Should You Make The Switch To Electric Forklifts For Your Warehouse?
Electric forklifts aren't exactly new, but it seems that many warehouses and other facilities are starting to make a permanent switch to using them. However, electric forklifts aren't for all operations. Should you make the switch? Here are some considerations that may help you decide.
The Use of Electric Forklifts Has Grown Considerably
While you may not like the idea of jumping on a bandwagon, the global marketplace cannot be completely wrong about electric forklifts. Sales for electric forklifts rise each year, globally. At some point in the future, your internal combustion forklifts may become more of a liability than an asset.
Possible Reduction in Various Costs
Electric forklifts can reduce operating costs in a number of ways. These forklifts have fewer moving parts, and they don't need CNG or LPG. They're cheaper to maintain, and typically cheaper to run. It costs far less to charge a battery than to purchase more fuel. Electric forklifts typically cost more upfront, so you won't see those savings until the initial cost balances out.
Increased Operator Comfort
One benefit of electric forklifts that can go overlooked is how they reduce operator fatigue. Your forklift operators sit on a machine that produces constant heat and vibrations. Those factors contribute to operator fatigue.
Good for the Environment and Good for Your Workers
Of course, that lack of vibration and heat also comes with a lack of emissions. That leads to many more benefits associated with electric forklifts. They're "green." You cut out a significant chunk of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide pollution.
Not only is that lack of emissions good for the environment, it's good for the people who work in your warehouse. They will breathe cleaner air and find themselves healthier for it. Another thing that can make them happy is the reduction in noise.
Your warehouse may have many things contributing to the overall noise, but eliminating the forklift noise may bring the overall noise down a notch. All that noise can damage the hearing of your operators over time. Electric forklifts eliminate a lot of the noise pollution.
Should You Make the Switch?
While all of this sounds like electric forklifts hold superiority over gas and diesel types, that's not always the case. Swapping out a whole fleet will come at a high cost. If you have a small operation, or only one or two forklifts, then you may just want to keep what you have working for you.
Just know the world of material handling has been seeing some changes in recent years, and electric forklifts are a part of that. Speak to a forklift sales and service dealer like Independent Lift Truck Of Alaska about the possibility of upgrading. They can help you further to figure out if making the switch will work for your operations.
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