Forklift rental is by far the most flexible and cost effective way to ensure your warehouse operation or distribution center is fully equipped during high volume periods, eliminating bottlenecks and productivity losses. And conversely, during low activity periods it ensures that you are not leaving expensive equipment sitting around unused and still consuming space, time and resources.
The key advantages of forklift rental
There are a lot of great reasons why you would want to rent a forklift versus buying one new. We’ve outline the most common uses as well as questions and answers in the extensive article below.
Let’s start with some basic forklift rental questions.
Using a forklift rental to manage seasonal surges
Most businesses are cyclical in nature, so renting extra trucks will help a business through the surges of seasonal business. Typically this will be in the last quarter of a calendar year in the lead up to the holiday season, however some businesses have surges unrelated to this cycle that are unique to the industries they serve.
How to use a forklift rental solve a capacity problem
Forklift rentals are ideal as a solution to a capacity shortage in a warehouse or distribution center. Perhaps there has been a sudden need to manage unexpected growth, the addition of a large new customer, or due to a company expansion, merger or acquisition. Capacity requirements can arise without notice, so a forklift rental can help an operation stay nimble and responsive to changing business conditions.
What else can a forklift rental be used for?
Besides adding capacity to meet seasonal or sudden and unexpected surges, a rented forklift is ideal to solve these problems:
Meet additional equipment needs when a company changes its processes to build in multiple shifts.
Fill capacity gaps when a company is waiting on delivery of new equipment.
Provide additional capacity when conducting physical inventory counts.
Replacement of trucks that are scheduled for repairs.
Forklift rentals let you better manage capital expenditures
Managing capital expenditures
Forklift rental also helps manage capital expenditure. It can fill in the gaps needed to handle spikes in operation without the cost of purchasing additional equipment. A forklift rental can also be used for special projects and short term needs, without incurring long term costs and requiring unnecessary investment in equipment that may not be used all the time. A parked, unused forklift is an expensive asset to have on the company’s books.
Information you will need to rent a forklift
As a forklift renter, you will need to gather some key information, so it is ready to share with the forklift rental company, like ours. Here’s a checklist:
Load capacity
What is the weight of the product you are lifting. Weight capacity is a necessary requirement when renting a forklift. You don’t want to pay for a rental only to find that it cannot do the job.
Product length
What is length of the product you are lifting? This will help determine the capacity of the forklift you need to rent.
Lifting height
Just as weight and length of the loads are an important measurement, understanding the height a load will be lifted is extremely important to understand. This metric needs to be as accurate as possible. The forks of the truck will need to be raised to the height reaching for. The forklift must also have the ability to lift the weight to that height. A forklift that cannot tolerate the amount of weight to the proper height is not only a waste of time and money, but very dangerous.
Product packaging
You will need to know how your product is packaged. Is it on pallets or sitting on the floor? Is it secured, such as with shrink wrap, or is it strapped? Knowing this will determine if you might need a special fork attachment.
Operating environment
You will need to know if the forklift will be operated inside or outside. The environment makes a difference in determining the type of tires the forklift will need.
Turning radius and aisle width
You will also need to know what the required turning radius is, and also, the minimum aisle width the lift truck will be working in. This will determine the kind of forklift needed to be able to maneuver through the space in which the truck is working.
Rental duration
Will you need the forklift rental for a day, week, month or more? Understanding this will help you with getting the best rental price for your budget.
Feel free to contact us now at 6366 4173 or at sales@redforklifts.com.sg