• Single source supply can provide a more consistent level of service.
• Barloworld is the exclusive supplier of Hyster lift trucks.
• It also supplies sideloaders from Irion and Combilift.
Businesses within the timber products distribution and manufacturing trade are looking to improve handling operations with equipment offering a low cost of ownership and intelligent service using one supplier.
A key advantage of single source supply is the potential for a more consistent level of service across a handling fleet and reduced disruption to the business. However, careful selection of the supplier is important.
Timber handling is an arduous application so it is important to check the supplier has the experience and a good reputation for servicing solutions within the sector. The equipment must be specified correctly for the operation, including suitable attachments, and must be correctly rated to ensure safety. The engineers maintaining the equipment should be available locally for fast response and should have the right parts readily available.
Barloworld is the exclusive supplier of Hyster lift trucks and supplies sideloaders from Irion and Combilift, as well as a range of specialist equipment, including tow tractors trailers, rough terrain and tow tugs.
LPG and diesel
With fuel costs at an all-time high, a significant development that helps operations to reduce costs is the recent launch of the improved Hyster Fortens range of LPG and diesel trucks.
By introducing a number of innovations including a lighter chassis, improved engine management and a variable displacement pump on hydraulic functions, Hyster has improved fuel efficiency by up to 15% over previous models. The Hyster brand is already widely acknowledged as one of the most durable on the market and now it is also one of the most energy efficient, including its electric truck range.
Barloworld helps businesses define the most suitable mix of trucks and attachments according to specific application requirements, through a site survey and process map.
Fork lifts and other equipment have become more energy efficient across the industry, but few suppliers offer a complete range of “greener” solutions, together with a support system that is also geared to be “greener”.
Nationwide service
Barloworld Handling maintains more than 25,000 fork lifts across the UK, through 500 mobile technicians. Vehicle tracking using global positioning (GPS) technology is used to manage Barloworld’s 450 service vehicles with live tracking over the web. Service dispatchers can see the exact location of service vans and assign the best engineer according to location, availability, parts and skills required. Routes and schedules are optimised, helping to reduce mileage and response time.
The company has also invested in new technology to help reduce its carbon footprint, with the changes made to its fleet of service vehicles equivalent to reducing fuel consumption by 18%.
Barloworld also offers a fork lift fleet management system comprising a telemetry device fitted to equipment, which uploads data to Barloworld’s service management system. It records running hours, service completions, costs and performance data alongside the service history and site specific information for an entire fleet. This information enables Barloworld to optimise servicing according to customer application needs, helping to reduce fleet downtime, optimise performance and reduce unnecessary road miles.
