Forklifts have a long and storied history. Like many modern technological inventions and advancements, they were born out of necessity to support the supply chain and warehouse functions during World War I. By the time World War II started, forklifts had evolved into more efficient material handling equipment designed to help support the war effort by making up for the lost manpower in ammunition factories. Since then, modern forklifts have become an integral component of everyday industrial applications across various industries including shipping, construction, and logistics.
Before you go ahead and buy a whole fleet of forklifts for your operations, however, make sure you understand what your material handling needs are. Forklifts have come a long way since the early days and there are now a number of different configurations, designs, and attachments that are used for specific applications.
If you only need material handling equipment for a short-term project and storing it is too difficult for you, then consider a forklift rental in Concord instead.
Forklifts in the Shipping Industry
Forklifts are a common sight in every shipyard. They’re used to transport shipping containers of all sizes on and off ships or from one area of the shipyard to another for storage until they’re needed or ready to be shipped out.
Forklifts are also used to carry shipping containers and load them onto railway cars and semi-automatic trucks for further transportation. When the shipping containers reach their intended destination, workers at the distribution centers use forklifts to unload the shipping containers and transport them to their designated storage areas.
Atop the shipping containers are two steel corner castings. The prongs of the forklift are attached securely to the casters so they can pick the containers up and carry them to where they need to go in the facility. The prongs can be extended as far out or as narrowly as needed depending on the length of the shipping container.
Forklifts in the Construction Industry
Forklifts are a huge asset to the construction industry, which involves constantly moving large and heavy pieces of machinery and materials from one location to another. Prior to the use of forklifts, crew members had to manually transport materials using ropes, pulleys, and other devices. These processes increased the risk of on-the-job injuries and even fatalities.
Now, the construction industry is far more regulated, and the use of safe material handling equipment has greatly reduced the risk of physical harm.
Forklifts in the Warehouse and Distribution Industry
Supply chains also rely heavily on the safe transportation of various products and materials. Forklifts help maximize the speed, efficiency, and productivity of warehouses and distribution centers by making it infinitely easier and less physically laborious for workers to move items from one area to another.
Warehouses are the epicenter of every supply chain. If their processes are inefficient, then the whole order and delivery system get bogged down. It’s like a massive domino effect. In order to make sure that end customers receive their products on time, warehouses and distribution centers need to function like well-oiled machines. And it all starts with using high-quality and well-maintained material handling equipment.
Professional Forklift Dealers in Concord
You can end your search for “forklift rental near me” and “forklift for sale near me”. NovaLift Equipment Inc. is a trusted forklift dealer in Concord. We supply reliable and high-quality new and used forklift rentals and repairs in Concord to a large variety of industries and companies throughout the GTA. Contact us today to learn about our services.
