Buffalo Forklift Blog — lift truck

The art and science of building a team of forklift operators has changed in recent years. Extreme peaks, labor shortages and the growing sophistication of forklifts and related systems have all conspired to keep labor expenses at the top of a facility’s costs. The need for rapid onboarding and better-than-average operator performance means body count is no longer enough. To preserve the productivity, safety and sustainability of a team of operators requires new thinking about training and cost management. David Hoover, founder and president of Forklift Training Systems, says training practices suffer from at least three major pitfalls: unrealistic expectations,...

Hercules Industries in Denver, Colo., is a manufacturer and wholesale distributor of HVAC sheet metal products and equipment. Since its establishment in 1962, the company has expanded to 18 retail centers and three manufacturing facilities servicing the Western United States. As the company grew, it relied on multiple branch locations to handle warehousing and distribution, each with a varied fleet of sit-down counterbalanced trucks. After centralizing warehouse and distribution, the company standardized its fleet and used a comprehensive training program to onboard the new trucks and operators as quickly as possible without compromising productivity or safety. The new 100,000-square-foot distribution...