In today’s world forklift abuse is costly but preventable. Learning about the main causes of abuse and the proper ways to prevent them can increase both safety and finances for your operations. In today’s blog, we will discuss four cost-efficient solutions for eliminating and preventing lift truck abuse.

Worn/Cracked Forklift Tires

Worn or cracked tires can cause jarring impacts to the wheel, axle components, load, and operator, causing damage and putting your employees at risk. Be sure to examine the tires on a regular basis and replace them at the first sign of damage.

Demanding applications require a specific tire for maximum performance. When working in heavy-duty applications make sure your tires are right for the job.

Impact Damage

Major truck components such as tires, wheels, forks, body panels, attachments, and backrests suffer when forklifts encounter impact on product and surroundings due to traveling carelessly or too fast.

Assign operators to specific lift trucks in your facility. This will help the operators to familiarize themselves with the equipment and be able to monitor habits and usage. 

Additional safety options are available such as impact monitor, vehicle speed limiters, and keyless access systems. These may help to reduce impact damage and monitor your lift truck usage in the facility.

Transmission Failure

Forklift operators who ride the inching pedal can cause excessive damage to the transmission.

Train your operators on the correct usage of this pedal. This pedal should ONLY be used when approaching a rack. They should apply the brakes while also revving the engine (engaging the hydraulics). The brake pedal is used for regular stopping of the forklift when the hydraulics are not in use.

Premature Fork Wear

Operating with worn tires can cause premature wear to the bottom of your lift truck’s forks.

The American National Standards Institute(ANSI) and Industrial Truck Standards Development Foundation (ITSDF) require forks to be replaced when the heel is worn more than 10%.

Set up routine fork inspections to ensure that everything is operating safely.

Remember, the costs of forklift abuse can put a massive dent in your company’s bottom line. Protect your investments, protect your lift trucks.