Don't break law with hire trucks
June 1st 2009 As businesses turn to fork lift
truck rentals to keep
overheads low during the
economic downturn,
materials handling experts
have warned that some
companies'
misunderstanding of
Thorough Examination
requirements for hire trucks
is in danger of placing them
in breach of the law,
according to Consolidated
Fork Truck Services
Technical Manager Chas Day.
"Often, companies
operating hire fleets are
faced with difficult
decisions about Thorough
Examinations," comments
Chas. "Issues, such as who
will carry them out and
when, can be compounded
if both short term and long
term hire equipment is
used.
"Guidance on hire
equipment is not easy to
find in this complex
legislation. That's why all
companies accredited to the
CFTS Thorough Examination
Scheme have been given
clear advice on maintaining
the integrity of equipment
while giving customers
simple and straightforward
advice – and peace of mind.
This is especially important
with short term hire
equipment," adds Day. "With
hire periods and usage
varying greatly, this creates
many difficulties for a fleet
operator. Let me be clear. A
fork lift truck that is
provided on short term hire,
that is, for a period of up to
a maximum of 12 months,
should be provided with a
Report of Thorough
Examination by the hiring
company. It is good practice
for a copy of the report to
be part of the hire
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