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More than transporting, lifting and storing

Efficient forklift use in practice

Forklift trucks are an indispensable part of logistics. They move goods, secure workflows and ensure that processes work. However, whether a forklift truck fleet is really being used in an economically sensible way is not only determined by the fact that everything “works”. The decisive factor is the interplay between effectiveness, efficiency and actual use in day-to-day operations.

The situation is different when forklifts are an integral part of the value chain.
For example, in beverage wholesaling with indoor storage, outdoor areas and additional event services. Here, forklifts, pallet trucks and drivers are an essential part of daily business. Precision, availability, safety and speed have a direct impact on costs and revenue. In such environments, it is worth taking a closer look.

When others achieve more with less effort

The desire for optimisation is often not driven by the company itself, but by comparison:
A competitor achieves similar handling figures, but works with fewer machines, fewer staff or lower costs. This is the latest point at which processes, vehicle fleets and operating times are scrutinised.

The first step is always an honest stocktaking:

• How have routes, warehouse structure or types of goods changed?
• How many hours are the forklifts actually in use?
• Are there many empty runs or downtimes?
• How are machines and loads handled in everyday life?
• Do all vehicles fulfil the current safety requirements?

These questions can often still be answered “from the gut” in small fleets. However, this becomes increasingly difficult as the number of vehicles grows.

Data instead of gut feeling

The larger the fleet, the more complex the evaluation becomes.
Manual recording of operating times, driving behaviour or downtimes is hardly realistic in day-to-day business. It costs time, ties up staff and often only provides snapshots.

This is where telematics comes into play.

The right machines for the right tasks

Efficient fleet management does not mean using as many vehicles as possible, but rather providing suitable vehicles for specific tasks.

A simple practical example:
A company uses telematics data to recognise that several electric forklift trucks with a high load capacity mainly travel short distances, rarely pick up loads and have long idle times. The analysis shows that some of these tasks could be better performed by low-platform trucks. Replacing machines not only reduces the vehicle fleet, but also the personnel and maintenance costs – with the same performance.

Such decisions can hardly be made on a sound basis without data. Telematics makes them comprehensible and economically justifiable.

Conclusion

Efficient forklift truck utilisation does not start with technology, but with an understanding of your own processes.
Telematics is not an end in itself, but a tool for creating transparency, recognising potential and making well-founded decisions. For dealers, this knowledge opens up one thing above all: the opportunity to provide customers with better advice – practical, comprehensible and based on real usage data.

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