Keep goods, inventory, and materials moving by taking care of your forklift. These best practices can help you save money on maintaining your lift truck.
People operate lift trucks, also called forklifts, in a variety of commercial and industrial settings. Whether you’re working on the docks, in a warehouse, or at a recycling center, you rely on your lift truck to keep materials and inventory moving. As a result, it’s important to keep your lift truck operating efficiently and safely. Learn how to save money on maintaining your lift truck.
1. Provide Thorough Operator Training
OSHA requires lift truck operators to undergo safety training, ensuring the safety of operators and other employees. In addition to the OSHA training regarding general operating safety, make sure your operators understand the specific hazards of your facility. Properly training your operators can help you save money on maintaining and operating your forklift because they avoid destroying the equipment and can catch problems early on.
2. Use the Right Lift Truck
The next way you can save money on maintaining your lift truck is to choose the right truck for the job. Choosing a forklift with the right carrying capacity and lifting height can prevent safety hazards, accidents, and damage to the equipment and inventory. Conditions at your work site, such as height constraints or flooring type, dictate which forklifts your facility should have.
3. Perform Preventative Maintenance
One of the best ways to save money on maintenance is to take care of your equipment, find problems early, and fix those issues quickly. This will allow you to increase the lifespan of your lift truck and keep up efficient and productive operations. Maintain proper oil, fuel, hydraulic, and antifreeze levels. Routinely check the tires and brakes. Keep moving components oiled for low friction.
4. Take Care of the Battery
Finally, keep your forklift going by taking care of the battery. Perform equalization charges on your battery, keep it watered to maintain the electrolyte mixture, and wash out the battery case to prevent a buildup of residue. Follow best practices when charging, and don’t charge your battery too often, as batteries typically last about 1,500 charge cycles. If you find an issue, get your battery inspected to determine the problem and learn about next steps.