(Updated for 2021)

Getting a new forklift truck is a significant investment, so you’re probably eager to ensure it’s being used and maintained in a way that prolongs its lifespan and prevents wear and tear. Although all warehouse equipment has a finite lifespan, keeping your forklift well maintained can ensure you don’t have to invest in a new one before you really need to. Here are our top tips for prolonging the life of your equipment.

Staff Training

Training your staff is key to prolonging the life of your forklift as well as the safety of operators and staff. Many forklifts become damaged and therefore unusable due to user error. Most commonly, damage is caused by tip overs but is often also caused by crashes, collisions and improper loading/unloading practices. Damaged caused in each of these scenarios can prove costly and shorten the life span of your equipment significantly.
Ensure each of your workers has proper forklift handling training before letting them handle the equipment. This way, they’ll recognise and avoid potential hazards which might deem your forklift unusable.

To discover a list of the most common forklift truck mistakes and how your workers can avoid them, check out our Forklift Safety video.

Battery Maintenance

To prolong the life of your electric forklift truck, it is important to maintain its battery as part of your forklift maintenance programme. If you charge the battery at your convenience rather than sticking to a schedule, your forklift battery will have a limited number of cycles, and as a result, you will shorten the battery’s life.
As a rough guide, it is best practice to recharge the battery after a full day’s work or when it has discharged more than 30%. Sticking to this pattern will ensure the longevity of your battery and therefore, your forklift.
Check out this article to read about the 8-8-8 concept

Facility Maintenance

Your forklift will deteriorate a lot quicker if your warehouse or facility is not properly maintained. Even with a thorough forklift maintenance programme, your forklift will be subject to harsher wear and tear, which will ultimately shorten its life span, if facilities are not kept in order. Ensure areas in which the forklift will be used are kept clear of debris and that obstacles are moved from its path to avoid damage to the wheels and exterior of the vehicle.

Preventative Maintenance

A regular, scheduled forklift truck maintenance programme can ensure faults get fixed before they become a large problem and potentially, cause the forklift to stop working. It can be difficult to ensure a regular checkup as you may feel like there isn’t an appropriate time to have your forklift out of action. However, to avoid being without the forklift completely, it’s best to try and find the time to do so.
If you don’t have the expertise in house to maintain your truck, or you simply don’t have the time, outsourcing your forklift maintenance is a great option. Click here to read why outsourcing forklift maintenance could work for your business.

Renew your truck's oil every three months

Easy to do and with huge benefits. Changing the oil of your IC engine powered forklift truck can enhance the performance of the equipment and prolong its lifespan. By changing the oil every three months, you will increase fuel efficiency and prevent combustion issues which could cause your forklift to stop working to its capacity.

If you don’t regularly change the oil of your forklift truck, you could face issues such as the build-up of sludge, corrosion, and failure of the catalytic converter.
If you feel your forklift has already come to the end of its life and you’re considering purchasing a new one, why not check out our range counterbalance forklift trucks, designed for multiple applications.
Alternatively, try our lift truck selector which will suggest the best model for you, based on your requirements.