Forklift Fleet Management – PART 2
Forklift fleet management collects, analyzes, and uses relevant fleet information to reduce costs and improve operator and truck productivity. We know that 3 of the three biggest challenges that lift truck operations manager face are:
- Reducing fleet costs
- Optimizing operator and truck productivity
- Improving/following compliance with workplace regulations (OSHA)
In PART 1 of our Forklift Fleet Management blog, we reviewed how fleet management can help reduce fleet costs. In PART 2, we’ll discuss how a fleet management system can optimize operator and truck productivity.
Forklift maintenance records can provide meaningful service and operating information to measure productivity. But truly optimizing fleet and operator performance involves collecting and analyzing data from the forklift in real-time. A forklift fleet management system accomplishes this through a vehicle-mounted management system. Through wireless communication technology, the system can collect information from the truck, control access to the truck, and transmit data to a central management system. Essential data provided by the system include:
- Equipment status - (e.g., logged on, logged off, or in service)
- Hours by the operator based on status – (e.g., idle, hydraulic, and travel)
- Battery or fuel status
- Fuel consumption
- Impact events
Once consolidated and analyzed in the management system, this information provides a comprehensive view of operations that can be used to help reduce damage and truck wear. All the activities that are critical to operator and truck productivity.
When impact monitoring is in place, the system can analyze impact events and determine operator responsibility. Forklift operators perform more consistently and at higher levels when they know performance is monitored and recorded daily. Additionally, ongoing monitoring makes it easier to identify operators requiring additional training or locations that account for a high impact rate.
They say, “Knowledge is Power.” With a well-designed fleet management system, information becomes a tool that managers can use to avoid problems rather than a pile of information they don’t have time to review. This helpful knowledge can influence an organization’s decisions, directly impacting productivity for both the operator and the lift truck. That's powerful!
Part 3 of our Forklift Fleet Management blog will look at how fleet management systems can improve compliance and workplace regulations.
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