How to Plan for Your Seasonal Forklift Rental

by Mike McCamey, on February 14, 2021 at 9:00 AM

How to Plan for Your Seasonal Forklift RentalHarvest season can be a chaotic time for farmers and food processors in Washington State. Whether you have apples, potatoes, hops, or hay, we recommend getting your forklift rental on the books before the end of February. Even large dealers like Mid Columbia Forklift and MidCo Material Handling can run out of equipment come harvest time — even though we hold back inventory for agriculture clients.

Here are a few more seasonal forklift rental tips:

Evaluate Last Year's Forklift Rental

An honest analysis of last year's experience can help you optimize your strategy for the upcoming season. 

  • Did you experience any problems with last year's rental equipment?
  • Any challenges integrating the rental forklifts into your existing workflow?
  • Did you wish you had rented more forklifts? 

Schedule Your Rental Sooner Rather Than Later

High demand during peak season can limit your rental options. Unless you thrive on uncertainty, there's no reason to delay your rental reservation. By working with a rental representative long-term, you can ensure a smooth rental process season after season.

The two biggest decisions you'll need to make are:

  • When do you want to take delivery of the forklift?
  • How long will you keep the equipment?

When choosing your rental timeframe, check your records from previous years to determine your peak throughput timeframe. It's a good idea to schedule your rental to start before peak season begins so you have the equipment you need as production ramps up. Similarly, you may want to add some padding at the end of the rental to account for any variances in the harvest. 

At Mid Columbia Forklift, we offer flexible rental durations. We understand what you need during harvest will differ from what you need during planting and our rental contracts account for those adjustments.

Do you need multiple forklifts?

The best way to determine how many rental forklifts you need is to calculate your forklift utilization rate. Your forklift rental representative should be able to help with this, but here's a quick overview.
 
Start by adding up the meter hours of all your forklifts. Then, divide by the total hours they can be worked per day. For instance, two forklifts with a combined total of 12 meter hours that each work one 8-hour shift have a 75% utilization rate (8 is 75% of 12). 
 
Utilization rates approaching 100% are a double-edged sword. At 90%+  the operation is maximizing their equipment investment, but they're also taking a big chance. If a forklift goes down, a fleet with a 50-75% utilization rate is better-prepared to maintain production.
 
By determining your utilization rate in previous peak seasons, you can decide how many forklifts your company needs to rent — or even buy — to operate at peak productivity.

Consider Purchasing a Used Forklift

A seasonal forklift rental is a cost-effective way to boost production without the expense of buying new equipment. But if securing rental equipment is an ongoing challenge, or if you have a precariously high utilization rate, consider expanding your fleet. 

At Mid Columbia Forklift, we frequently "retire" units from our rental fleet as used forklifts for sale. We work hard to keep operating hours low so we can offer used forklifts with active factory warranties and plenty of useful life left in them (compared to used forklifts from other dealers).

A Rental Partner You Can Rely On

We work hard to ensure farmers and food producers have the equipment they need. After 45 years in business, we know the rhythm of harvest season and track the cycles of grapes, apples, cherry, asparagus, hops and salmon too.
 
We hold forklifts with specialized attachments in reserve so our clients will have what they need when their season arrives. We also partner with a wide range of manufacturers so we can provide specialized solutions instead the one-size-fits-most equipment offered by other dealers.
 
Need help developing your seasonal rental plan? Contact the friendly experts at Mid Columbia Forklift and MidCo Material Handling. Our staff of material handling professionals are happy to assist. 
 

Further Reading
Why Rent From Mid Columbia Forklift?
Small Forklift Rental in Washington State
Top Reasons to Buy a Used Forklift
Rent Vs. Buy - Do You Know The Magic Number?

Forklift Rental - WIDE

Topics:ForkliftLeasingForklift RentalScissor Lift Rental

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Material handling articles to help answer the questions you have about forklifts, aerial equipment, utility vehicles, warehouse optimization, and safety.

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