Make your PMs a breeze to handle when they come around. Preventive Maintenance checks are a necessary part of operating a forklift and if you have a fleet of them, a bear of a task. Fortunately, there are some ways to make the task a little more bearable.
Set up a schedule for inspecting your lifts
You may have lifts that come into service at wildly different times and require different inspections because of the type of vehicle they are. However, try to lump them together like for like for inspections so that you’re using the same tools and running the same processes. If they are all the same type break the inspections up into multiple groups so you’re not overwhelming yourself. You’ll have multiple schedules per forklift for daily, weekly, semi-annually, and annually inspections so quickly being able to handle them can make huge difference.
Keep the fleet as clean as possible
You would be amazed how much simple dirt can affect the operation of machinery. Dirty forklifts run less efficiently and can hide major issues beneath a layer of grime. Make sure you give them a once over at least once a week both inside and out. Check the filters, the battery(s), and anywhere that can be wiped down and keep them as clean as you can.
Keep your staff trained on the latest advances
Forklifts don’t go through yearly or semi-yearly refreshes like cars do but when they do there are always some major changes. Make sure your staff are aware of these changes, so they don’t inadvertently cause issues down the line. A well-trained staff is just as important to keeping the fleet healthy.
Deal with any issues as they arise
It may be tempting to keep track of issues across the fleet and only fix them when you get a few at a time. This is the exact opposite of how should handle inspections though and you should take care of any issues as they appear. That will prevent any problems found from getting worse or at the very least start you on the path to getting them fixed.
Hopefully these tips make working on your fleet much easier and quicker. If you ever decide that you’d rather have someone else take care of maintenance, we can take over. We have maintenance teams that can visit your facility and they carry everything they need to do the job.
