Archive for January, 2012

Forklifts to Rent – Diesel, Petrol or Electric?

There are basically three types of forklifts to rent that you can choose from in South Africa. The first type is a diesel fuelled forklift and is the oldest type of forklift available on the market. However, this does not mean that this type of forklift has not benefitted greatly from technological innovations and been improved upon to meet a variety of modern day requirements.

The tradition behind diesel forklifts to rent is one of the reasons that this is still the most popular choice amongst business owners. Another reason for its popularity is that it has a great reputation for being the toughest and most durable of all the other types of forklifts out there. This toughness makes the diesel forklift the ideal all terrain lifting equipment and is great for use outdoors.

Many people believe that the diesel forklift is not suitable for use indoors. This is mainly because the diesel motor can be very noisy and that harmful exhaust fumes are released during operation. However, just one of the technological advancements that have been made to the diesel forklift to rent is the addition of an exhaust filter to minimise and purify the fumes that are emitted. It is however still not recommended for use in smaller confined areas with little or no ventilation.

Sound dampeners and silencers have also been added to make the diesel forklift much quieter although it is not as quiet as the second type of forklift to rent which is a petrol powered forklift. Petrol forklifts are not recommended for use indoors at all. This is because the carbon emissions are more harmful than diesel exhaust fumes and these emissions are much more difficult to filter.

Although the petrol forklift is quieter than the diesel option it is still considered to be too noisy for indoor use. The petrol forklift is the ideal equipment for outdoor use providing great speed in strength in its operating abilities. The quietest of all the forklifts is of course battery powered and is referred to as the electric forklift which can be considered to be virtually silent when compared to its fuelled counterparts.

In addition to this, the electric forklift to rent does not emit any fumes at all during operation meaning that it is the perfect lifting equipment for indoor applications. Until recently, you would need to have a replacement battery or need to recharge the forklift battery regularly to ensure maximum operation capabilities. However, new innovations are making it possible to purchase or rent a rechargeable electric forklift.

The electric forklift is however not ideal for outdoor work. It does not have the power or the durability of either the diesel forklift or the petrol forklift to rent. It can however be used outdoor for smaller jobs in paved or tarred areas such as parking lots or loading bays. There are a few electric forklifts that have however been designed and created to meet the rigours of outdoor work but these come with a higher price tag.

On the subject of carbon emissions it is easy to see that of the three forklifts to rent in South Africa, the electric version is by far the most environmentally friendly. Next in line is the diesel forklift which does expel harmful exhaust fumes but has a lower fuel consumption than the petrol forklift. The petrol forklift does the most harm to the environment in much the same way as a petrol fuelled car. Make sure that you weight up all the benefits and disadvantages of each type of forklift to rent well before choosing one to meet your needs.

Forklift for Hire – Finding Out About Insurance

No business owner will buy an expensive forklift without first insuring the item for accidents and major repairs that may become necessary over time. And it should be no different when you are looking at a forklift for hire. Insurance for forklift rentals can work in much the same way as insurance coverage for a care hire in that you can take a short term policy directly from the owner of the vehicle for the duration of the lease term.

However, with a forklift for hire the rental agent will hold an insurance policy against major damages or theft of the equipment. The amount that they for the insurance will be proportionally worked into the rental rate so that you won’t even be requested to fill out an insurance form when you enter into the lease agreement. However, it is your responsibility to ensure that the owner does indeed have insurance for the forklift as you may become liable for the cost of repairs or for the entire replacement value of the equipment if theft occurred while it was in your possession.

It is also imperative that you read the insurance portion of the lease agreement for a forklift for hire carefully. As per every type of insurance policy an excess will be charged when a claim is made against the insurance provider. Find out whether you will be responsible for paying this excess amount and more or less what that excess would be if anything happened to the forklift. Excess amounts will be different for damages than for the replacement of the forklift due to theft.

You should also be aware that the insurance provider will only cover any claims if the forklift was driven by a qualified forklift operator when damages occurred. This will be made clear to you before you sign the lease agreement for a forklift for hire with the rental agent. Very few forklift rental agent will be able to provide you with a qualified forklift driver so make sure that you have one in your employ, train an existing employee to become a forklift driver or find a forklift operator before entering into the agreement.

You can find out whether your forklift rental agent offers any forklift operator courses that one of your employees can enrol on. Remember that some training course can be specific to a particular forklift manufacture. This means that the forklift operator will only be qualified to drive that specific brand of forklift. Rather try and find forklift operator training courses that provide comprehensive training that is relevant to all types of forklifts available for hire.

Remember to also find out what exactly is covered by the insurance policy. No insurance providers will ever cover the costs of regular wear and tear on the forklift for hire with a normal insurance policy. Regular maintenance and servicing will also not be covered by a general insurance policy. You will need to find out whether the forklift rental agent has a motor plan to cover these costs over and above the insurance policy.

If you are entering into a long term rental agreement that exceeds a period of three months all maintenance, servicing and incidental repairs should be covered by a motor plan policy. It is unlikely that servicing or incidental repairs will become necessary for rental periods that are shorter than 3 months and any problems will be from the previous renter of the forklift. Even if there is not motor plan your forklift for hire agent should be liable for these expenses and you will carry no responsibility unless it is found that repairs are necessary due to neglect or abuse of the forklift.