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As you may have read in the national news, the supply chain on many products – from cars to TVs, and apparel to backpacks — is tightening.
Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, told CNN that consumers may see shortages in backpacks, laptops, tablets, stationery, and sports equipment. The same could be true with forklifts and other material handling products. We at Summit Handling recommend that you plan ahead if you will be looking to purchase or lease a new forklift in within the next 12-18 months.
Many manufacturers are feeling the effects of port delays, increases in freight costs, labor shortages, and lack of parts availability. This is really challenging the supply chain. As businesses ramp up capacity and the economy works its way toward recovery, many still struggle to meet customer demand. Forklift shortages are indeed being seen in some parts of the country. Some manufacturers are reporting lead times exceeding one year for common forklift models.
But there’s no need to panic.
Summit Handling is working to make sure that you can get the equipment to meet your needs. We offer a variety of forklift manufacturers, including Toyota, Doosan, HC America, CombiLift, Taylor, Mariotti, and more. In fact, we have a pipeline for more than 200 forklifts on order of various makes, models and specifications to meet our customers’ needs. Here are our recommendations to help you circumvent the forklift shortage:
- Be Flexible on Brands and Power Sources: You may want to look at different brand options for your lifts. Even if you’ve always used one brand, there are other choices that will still provide great productivity and efficiency. Also consider other power options, especially electric. Not only is it better for the environment, it may save you money over the life of the forklift.
- Plan Ahead: Assess your current fleet and determine if you need to add or replace any equipment today. Make sure you take into account any increases your business is experiencing. Ensure that you have the right number of forklifts to support your business.
- Maintain your current equipment: Take care of the equipment you already have with planned maintenance. Regular maintenance is proven to extend the life of a forklift and reduce downtime. If you don’t have an in-house team, please reach out to us and we can schedule an appointment to service your equipment.
- Act Now: As forklift demand starts to reduce inventory, you may experience higher prices, less selection, and longer lead times. Reach out to Summit Handling today for the best selection and to reserve the forklifts that will meet your business need.