The UK food and warehouse/distribution sector has hailed TCM’s best-in class FB 3-wheel electric as a boost to productivity and energy saving. Launched last year it has since seen successful uptake by businesses looking for agility, safety and lower operating costs.

Advocates such as Crucial Sauce, the Birmingham-based manufacturer of over 30 sauces and chutneys up-graded its trucks to the new TCM agile electric forklifts and added extended lift capability to meet their 4.5M racking height.

Tahir Amir, Crucial Sauce’s Process Manager, says the electric trucks are ideal for their food manufacturing and distribution operation. “We operate on a compact footprint, so we have 4.5M high racking and narrow aisles. Our new forklifts have much smaller turning circle and extended reach”.
 
The trucks have also been fitted with pin-code entry and audible and visual safety features making their presence and movement highly visible to employee-pedestrians.

According to Tahir their truck selection was a team decision. “Clearly there had to be a good fit with the needs of the business, but the opinion and input from our experienced and skilled operators was equally important”.

Further North in the City of Hull, Alpine Fine Foods is a food wholesaling service, supplying businesses supplying catering needs from its large stock of ambient, chilled, frozen, fresh meat, fruit and vegetables and non-food products.

They have just agreed a 5-year agreement with TCM dealer Barek to lease TCM the new 3-wheel FB electric trucks.

Managing Director Phil Davis was keen to have a tough reliable truck that offered the lowest energy consumption in its class, meaning increased economy and greater productive time between charging. Plus, the improved driver control, comfort and greater all-round visibility that is so important in warehouse locations.
TCM’s FB/FTB 3-wheel counter-balanced forklift is based on three key features; safety, operator comfort and fuel efficiency. It offers the lowest energy consumption within its class achieving a measured 4.2kWh/h energy consumption. It also has the benefit of being configured for different battery options, so should an opportunity to switch be advantageous, the change-over is easy.