Should You Reduce Your Forklift Fleet?

Balance Your Equipment Fleet

It’s important to have forklifts when you need them and where you need them to keep your production on schedule. However, it’s also important to invest only in equipment that you need to keep your budget in line for forklift maintenance and labor costs. Implementing forklift fleet management will help you find the optimum balance for both.

What Is Fleet Management?

Forklift fleet management involves monitoring the operating behavior of forklifts and overall forklift operations, often using a Vehicle Management System (VMS).

While it’s common to assume forklifts run for 8 hours per shift, a forklift power study often reveals otherwise. Factors such as operator breaks, varying delivery schedules, and other production elements can reduce actual operating time. For instance, a power study of three forklifts might determine that only two were necessary to meet production demands efficiently.

Forklift Fleet Considerations

• Location of production: A forklift may be needed for a short time during a specific production task, but bringing a forklift from another work area doesn’t always increase efficiency. If forklifts can be periodically switched within work areas, forklift fleet management can help keep hours balanced between the fleet.
• Idle forklifts: When walking through the warehouse, do you notice forklifts sitting for long periods of time – even with an operator in the seat? A forklift sitting idle on a daily basis may be a sign that you have more equipment then needed. Use forklift fleet management to highlight driving and lifting activity, capturing when the operator is actively completing a project.
• Unique applications: You may have a unique application that requires a specialized forklift, causing you to invest in another piece of equipment that is utilized a smaller number of hours but it is vital to production.
• Warehouse changes: Since the initial forklift purchases, your warehouse or product may have changed and altered the need for a forklift. Forklift fleet management can show the forklift is now needed is another area of the warehouse.

Realigning Your Forklift Fleet

Forklift Utilization

Not only having the right equipment, but having a fleet that is right-sized to your needs is critical. A shortage of forklifts will impact your operations or productivity and an excess of equipment will artificially drive up your fleet’s cost per hour operating expense. 

When operational changes are implemented, a fleet management system will track the utilization of each forklift to help identify over- and underutilized equipment, helping you to make informed decisions regarding the size your fleet. It will also allow you to manage and control your forklift costs.

Forklift Maintenance Costs

Forklift fleet management evaluates the cost of scheduled maintenance and repairs for each piece of equipment. You may uncover one forklift is producing the majority of maintenance costs due to its age, operator abuse, or tough application.

Even the placement of equipment can result in heavy usage if operators use the same forklift because it’s conveniently located. Identifying the economic life cycle of your forklifts is a powerful tool, guiding you to the best decisions on replacing your equipment.

The Right Forklifts

When reviewing your forklift fleet, ask if the equipment is right for today’s production, or the specific workstation. You can have the ideal number of forklifts for production, but they may need to be moved to other areas within your facility. Questions to consider:

• Are forklifts operating in small work areas, putting operators at risk for impacts?
• Does your product need to be stored on pallet racking or is it left at floor level?
• Has the pallet racking been reconfigured to increase or decrease the aisle width?

Forklift Impacts

Reporting produced by forklift fleet management can notify you of a forklift impact, its severity and the time of the impact. Depending on the system, it can also share the specific operator involved. Your research of forklift impacts will help you to find high risk areas that need a forklift change.

Introducing MyInsights From Toyota

With easy activation, key fleet insights, and seamless integration into the MyToyota Customer Portal, you can effortlessly analyze your material handling performance anytime, anywhere. MyInsights is now standard on nearly all Toyota Forklifts.

Contact ProLift to schedule time with a sales consultant to discuss your fleet management short- and long-term goals. We're here to help you balance and optimize your forklift fleet.