heavy lifting while the others coast, time to shuffle the schedule. Or train someone new. Or swap routes. Whatever closes the gap.
Also: don’t forget to benchmark your own history. Are you improving? Or just staying busy?
6. Small Adjustments, Big Wins
Sometimes the fix is surprisingly basic. Like reassigning one electric truck to a night shift. Or moving high-use units closer to hot zones. Or giving your team five minutes more pre-shift to do a proper inspection.
Tiny changes. Big ripple.
Check out our fleet management solutions for smarter ways to track and adapt your operation.
Why Bother with All This?
| Real-World Payoff | What You Actually Get |
|---|---|
| 🧠 Clarity | Less guessing, more knowing |
| 🔧 Uptime | Fewer surprise breakdowns |
| 📉 Lower Spend | Reduced maintenance waste |
| 🔄 Continuous Gains | You don’t just maintain—you improve |
Final Takeaway
Benchmarking isn’t glamorous. It won’t win anyone a trophy. But it does help you make fewer bad calls—and more smart ones.
The trick? Keep it simple, stay curious, and don’t let the data sit in a dashboard collecting dust. Check it, talk about it, tweak something, and repeat. That’s how progress really works.
And hey, if it feels like too much to juggle, start small. One metric, one shift, one truck. You’ll build momentum from there.