Why Forklift Maintenance Should Never Be Overlooked
Key Reasons Why You Should Schedule Regular Forklift Maintenance
Forklifts (and material handling equipment in general) play an integral role in the operations of a warehouse or distribution facility. Every day they lift, move, and transport products too heavy for manual labour. Equipment is selected based on its efficiency, its ability to perform a special application, and its durability.
Although forklift maintenance may not immediately come to mind when thinking about the operations of your business as a whole, it is a key factor that determines how much down-time you could experience when equipment fails.
Here are a few reasons why you should maintain a schedule of regular preventative maintenance for all of your lift truck equipment:
- Equipment can be expensive. Not only that, you’ve spent time sourcing the right vehicles, gone through the purchase process, and invested in quality machines to keep operations running smoothly. Why jeopardize this investment with poor truck maintenance? Proper care for your equipment makes sure your entire investment isn’t wasted.
- Regular maintenance keeps your warranty valid. If a component fails and you haven’t serviced your equipment regularly, you may not receive warranty coverage. To preserve your equipment and the warranty, service your forklifts according to the manufacturer’s service schedule to avoid paying for repairs that would have otherwise been covered.
- Preventative maintenance helps you avoid major repairs by catching small things before they become big. Proper inspections, testing, and general care is provided by trained technicians to help you see issues before they become disruptive. Maintenance is a plan to ensure your forklifts last longer, avoiding future down-time, and repair costs.
- Your total cost of ownership is better controlled by proper truck maintenance. Preventative maintenance is usually a more cost-effective approach to repairs on a lift truck than neglecting it until it breaks down, resulting in a long list of service needed to get that equipment running again.
We’ve outlined just a few important reasons to service your fleet regularly, but ultimately, the efficiency of your operations and the value of your merchandise is the top priority. Preventative maintenance is part of your management strategy and one of the links to successful operations.
Want to learn more about a planned maintenance program? Hansler offers competitive rates and we service all makes and models. Contact us today to discuss a plan that suites your application and budget.