Enhanced Product Line Designed to Take on Tough Work Environments

IRVINE, Calif., (Sept. 10, 2009) – Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc., (TMHU) the number one lift truck supplier in the United States, today announced the expansion of its line of large IC pneumatic lift trucks to include four new models, 33,000-, 40,000-, 44,000- and 51,000-pound capacities at a 36" load center.

Designed for challenging work environments, this expanded product line is built to handle more applications, including ports, construction, lumber yards, metal fabricators, and concrete and masonry yards.

With a comprehensive product portfolio, Toyota now offers models ranging from 3,000- to 51,000-pound capacities to cater to a wide-range of work terrains and tasks. Toyota’s IC pneumatic lift trucks are equipped with a powerful 6.7-liter J-Series Hino diesel engine along with a number features designed with the safety and comfort of the operator in mind. Toyota’s exclusive two-speed transmission meets the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Tier 3 compliance regulations and provides optimal performance.

"With the addition of these heavy duty trucks and larger capacities, we are able to provide our customers a more comprehensive product line-up to meet even their most demanding work site needs," said Brett Wood, president of TMHU. "Whether our customers need a small hand pallet truck or one of our new large IC pneumatic trucks, they can count on Toyota’s quality products to get the job done."

Powerful Engine and Exclusive Two-Speed Transmission

The Toyota 8-Series introduction in 2007 broke new barriers toward clean emission technology, becoming the World’s Cleanest Internal Combustion Lift Truck. Toyota’s catalytic muffler system coupled with an exclusive closed-loop fuel system design that adjusts and optimizes the air-fuel mixture ratio, results in a very low emission lift truck that produces 70 percent less smog forming emissions than current federal EPA standards. In addition, the 8-Series met California’s more stringent 2010 emission standards three years early. This achievement resulted in great benefits for customers with lift truck fleets in California striving to meet the California End User Fleet Average measures.

Durability to Increase Life Cycle

Toyota’s exclusive two-speed transmission provides optimal performance comparable to industry standard three-speed transmissions, with the added benefit of a smoother operation due to fewer shift changes.

This two-speed, two-stator transmission requires less maintenance than a comparable three-speed transmission. In addition, it is designed to handle more torque and contains fewer parts to service.

Toyota’s large IC pneumatic lift trucks offer fully oiled lift cylinders, which are extremely durable in harsh environments and help prevent the cylinders from rusting.

Wet disc brakes are standard and operate under the most severe work conditions. Toyota’s wet disc brakes also help ensure minimum downtime and maximize operating performance by reducing maintenance costs and improving vehicle safety.

Ergonomic Offerings for Operators

Toyota’s large IC pneumatic lift trucks include a number of features designed with the safety and comfort of the operator in mind. Toyota’s exclusive synchronized steering option enhances operator comfort by automatically correcting misalignment between the angle of the steering wheel and turn angle of the steer tires. This system maintains a consistent steering wheel position for improved hand placement during operation.

Standard on the truck is a Deluxe Steel Cab that includes an integrated air conditioner and heater/defroster. The deluxe cab features a special mounting system that absorbs and reduces noise and vibrations in the operating compartment to reduce operator fatigue. The front and rear windows feature a pillar less design allowing a wider, unobstructed field of vision to make handling of loads easier.

For operator ease, the electronic parking brake offers the functionality to be engaged or disengaged by the push of a button. For an added layer of safety, an alarm will sound if the operator attempts to operate the lift truck with the parking brake engaged. And, an integrated monitoring center continually checks the lift truck and notifies the operator if there are any issues with the unit’s systems. To provide exceptional control with low operator effort, Toyota provides hydraulic pilot-type control levers to reduce the vibrations experienced by operators.

About Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc.

Celebrating more than 40 years of established operations in the United States, Irvine, Calif.-based TMHU has been the No. 1 selling lift truck supplier in the U.S. since 2002 and currently offers a full line of high-quality lift trucks sold under the Toyota brand. TMHU, as the sole United States distributor for Aichi, now offers a line-up of aerial work lifts, including scissor lifts, crawler and wheeled boom lifts designed specifically to meet a wide range of indoor and outdoor needs.

Built on a reputation of excellence, Toyota remains the industry leader due to its quality, durability and reliability. Quality is the hallmark of Toyota’s world-renowned Toyota Production System practiced at all Toyota manufacturing facilities, including Toyota Industrial Equipment Mfg., Inc. (TIEM). Most of the Toyota lift trucks sold in the United States are manufactured at TIEM, a zero-landfill facility, in Columbus, Ind.

TIEM, and all Toyota manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Canada, comply with the ISO 14001 standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and have been honored for their environmental management systems and dedication to continuous improvement.