It never fails, you’re gearing up for a big day in the plant or warehouse and you get that call, “boss, one of our forklifts has called in sick.” You shudder to think, which one has done it again. Is it that same old broken down, over-worked and under-appreciated unit in warehousing, or a new call-in from the production line? Either way, your day hasn’t started off too well. And unless you have the excess space and capital to keep spare forklifts on hand in the event you need one, your best bet is to keep them in peak operating form. Below are a couple of tips to help you do just that.

Get regularly scheduled check-ups. Humans who want to maintain performance and health get annual physicals, to catch small health problems before they become full-blown medical emergencies. Just like physicals, it pays to have your forklifts examined at regular intervals. We call these, PM’s or Planned Maintenance. And since your forklifts do a lot more work than any human in terms of active hours and weight lifted, they need to be examined or “PM’d” more often than once per year. Working with professionals like PMT Forklift will ensure each of your forklifts is examined at the appropriate frequency. We do not take a “one size fits all” to your fleet. Rather we review usage patterns and operating conditions to recommend proper Planned Maintenance Intervals for each of your lift trucks.

Perform daily inspections. Not only are pre-shift inspection required by OSHA, they’re a great idea to assist in catching any damage done on a previous shift or wear and tear of items that has occurred that can create a dangerous situation for your forklift operator and anyone working around them. Visit our Safety Training Webpage to download inspection forms to help your operators review items before each shift. Remember to lock-out and tag any unit that is not operational immediately. And do not allow it to be used until repaired properly by trained professionals, like PMT Forklift!

Keeping your forklifts on regular maintenance routines and daily inspections will give you the same benefits as annual physicals and regular inspections of your body; a longer useful life and better operating performance.

Have any questions about planned maintenance by the forklift pros that know forklift maintenance? Contact us for an appointment and quote.