THE ‘ TRUE VALUE ’ OF THE RIGHT HANDLING EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIER
In one sense buying material handling equipment has never been easier , with the help of Google a new truck could be on its way in just a few clicks ! On the other hand , with the widest ever choice of machinery , as well as ever tightening legislation , selecting equipment has probably never been more complicated .
The successful navigation of all these variables , while daunting , does have the potential to deliver a handling solution to a business that is a far better fit for its needs than has ever been possible before . And it is at this point where the difference between equipment that is nearly right and equipment that is exactly right can deliver the biggest wins for all businesses and unlock ‘ true value ’. This is also where the idea of buying a truck online , or without taking professional advice , starts to seem a lot less attractive .
The biggest variable of them all is actually the operational application and the customer site itself . Whether this is one location or multiple , the combination of material flow factors , and the nature of the handling environment , is often the biggest area of opportunity to realise optimisation and value from a handling fleet . It is also a critical area for health and safety , as well as environmental considerations . Yet , almost unbelievably , this is one of the most overlooked areas by equipment users .
Consulting an experienced material handling specialist can bring enormous benefits in these areas , and is absolutely essential from
a safety perspective . At Impact Handling , for example , we have vast experience and practical data from managing handling equipment for 1000 ’ s of customers across the UK . Our active direct rental fleet alone includes over 6,500 units and we additionally service and maintain customer-owned fleets containing another 15,000 + machines , covering all major brands and specialist handling equipment . These machines are deployed across many diverse sectors and all nature of sites – meaning there aren ’ t many scenarios we haven ’ t seen .
This real-world experience has given us a deep practical working knowledge which our customers , both old and new , are able to benefit from – Helping them to identify the perfect solution for their needs and bringing better value to their operation . We believe so strongly that professional site surveys are essential to any handling equipment purchase that we provide these as an entirely complimentary service to all our customers .
Always be open to a better solution Once the handling environment and application have been professionally assessed , attention can be turned to the choice of equipment itself . It is important that this choice is led by the customer ’ s priorities . Do not allow an equipment supplier to restrict the range of choice - be that power source , the handling capacity or the ability to fully customise the equipment to exactly fit the need .
Although statistically , the current momentum is clearly towards electric as the power source of choice , 44 % of all new machines sold are still internal combustion ( IC ) powered , based on the 2023 UK Materials Handling Association market data . It is worth keeping an open mind and appraising all options , as not every business is ready , willing or able to make the change to electric . The biggest hurdle often proving to be power supply restrictions .
If that is the case for your operation , don ’ t be afraid to embrace the new generation of diesel- and gas-powered machines . The technology has made significant strides , with the current stage V generation of engines meeting all of the current stringent emission legislations , as well as delivering exceptional fuel efficiency . The operational performance benefits of IC over electric can also prove beneficial in many site environments .