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Ride Strong: Lift-truck productivity relies on solid maintenance programs |
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Written by Mike Car and Joe LaFergola
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The purchase of material handling equipment represents a significant
investment for any organization. With this investment comes the
responsibility to maintain the equipment in conjunction with the
manufacturer’s recommendations, health and safety guidelines, and
legislative requirements. Keeping the equipment ready to work is vital
to maintaining product movement and flow within a facility.
In particular, lift truck maintenance can be a critical component in
maximizing the productivity and throughput of a warehouse or
distribution center. Whether a facility manager chooses to employ
in-house technicians or outsource maintenance to a third party, basic
lift truck maintenance requirements must be taken into consideration.
Scheduled maintenance
Each lift truck in a fleet should be assessed individually to determine
the proper scheduled maintenance intervals for that particular truck.
The frequency for maintenance should be scheduled in conjunction with
the manufacturer’s recommendations and by taking into account the
following factors:
- Annual utilization,
- Operating environment, and
- Age and condition.
The frequency of scheduled maintenance should be adjusted as these
conditions change. In addition, service history and utilization
reporting can be tracked through fleet management programs, which are
more robust today through technological advancements. For example, with
today’s fleet management technology, maintenance schedules can be
triggered automatically through monitoring of the deadman hours on a
lift truck. When a lift truck reaches a certain number of deadman hours,
the system can trigger an email to the facility manager from the
vehicle management system (VMS) to notify him or her that SM is due. The
VMS uses the warehouse’s internal wireless infrastructure to pass data
from the system to a central server. Usage data and emails are
transmitted to notify key personnel regarding the status and health of
their equipment.
Lift truck inspection
Another key area where a good VMS can bring benefits is the preoperator
checklist. Having comprehensive checklists ensures all required
components are inspected, tested, adjusted and lubricated prior to a
lift truck’s operation. Any items requiring repair or replacement should
be duly noted for follow-up.
By electronically completing the inspection checklist, operators not
only fulfill the records requirement but also save time. Electronic
filing eliminates the need for paper and storage, makes document
retrieval easier and alerts key personnel if a truck needs repairs. Key
or critical questions on the list can even “lock out” a truck,
preventing its use if an unsafe condition is revealed.
Many locales have legislative requirements for annual inspections that
must be carried out on each unit. Facility managers must ensure their
facility conforms to these requirements and maintains on-site records as
proof of compliance.
Service technicians
The competency of service technicians is important in providing thorough
inspections and completing accurate repairs. In general, the
manufacturers of material handling equipment recommend using
factory-trained technicians. In many cases, local, provincial,
territorial and federal requirements for licensing or certification set
the minimum standard for the competence of maintenance technicians. An
untrained technician may use the wrong parts or unnecessary parts,
adding downtime and cost. A technician with proper understanding of the
equipment can service the truck more quickly, often completing the work
on the first visit and getting the truck back into operation.
There are many considerations when choosing whether to employ
third-party maintenance technicians or use in-house staff. In-house
staff must be considered when planning salary and benefits. In addition,
conducting maintenance with in-house technicians may require the need
for a distinct internal cost center to accurately track equipment
service records and equipment costing, which also may require
administrative support.
Third party, factory-trained technicians can help streamline maintenance
record-keeping. In addition, third-party technicians focus solely on
maintaining material handling equipment, which means they are able to
focus on scheduled maintenance needs, including lift truck battery
maintenance, so in-house staff can focus on other aspects of the
business. Plus, third-party technicians are kept up to date on the
latest equipment technologies and how to properly service them.
Conducting maintenance with in-house technicians may require space and
time dedicated to parts inventory. Third-party technicians can cover the
responsibility of ensuring proper parts inventory and bring parts with
them when they arrive for service calls.
Maximizing productivity
Conducting regular scheduled maintenance and thorough daily inspections
of lift trucks can help ensure a healthy, productive fleet. In addition,
working with qualified, highly trained service technicians can
streamline maintenance and enable facility managers to focus on other
aspects of running their businesses. By ensuring a comprehensive lift
truck maintenance program is in place, facility managers are taking a
huge step toward maximizing their warehouse or distribution center’s
material handling productivity.
Mike Car is the national director of customer sustainment with G.N.
Johnston Equipment Co. Ltd. in Mississauga, Ont., and Joe LaFergola is
manager of business and information solutions with the Raymond Corp. For
more information, visit www.johnstonequipment.com.
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