Forklifts are of vital importance in today's warehousing and distribution industry. Thanks to them, workers can avoid having to carry out a range of laborious manual tasks. However, most people forget that as reliable and handy as these trucks are, one should never ever skip or neglect any of their maintenance needs. Not performing the necessary maintenance checks on your forklift will not only provide you with possible or sudden failures, but it can also prove to be hazardous to your safety. 

We at RCV Handling Machinery know that in order to maximise your forklift's life and performance, you need to adhere to its scheduled maintenance appointments. Here is why you should never delay these checks on your machine. 

1. It can prevent failure 

Forklifts are used to carry heavy pallet loads across warehouses, this means that the work that they carry out is quite labour-intensive. It can present your forklift with a choice of wear and tear issues in many areas, such as the mast or even the tyres. If your forklift's mast is faulty, it means that it can suddenly drop your load – leading to merchandise damage. If your forklift's tyres are worn out on the other hand, it will present your operators with difficult and hard maneuvering. This can lead to a number of failures or injuries.

 

2. It will prevent injuries

Forklifts are heavy, bulky and quite dangerous if not operated in a cautious manner. A number of employee injuries however happen due to carelessness in terms of forklift maintenance. Routine checks can prevent a choice of injuries and disasters, such as broken masts falling on employees or passers-by. Other accidents that might happen include control system failures or people getting struck by faulty objects.

3. It will reduce ownership costs 

Everyone knows that prevention is better than the cure, and this also counts for delicate machinery like forklifts. Preventative maintenance is far less expensive than fixing a long-term problem or breakdown. By leaving certain faults to run their course, you will risk having to buy a new forklift, which is much more expensive than presenting with the necessary preventative maintenance solutions that it needs to operate in a fully functional manner.

Fixing that leaky pump might not be at the top of your priority list, however it can prevent hydraulic failures or accidents on the job.

 

4. Your forklift will work more efficiently

By having an efficient forklift you will be able to finish a job in a relatively shorter timeframe than usual. This means that you will be able to accomplish more work at any given time. If your forklift is faulty, you will find it more difficult to operate, even when it comes to performing basic tasks. Maintenance also increases the longevity of your machine in the long run. 

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