How To Maximize Your Forklift and Lift Truck Lifecycle
How do you know when it’s time so say goodbye? Lift trucks are the workhorses of the warehouse.
They are an essential tool for shipping, receiving, picking and put-away. But no piece of equipment can last forever and sooner or later, every lift truck will reach the point when it should be put out to pasture. Not literally – just a figure of speech! Experts say the key is to determine when a lift truck has reached the end of its “economic life.” That’s when the cost to operate a vehicle exceeds the value it provides – keeping it would be like throwing money away.
Here are some things to consider:
HOURS ON THE JOB – The typical lift truck is good for 10,000 to 20,000 hours. Operating conditions, number of
shifts, and maintenance – all play a role in determining when a unit is “spent”.
COST OF MAINTENANCE – Major components like motors, drive units, transmissions and electronics may require
repairs or replacement after about 10,000 hours and/or six or seven years.
SPIKING – A sudden, unexpected increase in maintenance costs may be a sign a lift truck has reached the end of
the road.
BETTER PRODUCTIVITY – If a lift truck becomes a drag on productivity, it’s time to replace it. Several reasons may
be factors such as; excessive downtime for repairs, inadequate ergonomics, outdated safety features, or the truck
was not designed for the current (or future) job. According to a leading lift truck manufacturer, replacing a lift truck after
10,000 hours will, on average, improve uptime by nearly 50% compared with replacing it at 20,000 hours.
Okay, you’ve determined it’s time to replace your lift truck – now what?
Well, we suggest you contact us for pricing on New or Used equipment. Our staff can help determine what
would be in the best interest to your operation. We may make suggestions to:
PERFORM A SAFETY EVALUATION – Consider Andersen’s safety evaluation for only $250, including freight up to
30 miles, receive a detailed inspection and estimate of repairs, and help determine a replacement or repair strategy.
REASSIGN IT – In some circumstances, it can pay to reassign a truck to a less demanding job. It will cost more per
hour to operate than a new one, but it may still be cost-effective for applications requiring fewer hours.
KEEP AS A SPARE – When a truck has become too expensive to operate on a regular basis but is still on a depreciation
schedule, it may make sense to keep it as spare equipment – something every facility needs – however you must
consider if the lift is still safe to operate.
REBUILD SPECIALTY UNITS – Some equipment, specific to your operations may no longer be manufactured. Our
shop team can breathe new life into that equipment by completely rebuilding it.
TRADE IT – We can offer a trade-in value on the purchase of a New or ReNewed lift truck.
SELL IT – It’s possible to sell a used lift directly to an end user, but we caution against it because of potential liability issues.
SCRAP IT – Andersen will scrap the unit, at no cost to you.
Then there’s the Financial Angle.
Don’t throw money away. There are many options for dealing with end of life equipment. The most important thing is to stay on top of it. That’s being competitive. Helping you be competitive is our job.