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Forklifts come is a wide variety of different sizes and engine types and can be used for a countless range of applications.

Applications and sites forklifts are mostly used:

• Warehouses – Forklifts are almost always used in any warehouse environment, large or small. They can be used to stack or retrieve materials in far to reach places and over longer distances. They can also be used to transport larger and heavier items throughout the warehouse.
• Construction Sites – This is where the rough terrain type of forklifts shine, as they are mostly used to carry bulky materials or loads. Forklifts can also be used to lift heavier or larger items to higher positions, making them ideal for construction site applications.
• Ports and Dockyards – In this scenario forklifts play a very critical role as they are used to unload and load ships. Ports are always busy and it’s vital to make sure you have [...]

Forklifts are now very common in a large variety of workplaces due to their ease of use. They are extremely customizable permitting you to effortlessly move a spool of wire, lift a pallet 10 meters in the air, or steer down the tightest of warehouse corridors.

There are three key types of forklift fuels: Electricity in the form of batteries, liquid propane gas (LPG), and diesel fuel. There are different factors that will influence the type of forklift you will choose. This can include where you plan to use it, what you want to do with it, and how much your budget is.

Let’s go through some pros and cons of each forklift type, to insure you make the correct decision.

Diesel Forklift Pros:

• Most powerful forklift type, which is very rugged.
• Diesel engines are fairly simple and straightforward, which means that the maintenance is often simple and cheap.
• Lower fuel costs.
• Best option [...]

Forklift training is not only an important legal requirement but can also reduce costs and injury in the work environment.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act for Driven Machinery Regulations, which includes forklifts, states that:

• All working environments have to be free of any dangers/hazards, and
• All lifting equipment operators must be training by accredited providers (regardless of the capacity of the equipment.)

This means that no employer can ask an employee to operate a forklift if they have not had proper training by an accredited training provider, and found competent to operate the forklift. It is the employers’ responsibility to ensure that employees that will be operating forklifts, have a valid license or the proper training as required by law.

It’s also important to ensure that the trainer has the proper accreditation to perform the forklift training. The trainer needs to have accreditation from the South African Qualification Authority and deliver training [...]

There is no right or wrong when it comes to the decision to buy a forklift or to opt for forklift rental. What your answers is does depend on your current business needs.

There are pros and cons for both buying or renting a forklift, but we want to help you take the guess work out of the decision making process.

The Pros:

• If your company uses forklifts often, then buying a forklift will make more sense financially and you can get your return on investment when it is time to sell.
• If you are situated in a location where the costs to transport rental forklifts are too high, then it would also make financial sense to rather buy a forklift
• If you utilise a forklift often, then the costs of renting it can become high, as leasing a forklift costs more per month compared to purchasing [...]

Forklifts play a pivotal role in the handling of material and various products throughout numerous businesses. Because they are constantly on the go, you need to make sure that they are serviced at regular intervals to ensure that your forklifts are operating at peak efficiency.

Regularly servicing your forklift contributes to safety of the machine in the workplace. A forklift that is unsafe to operate should immediately be removed from service, and forklift repairs should only be done by authorised personnel or a forklift repairs company.

Your forklift needs repairs and maintenance when:

• The forklift is missing any bolts
• Any joints or seams on the forklift are broken
• There are pieces of rubber missing on the tyres
• Any of the gauges are not functioning properly

So which one comes first: Time or Hours?

Your forklifts will need a service based on its time and usage intervals. [...]

Investing in any large-ticket item for the first time can be daunting, but use these five tips to ease your mind when purchasing a forklift:

1. Find a trustworthy brand.
   When you’re buying something as large as a forklift, it’s important to do your research.
2. Think about what you really need.
   Have you thought about all the forklift and material handling options? Have you considered how often you’re going to use your forklift?  Is it for primarily indoor or outdoor use?  What will the maximum capacity of your loads be? These are all great questions to ask yourself to ensure you’re making the right purchase.
3. Know what kind of power you need.
   Are you going to be using your forklift indoors, outdoors or both? You’ll need to know this in order to purchase a forklift with the proper tires and fuel source that you need.
4. Consider the forklift operators.
   You may [...]