Time is money, and when you need to move heavy loads, you need to be able to do it quickly and efficiently. A forklift is an expensive piece of heavy lifting equipment and it may not be economically feasible to buy one. It is also not always possible to buy one forklift to suit your every need as different forklifts are designed and built for different purposes. One way to navigate around obstacles like these is to consider the option of forklift hire.
Companies specializing in forklift hire will often have a variety of types of forklifts for you to choose from so it is highly likely that you will find one suited to your needs. For a fixed rate, you get the use of a fully-serviced and maintained forklift. This means that you won't have to carry the cost of purchase, repair and maintenance yourself or be unable to carry on with lifting work because your forklift is in for repair. Furthermore, forklift hire companies often supply a forklift operator as part of the hire package which means you will not have to pay someone a salary to operate your forklift. Forklift hire contracts can be tailored to your needs and you should be able to choose the option of renting short term (a day, week or month) or long term which is typically longer than 24 months. Long term rental is sometimes cheaper, so be sure to find out if the forklift rentals company you plan on using offers this.
When choosing a forklift to hire, it is important to take the maximum height and weight of the load that will need to be lifted into account. There are various types of forklift available from pallet stackers, to power pallet trucks and reach trucks, and counterbalance forklifts, to name but a few. Some are manual and others are battery powered. You can also choose from diesel, gas and electric forklifts. Each type has a specific use and set of benefits. Counterbalance forklifts are often larger and designed to handle very heavy loads. They can be electric or engine powered and the ride on models require an operator. Reach trucks are similar to counterbalance forklifts be may be smaller without the ride on facility. Space constraints are something else you will need to take into account when choosing a forklift. Pallet stackers operate like forklifts but are smaller and consequently handle narrow aisles and small spaces better. Regardless of the type of forklift you choose it is important that the person operating it is properly trained. If you decide to use one of your own staff as opposed to an operator supplied by the forklift rental company, then make sure they receive the correct training so as to avoid potential accidents and misuse further down the line.
When you make a decision regarding the type of forklift you need to hire, your available budget will naturally influence your choice. As mentioned earlier, forklift hire companies usually offer better rates on longer-term rental contracts so it is advisable to take this option if you can. Besides, the chances are good that if you need to use a forklift in the first place, you will need to use it repeatedly.
Author Resource:
Verne Eliasov manages the website http://www.goscorrental.co.za , a site that offers information about forklift hire
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")