Forklifts tackle ‘ugly loads’ for construction product supplier

The trucks work outside shifting what Beaver 84’s commercial director Dave Critchell calls “ugly loads”  – awkwardly shaped items such as scaffolding poles and temporary fencing panels, for example.

“Scaffolding tubes can be 21 feet long and arrive on flat bed lorries in small bundles – they’re not heavy but are awkward to manoeuvre. Temporary fencing panels – the type used to make construction sites secure – are 3.5 metres high x 2 metres deep and are equally tricky to pick up and transport around the site,” explains Dave.

To help make handling such products easier, the trucks have been supplied with fork extensions that are quickly and easily added or removed as and when required. And, to ensure that the operators remain comfortable in all weathers, the trucks are fitted with all-weather cabs.

Equipment held at Beaver 84’s site is a mix of new stock (which is for sale) and hire equipment.

Most items are block stacked within the yard area, before they are picked and transferred by the forklifts to Beaver 84’s delivery vehicles or, if a client chooses to collect an order directly, to a customer’s own transport.

Because they’re particularly suited to applications where a lot of ‘shuttling’ work is involved – such as lorry loading and unloading within and around a busy outside yard environment – the DFG 430 trucks were an ideal choice for Beaver 84. 

THe DFG has been designed to offer the lowest noise levels and emissions, while fuel consumption is also particularly low. 

Because of the awkward nature of many of the loads the trucks have to carry, truck stability was a key consideration for Beaver 84. The DFG has a high mounted safety steering axle which gives it a low centre of gravity and dramatically reduces the likelihood of a roll-over accident without the need for additional electronic stability programmes which can be costly to maintain and repair. 

For various reasons it took over a year from the time Beaver 84 initially asked companies to tender for the forklift contract to the point where an order was placed.

“I was particularly impressed by the fact that, throughout this time, Jungheinrich retained their interest in us and our business,” says Dave Critchell.

“They worked closely with us to highlight any issues that we hadn’t considered that might impact on the performance of the truck.

“As a result of their thorough approach we feel that we have trucks that are completely fit for purpose.”