by Trey Barber, on March 15, 2024 at 11:00 AM
How many forklifts do I really need? Is a common question that's easy to answer once you do a little bit of homework. In the material handling industry, we call this "right-sizing" your forklift fleet.
Unfortunately, the calculation is not as simple as, “We run an 8-hour shift, so our forklift gets used eight hours a day.” The number of forklifts you need depends upon:
- The number of hours your lift(s) get used
- How and where they are used
- and (to a lesser extent) the size of your warehouse and number of operators.
In this article, we’ll explain how to calculate your true forklift utilization and the cost-saving benefits of doing so.
On average, 63% of businesses acquire a new forklift every 12-24 months. About half buy a new forklift to replace an old one, and the other half purchase a forklift to expand their fleet (source: Modern Material Handling survey).
How Many Forklifts You Need Depends on Utilization
Accurately calculating how many hours your forklifts get used each day is the key to determining the optimal number of forklifts for your operation. But how do you calculate lift truck utilization?
Some people think an 8-hour shift equals eight hours of utilization. But when you think about it, that’s nearly impossible. Most operators are on and off the lift throughout their shift. They don’t operate it continuously for eight hours.
Based on the analysis we've done for many customers, an operator assigned to a single forklift typically uses it 4-6 hours per day. If you’d like us to help calculate your forklift utilization, please give us a call or drop us a line.
Cut Costs and Improve Profits By Right-Sizing Your Forklift Fleet
If tracking what your forklifts are up to all day doesn’t seem worthwhile, consider this: knowing how your forklifts get used is one of the best ways to uncover and eliminate inefficiencies. For example:
How often are your forklifts used for horizontal transportation?
- Forklift alternatives such as tow tractors can move pallets for much less.
- Or, consider a single-double forklift attachment. It enables one truck to move twice as many pallets.
Does your operation have two fleets? One for indoor use and another for outdoor?
Before you buy a new forklift for exclusively indoor or outdoor use, consider an indoor/outdoor pneumatic forklift such as the: Clark GEX, lithium ion-powered Clark SE25-25, Hangcha XC, Doosan 7-Series or Toyota's award-winning 80V electric pneumatic.
With an indoor/outdoor electric forklift, you can:
- Improve productivity by eliminating the need for multiple lifts to move a single pallet
- Maximize equipment utilization
- Get paid to charge your equipment
How to Avoid Having Too Many Forklifts
While some operations assign lifts to a single operator, others make their forklifts available to any operator as needed. This “on-demand” availability is the best way to optimize your operation and maximize productivity.
Avoid having multiple operators competing for a forklift by establishing work rotations. Schedule some forklift operators to move product while others build pallets, do paperwork, etc.
Running multiple shifts is another way to reduce fleet costs. For example, if you have 20 operators all working at the same time, you may need 20 lifts. But if you have 20 operators split between two shifts, you only need 10 forklifts.
Here’s one way to divide up the work:
- Day shift - receives product and puts pallets away
- Night shift - pulls pallets and builds pallets for deliveries the next day
Options for Seasonal Operations
Agriculture businesses and other operations with seasonal peaks and lulls can right-size using rentals or specially-structured leases.
Forklifts for a New Warehouse
If you have a new operation, forklift rentals or leases are a good place to start. That way, you’re not locked into equipment long-term. When it comes time to buy a forklift, you'll have plenty of usage data. Learn more about when to buy vs. lease or rent a forklift.
Call on the Forklift Utilization Experts in Washington State
Why tie up capital in equipment that just sits around? We can help you right-size your forklift fleet.
The optimization experts at Mid Columbia Forklift and MidCo Material Handling can take hour readings and calculate usage to help you make data-driven decisions about your fleet. Our goal is to help businesses in Washington, Oregon and Idaho be more successful — not sell you equipment you don’t need.
Contact us to learn more or schedule a free consultation.
Auburn 253-854-5438
Pasco 509-547-7413
Wenatchee 509-663-9009
Yakima 509-457-5137
Related Reading:
How Much Does a Forklift Cost?
When to Buy vs. Lease or Rent a Forklift
7 Things to Consider Before You Buy A Forklift
Common Misconceptions About Buying a Used Forklift
How to Plan For Your Seasonal Forklift Rental
