Get ready for the seasonal rush, says Briggs

In the lead up to Christmas, operators of forklift truck fleets are being urged to make sure their trucks are up to the task of meeting seasonal demand.

According to Allan Parsons, short-term rental manager at Briggs Equipment, making do with existing trucks can prove a false economy and even present a safety risk.

"Materials handling equipment that may be perfectly capable of dealing with day-to-day workloads for most of the year may be inadequate for dealing with the seasonal rush," he explained.

"In a tough economic climate there's often a temptation for firms to stick with what they've got, working their existing trucks for longer and harder, but this may not be the most efficient solution.

"If trucks are pushed too far, operators run the risk of increasing wear on vital components as well as damaging tyres and increasing fuel consumption.

"Lifting loads heavier than the truck is designed for can also be extremely dangerous."

Allan went on to explain that it's vital that businesses think carefully about the changes to work patterns and types of load they may be handling in the run up to Christmas and plan accordingly.

"For any business to run efficiently, you need the right equipment for the task in hand," he continued. "If that means upgrading to a heavier or more powerful truck it could cost a lot less to boost your fleet with more suitable hire vehicles than running the risk of making do with what you've got."

Following its recent acquisition of Barloworld Handling UK, Briggs offers a very large selection of short-term hire trucks in the UK.

"With more than 5000 trucks in our hire fleet, there's a truck for just about every application," Allan added.