Top used truck tips
February 1st 2008 What are the pitfalls when buying or renting a second hand lift truck? Barloworld
Handling, one of the UK's largest suppliers of quality used lift trucks, provides some top
tips to help you drive safely through the 'used truck' minefield
The majority of second hand forklifts
are operated by small to medium
sized businesses that either cannot
afford or don't need to buy new. Often it is
left to busy managers to purchase a truck
and they are not always experienced in
purchasing industrial machinery. By
following a few basic rules, however, buyers
can avoid the pitfalls and improve their
chances of making a great investment.
What truck ?
First, find out what specification of lift truck
would best suit your particular handling
needs. For example what is the maximum
weight (in tons) the truck will need to lift,
what lift height is required, are there any
height/width restrictions? Choose a power
type, but remember, engine powered trucks
are normally only used outdoors. If replacing
an old and worn out truck, do not assume a
newer version is what you need, think about
what your operational needs are today and
tomorrow. If you are unsure, a reputable
supplier can assist in surveying your site to
recommend solutions.
Supplier
Only approach main dealers who have a
solid reputation and offer a wide selection of
reliable products. A main dealer will have a
variety of stock from warehouse equipment
to counterbalance trucks offering the best
choice to suit your handling needs.
Age and condition
Selecting the newest may not always be the
best. Buyers often make the
mistake of leaning towards
younger trucks, but the
number of operating hours
and condition of the truck is
much more important than
age. For example, would you
prefer a truck that has been
battered 40 hours a week in a
salt mine for the past 3 years
or a 5 year old truck that has
been sitting quietly in the
corner of a warehouse doing
light duties for 14 hours a
week? Always check the hour
meter for hours worked and
the rating plate for year of
manufacture.
Service history and quality
Most of the trucks sold by main dealers are
from their rental fleets, serviced by them
from new. This is an advantage because
rental trucks remain in the ownership of the
dealer until they can sell them at the end of
the contract period, so it's very much in the
dealer's interests to look after them. An exrental
truck therefore, can prove to be a
bargain with many more productive years to
give. Ask if the dealer has a record of the
trucks service history as this will verify the
hours worked and application conditions.
Barloworld's ex-rental Hyster trucks are
maintained by Barloworld from new. Each
truck is fully inspected, serviced and
refurbished to written quality standards
before resale. The QUE mark Barloworld
gives to these trucks is an assurance of their
quality.
Cheap at first, expensive in the long run
A cheap truck might cost you more in the
long run. Ideally ask to view the truck and
see it in operation before you buy, check the
condition of the forks, seat, mast, chain,
tyres and load back rest for damage and
wear. If you are buying an electric truck,
check the condition of the battery and that it
accepts a full charge as these can be
expensive to replace. Finally if a truck is
cheap ask yourself why?
It is usually worth paying a little bit more
for the right truck and good service as this
will save you a lot more money and tears
later on.
Legal
Make sure the truck is legal. Under Lifting
Operations and Lifting Equipment
Regulations 1998 (LOLER) all items of lifting
equipment are subject to an annual
Thorough Examination (like an MOT test for
a car) to detect any safety related
deterioration. Make sure your truck comes
with an up to date certificate.
There are other legal obligations that
apply to specific trucks such as falling object
protection and roll over protection; ask your
dealer to provide advice on this.
A rating plate should also be fitted that
clearly shows the safe working load at
relevant load centres and lift heights,
reflecting the actual specification of the
truck, upright height, attachment type, fork
length, year, E/CE mark etc.
Spares, servicing & warranty
Check that spares will be available for a
number of years and that parts are not
overpriced. Also ensure the supplier can offer
good service back-up, ongoing maintenance
and fast repair in the event of breakdown.
Buyers often fail to put in place a proper
maintenance programme for the equipment
they buy. Not only could this affect the
company if there's ever an accident, but it
will increase the rate of breakdown and
repair costs, reduce the resell value of the
truck and reduce its working life, meaning
you have to spend more again to replace it.
A service contract should be arranged to
provide periodic maintenance and be sure to
check that the supplier can respond quickly
to any breakdown or it might cost your
business significantly through downtime and
lost sales.
Ask what warranty is offered and what it
covers i.e. parts and labour, duration and are
there any hidden charges?
Like for like quote?
When reviewing prices be careful to compare
like for like and ask for a written detailed
quotation. Decide whether you want to
purchase or hire the truck and set yourself a
budget. If long term rental is available it can
often be advantageous since payments are
spread and the provider can normally add
routine maintenance to the monthly fee. More articles from Barloworld Handling: | 
