Efficiency in Forklift Fleet Management – Saving on Costs

by | Aug 18, 2022 | Forklift Fleet Management | 0 comments

With renewable energy moving to the forefront of mainstream energy consumption, now is a great time for forklift fleet managers to take steps to lower their carbon footprint, which can also improve energy efficiency and cost. “Going green” doesn’t mean you have to choose between saving money, conserving natural resources, or protecting the environment. Fortunately, you can have your cake and it eat, too.

Assess

The first forklift, built in 1917, was powered with gasoline. Nearly 90 years later, most lifts are still powered with gasoline, and their efficiency levels cover a broad spectrum. “Efficient” for one model might be wasteful for another, meaning it is out of tune. Trucks should be serviced every 250 hours of work and checked for proper emissions. This might sound simple, but an out-of-tune truck can dump far more wasteful emissions than it should into the air and will eventually cost more to fix; thus, negatively affecting other energy usage within the warehouse.

Decrease Emissions

Have all trucks in a fleet tuned – the euphemism “a well-oiled machine” didn’t come about by accident. A technician can use a gasoline analyzer to best identify the worst offenders, and then a fleet manager can act accordingly. Besides tuning the engine, swapping out an internal combustion engine for a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) engine can save up to 80% of carbon emissions. The CNG system isn’t an overly expensive replacement, but it does require having a filling station on site. Even with an on-site filling station, the CNG engine is incredibly cost-effective because the fleet can keep the same trucks and greatly lower emissions.

Electric Lifts

Want zero emissions while maintaining high performance levels within the fleet? Consider going electric. For every 10,000 hours of use, internal combustion engine-powered forklifts emit 120,000 more pounds of carbon emissions than electric-powered forklifts. Electric forklifts omit over one million pounds of pollution from ever entering the atmosphere. But, isn’t replacing a fleet with electric lifts expensive? What’s another positive to help with cost? Good questions! Electric forklifts generate very little heat compared to internal combustion forklifts. This reduces the strain on warehouse temperature-control units and the cost for cooling and air conditioning for the life of the truck. And, with electric forklifts, there are no engine, transmission or coolant fluid changes and no need to dispose of used fluids, oil or filters. One more selling point: truck maintenance is roughly about 30% of internal combustion engines. So, if a fleet is considering going green and wants to be able to stay in the black while doing so, there’s just no better time than the present.

Analysis Series, Chapter 6: Battery and Charging Systems

Chapter 6: Battery and Charging Systems Lift truck batteries come in all shapes and sizes. A typical battery’s dimensions and weight can vary widely depending on the truck, but in the case of the 5,000 lb. electric sit-down counterbalanced lift truck, it’s...

Analysis Series, Chapter 7: Electric Braking and Energy Regeneration

Chapter 7: Electric Braking and Energy Regeneration AC electric technology allows precise and aggressive electric braking in which mechanical friction from a physical brake is not used as the sole means of slowing or stopping the lift truck but in addition, it ‘pours’...

Analysis Series, Chapter 4: Trends in Materials Handling

Chapter 4: Trends in Materials Handling A trend to increasingly narrower aisles in warehouses and distribution centers reflects the need to store more goods in the same amount of space than in the past (“cube utilization”). In addition to aisles shrinking, storage...

Analysis Series, Chapter 2: AC Technology Compared to Internal Combustion

Chapter 2: AC Technology Compared to Internal Combustion When compared to internal combustion systems, the performance of AC lift trucks in parameters such as acceleration, ability to negotiate a ramp, speed control on ramps, load-lift ability and braking are today...

Materials Handling Efficiency Tips for the Food Industry

Profit margins are razor thin in the food industry and it’s critical distribution centers run at optimal efficiency. Before determining the right amount of space and equipment in a warehouse, it must be determined whether the right processes are in place to handle...

Natural Gas vs Liquid Propane Gas for Your Forklift Fleet

A majority of forklifts equipped with internal combustion engines run on gasoline, diesel or liquid propane gas (LPG). Some forklifts are equipped to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). Which gas is better for your forklift fleet? There are a few factors to take into...

Pallet Handling Safety Tips & Training

If you manage a warehouse or have experience working with MHEs, pallets are as common to you as stop signs or silverware. But, just because you can tell a butter knife from a steak knife doesn’t mean you can’t hurt yourself, or someone else, if you handle one...

Forklift Cost Analysis – The Concept of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Chapter 1: The Concept of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Equipment acquirers, more often than not, fail to understand the concept of total cost of ownership (TCO), instead are focusing mainly on the initial cost of the purchase in making their ultimate decision....

Analysis Series, Chapter 5: Voltage Levels Used in Electric Lift trucks Today

Chapter 5: Voltage Levels Used in Electric Lift trucks Today Electric warehousing lift trucks are based on a range of voltages (e.g. 24V, 36V, 48V and 80V). Some applications don’t require a great deal of power. For example, most Class III lift trucks (walkies,...

Analysis Series, Chapter 3: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

Chapter 3: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) The process of producing CNG is quite simple. It is composed of methane which is a natural gas which is then filtered and compressed. The comparisons of utilizing CNG as a power source for lift trucks are much stronger when...

Basic Forklift Principals

Understanding the stability of a powered industrial truck will be easier once you understand a few basic principles. The forklift's wheelbase is the distance between the center line of the vehicle's front and rear wheels. The track is the distance between wheels on...

Forklift Power Management and Telematics

One of the unique ways HCO Innovations help companies with their forklift operations is something you may find in your car. Telematics, part of our forklift power management program, refers to the use of wireless devices within a crash-resistant black box that...

Get 30 Days Free Access to Our Fleet Management Portal

- Organize your entire forklift fleet information in one centralized location.

- Track maintenance costs and identify high-cost units.

- Maintain visibility on expiring leases.

You have Successfully Subscribed!