Forklift Sales and Forklift Service in Dartford | Signs Your Vehicle Might Need Replacing

There are four common signs that indicate it could be the right time to replace your current forklift truck:

Costly Maintenance and Repairs

Machinery in daily use requires regular forklift service, maintenance and repair work. Customers in Dartford and the surrounding areas who use their forklifts daily often notice that certain parts of the vehicle, such as the hydraulic system, need frequent replacement or repair. When the cost of repair work begins to outweigh the cost of purchasing a new forklift, your vehicle has no economic value.

As experts in forklift sales and forklift hire, we can help you calculate the cost of maintaining your existing machine in comparison to obtaining a new one. We also specialise in forklift training to encourage good operator habits that minimise impact on machinery.

Operator Usage

Planning to replace forklifts when they reach a certain age, such as in 10-year intervals, is one way to keep to a scheduled replacement plan. Our forklift sales team, however, recommends that the overall duration of usage is a better way to determine the economic value of a vehicle. Most forklift models have an expected usage lifespan of around 10,000 to 12,000 hours.

Certain factors, such as how clients in Dartford operate a forklift, the type of usage involved, and the conditions of the work environment, can influence this estimated lifespan.

Out-of-Action Forklifts

When a vehicle needs repair or maintenance work, it often remains idle. While you may have other forklifts to cover the workload, it could be more economical to take out a long-term forklift hire contract, or to purchase a new model from our forklift sales department, if a current truck is frequently out of action.

Inefficient forklifts take up valuable space on your Dartford premises and reduce potential productivity.

Health and Safety Protocols

From faulty brakes to broken forks, a malfunctioning forklift can cause potential hazards in the workplace, put personnel at risk of injury, and damage your commercial property. Our forklift training experts advise that customers in Dartford book in for a regular forklift service, or for prompt repairs as soon as something goes wrong, to stop accidents from occurring.

Such actions make companies compliant with current health and safety regulations.

Sometimes, it can be more cost-effective and cost-efficient to replace a faulty vehicle with a model from our forklift sales range, or through a forklift hire contract. Forklift training courses in Dartford help too, and our experts can provide training to current HSE regulations. Training courses help our customers, and their businesses, to stay HSE compliant.

When it comes to operating forklift trucks, health and safety should be the number one priority. Adhering to HSE protocols not only ensures the safety and welfare of employees and vehicles, but it also streamlines forklift operations.

When vehicle malfunctions occur, they compromise the health and safety protocols of your Dartford company. If incidents occur too frequently, the forklift doesn’t meet purpose and needs replacing. At Gatwick Forklifts, we suggest being prepared for such a situation by turning to temporary forklift hire, or by investing into a new vehicle from our forklift sales department, at a moment’s notice.

A new or hired truck will improve safety for your employees, protect your business property and preserve a conscientious working environment.