The contract includes more than 100 fuel-efficient Hyster Fortens lift trucks and 30 Hyster electric warehousing trucks.

This latest news takes Barloworld's investment to £6million over the last 12 months in its short term hire fleet, now one of the largest in the UK.

"We have seen steady growth in our short-term hire business,s requiring a further investment to increase stock levels and ensure customers continue to have access to the widest range of materials handling equipment," explains Mark Ward, UK commercial asset manager for Barloworld Handling.

Equipment offered ranges from electric warehouse items, such as powered pallet trucks, low-level order pickers and high-level reach trucks, to counterbalance trucks ranging from 1.5 to 18 tonne, as well as other Hyster big trucks for port operations and heavy industry.

Barloworld also stocks specialist equipment such as sideloaders, articulated trucks, access platforms, sweepers and ATEX- compliant Pyroban-protected equipment.