Perhaps it’s hard to imagine making a significant acquisition in these tough economic times. Stocks are down everywhere, companies are folding, and layoffs seem endless.
Although, at times like these, most business owners will be focused on reducing overhead costs and scaling down to the bare bones, it’s equally important to ensure the best possible throughput with the business at hand, and this being the case, there is one business expense that can pay for itself quickly and multiple times over.
The addition of a used Lift truck can instantly enhance the productivity and employee morale for many different business types, and without breaking the budget.
A lift truck is a versatile piece of equipment (see different types below) that serves as a safe and efficient means of handling all sorts of products and materials for various businesses, ranging from construction, warehouse supply, landscaping, commercial storage and retail uses to name a few. They’re made to lift and transport heavy or awkward items, such as shipping containers, boxed pallets, or even loose objects like landscape boulders.
Based on the type you choose and the purpose use, (interior or exterior, light or heavy duty lifting and manoeuvring capacities), you should be aware that all lift trucks come with hydraulics for lifting, lowering and perhaps side to side shifting placement of loads, and may be available in different fuel types; natural gas, propane, diesel and regular gasoline, and currently the most environmentally friendly, “battery electric”. With basic preventative maintenance, a good quality used lift truck can provide years of reliable service without any problems.
Perhaps the most obvious benefit from any lift truck is the ability to increase throughput by enabling (with ease) the movement of bulk or cumbersome items, loading trucks, stocking tall shelves, quickly filling customer orders, and minimizing needless back injuries, employee lost time, insurance claims and premiums.
No need to worry if the cash outlay isn’t there, you don’t have to take out a bank loan to purchase a good quality used lift truck. Frankly, the best, quickest and simplest solution is to lease it and write the lease cost off as a full business expense. Besides, it may not have much (if any) remaining book value. And, all other related costs can be put into a monthly payment plan that fits with your operational budget. Since it’s used, applicable taxes are usually much lower and can be spread over the term of the lease in your monthly payments, along with all delivery, training and preventative maintenance contract needs.
Couple this with the many benefits of using the equipment for all your businesses material handling needs and it becomes very clear why you should lease a used lift truck rather than purchase it. It’s all about your return on investment (ROI).
Good quality used lift trucks are available through a variety of sources, including private sellers, wholesale dealers, manufacturers’ pre-owned inventory, and FREE to post online classified ad sites where all of these sources are likely to be found.
The general rule of thumb for shopping is no different than it is for any big ticket item, and that being the need for doing your homework (product research) before venturing out to acquire a quality used lift truck. Of course, the internet is the best and first place you should go for consumer reports and user forum comments to find out the preferred brands and why, compare prices, get different model specs and features etc. And, as with any significant acquisition, it’s important to read through all the fine print, as some deals may appear much better than others.
Lastly, when introducing a lift truck into your workplace, ensure that all your employees receive proper training (mandatory in some states and provinces). Check online for material handling equipment training courses available in your area. Remember, this is a cost you can most likely have built into your equipment lease.
Again, a good quality used lift truck can make a huge difference to your business. Not only with improving productivity and throughput but with increasing the morale of your entire workforce. And, without a doubt, leasing makes much more sense than buying.
Design types
The following is a list of the more common lift truck types. It is arranged from the smallest type of lift truck to the largest:
- Hand pallet truck
- Walkie low lift truck (powered pallet truck, usually electrically powered)
- Rider low lift truck
- Towing tractor
- Walkie stacker
- Rider stacker
- Reach truck (small forklift, designed for small aisles, usually electrically powered, so-named because the forks can extend to reach the load)
- Electric counterbalanced truck
- IC counterbalanced truck
- Sideloader
- Telescopic handler
- Slip Sheet machine
- Walkie Order Picking truck
- Rider Order Picking truck (commonly called an "Order Picker"; like a small forklift, except the operator rides up to the load and transfers it article by article)
- Articulated Very Narrow Aisle Counterbalanced trucks (commonly called "Flexi Truck")
- Guided Very Narrow Aisle truck - 'Man Down' (a type of reach truck designed for aisles less than five feet wide) and 'Man Riser' Combination pickcle Picker/ Stacker truck
- Truck Mounted Forklift / Sod Loader
This article was written by LeaseArrangers.com, a FREE to post classified ad site for B2B, B2C, and C2C buyers and sellers of big ticket items like Equipment, Real Estate, Transportation and more. Lease – Rent - Buy - Sell
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