Electric forklift battery maintenance is crucial to extending the lifespan of your batteries and enhancing the performance of your forklift fleet. All operators should be trained in the basics of forklift battery maintenance to ensure the longevity of your lift trucks and pallet jacks.  Battery Charging Protocols When it comes to charging your lift trucks and maintaining your batteries, you should stick to a specific protocol. Batteries can only be charged for a certain number of cycles, so you will need to charge them on schedule rather than on convenience. Charging them without a schedule can end up shortening the life of the battery.  We recommend that you charge the battery after an eight-hour shift or after it's discharged more than 30% of its battery life. Charging the battery too often before it's down to 30% can diminish the lifespan of the battery. Other recommended charging tips include: Once you've charged the battery, allow it to charge completely. If you cu...

As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, it's important to remember to take extra safety precautions when operating a forklift. Here are a few winter forklift safety tips to keep in mind: Inspect Equipment Regularly Just as you would with any other piece of machinery, it's important to inspect your forklift regularly to make sure that it's in good working condition. In the winter, pay special attention to the battery and tires. The cold weather can cause batteries to lose power more quickly, so make sure they are fully charged before each shift. Also, check the tread on your tires and replace them if necessary—good traction is essential for preventing accidents on slippery surfaces. Be Aware of Your Surroundings When operating a forklift in winter conditions, it's important to take your surroundings into account. Be on the lookout for icy spots on the ground and be careful when driving over them. Also, keep an eye out for snow build-up on shelves or racks—if...

  Routine and proactive maintenance is the way to make your machine handling equipment last. While the advanced technology and moving parts of your machinery add value to the workplace, they also can increase the likelihood that you'll experience problems.  At Trupar America, we've put together the top daily checks you should make on your forklift equipment to stay ahead of any problems and ensure your equipment is safe to operate.  Create a Daily Checklist Provide employees with a physical checklist they can walk around with and use to check off each task they need to do. This works well for smaller companies providing employees with a guide so that nothing is forgotten. If you have a larger organization, we recommend that you include completion and sign-off for each item. With either a sheet of paper or via a digital tablet, your employees should be required to check a box after each component is checked. This will help to ensure that all daily checks are completed, and...

A forklift is a complex piece of equipment that requires specialized maintenance to keep it running. Throughout its lifespan, a forklift will require a variety of replacement parts to remain functioning and effective.  While electric forklift parts and IC-powered parts differ, it is important to know the most commonly replace forklift parts to ensure you properly maintain your parts stock to ensure you can handle common maintenance issues.  Brakes  Forklift brakes work hard, stopping thousands of pounds of heavy materials at a short distance. The forklift brakes should not wear out very frequently, but they will require regular replacement to ensure the forklift is safe to operate.  Tires Tires are a crucial part of the forklift for the comfort of the operator and for safe operation. Damage to the tires can make your workspace unsafe, reduce fuel efficiency, put your operator at risk, and decrease productivity. Signs of damage include: Tearing Balding Chunking Tire...

  Accidents in the workplace are common, but many of the most common forklift accidents can be prevented with proper training and equipment maintenance.  At Trupar America , we have outlined three of the most common forklift accidents and what you can do to prevent them from happening in your warehouse.  Forklift Rollovers A forklift rollover is the most common type of fatal forklift accident. Rollovers are mainly caused by these factors: Turning too fast Turning on an incline  Driving across uneven surfaces Abrupt movement of the mast Uneven, overweight, or unbalanced loads Driving with an elevated load Driving with the load elevated What to Do if You Experience a Tip-Over If a tip-over occurs in a sit-down forklift, the operator should remain in the seat, brace for impact, and lean away from the point of the impact. For a stand-up forklift, the operator should step back and out of the operator compartment and get away from the forklift.  Operators should also ...

The more your forklift is used, the more often it will need to be serviced to remain safe and efficient to use. If your forklifts are used heavily, they may require forklift maintenance every 90 days. Routine maintenance checks play a major role in preserving your forklift’s lifespan and performance.   In most cases, forklift companies will recommend that you service your forklift based on time and usage intervals.  What are Time Intervals and Usage Intervals? Usage intervals are measured using your key or pedal hours. Time intervals are measured in days and months. At Trupar America, we recommend that you have your forklift serviced based on how often you use your forklift or your usage intervals.  We recommend full service at 200 hours. Our highly trained and experienced technicians will complete  the following: Grease the chassis and the mast components Install a new fuel filter Change the oil Install a new oil filter and air filter Adjust engine idle speed a...