MHI Solutions Improving Supply Chain Performance
Revolutionary New Features and Trends in Lift Truck Design Are Benefitting the Supply Chains That Rely on Them
By Greg Baer, MHI Director of Sales
Even a casual browser passing through the lift truck exhibits at ProMat 2017 could clearly see that today’s load handlers are packing every bit as much technology as today’s consumer cars. And not just operator amenities like integrated cup holders and onboard charger ports for mobile devices, but a variety of features that make these vehicles more environmentally friendly and autonomous while minimizing maintenance.
MHI Solutions checked in with some of the leading forklift original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)—all of whom happen to be MHI member companies—to find out more about the revolutionary features and trends in lift truck design, and how those benefit the supply chains that rely on them.
Alternative power sources, telematics improving sustainability
Regardless of the brand or its fuel source—electric, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or diesel—all lift truck manufacturers are engineering their latest vehicles to be more environmentally friendly than ever before.
From switching to AC motors for greater efficiency and more operating hours on a single battery charge, to prioritizing reduced emissions to meet the strictest standards (think California Air Resources Board), manufacturers have been including all types of energy saving features into their forklifts for several years now. Simply engineering the vehicles to last longer, using recycled materials in floor mats and rebuilding components for the used, aftermarket and repair markets are other ways lift truck manufacturers are helping companies meet their sustainability standards.