Few fleet managers will be surprised to learn that a modern lift truck can collect data about every facet of its operation, well beyond the simple hour meter. Many are familiar with the concept that microprocessors onboard even the most standard lift trucks are ready to interface with computers, tablets, voice systems, or a warehouse management systems (WMS). What they might not know is that this capability is not reserved solely for massive fleets with deep pockets.

The brains inside modern lift trucks are great for turning them into advanced mobile data collection platforms, but they are also designed to enable small, specific changes to a lift truck’s operation, even for a fleet of one. These changes increasingly allow a lift truck owner to shape the lift truck to the application while improving the productivity and uptime of both.

With plug and play technology, a lift truck can even be made to respond to voice commands. Other solutions enable reach truck forks to rise to the precise level of the pallet opening at the push of a button. By collecting information about a lift truck’s travel through a facility, it’s also possible to identify areas of traffic congestion, restructure the placement of racking, or pinpoint problems with the floor surface that could lead to excessive damage.

But for all the innovative options, the most important factor to consider before a fleet owner unlocks the potential of the modern lift truck is whether it will create measurable results. “A lot of technology has come onto the scene in the last 10 years, and it can be distracting to a fleet owner who is just trying to procure a piece of equipment,” says Scott McLeod, president of Fleetman Consulting, an independent forklift fleet management and procurement consulting company. “As lift truck suppliers try to differentiate themselves, customers should be careful about gimmicks and look for tangible results.”

To help readers feel less overwhelmed and more empowered, Logistics Management spoke with a collection of lift truck suppliers to learn how a few technology options can be best used to optimize productivity and processes.

Listening to the lift truck
Borrowing from the automotive industry, diagnostic ports and microprocessors began to creep into lift trucks within the last decade. Lift trucks are now primarily not governed by mechanical systems, but by electronic ones, with wires replacing levers. Sensors embedded throughout the lift truck can now collect data about every aspect of a lift truck’s operation, from lifting and lowering to idle time and average speed.

In an effort to make the most of this available data, the popularity of fleet management technology has grown as well, even if the results of such implementations have been mixed. The most common culprit of a failed implementation is the inability of the customer to effectively manage all the data the lift truck can produce.

“Data in a variety of platforms, many times not integrated, can be overwhelming to customers if left unattended,” says Mark Faiman, product manager, IC, AWP, and GSE products for Toyota Material Handling. “The customer might review reports periodically, but without a conclusion or direction little progress can be made toward improving a process or productivity.”

Thankfully, the technology on lift trucks allows data to be relayed directly to the dealer, who is increasingly called upon to manage that data on behalf of the customer. “When customers buy this technology, probably 80 percent of the time their expectation is that they will somehow get control over it themselves,” says Jonathan Dawley, president of Hyster Company distribution. “Then they find that they really don’t have the time to dig through all the data. The other 20 percent of the time, we are effective in explaining that our fleet management expertise can help them focus on their core competencies.”

For instance, a lift truck can report a fault code to a service technician who can repair the problem before the customer or operator knows something is wrong. An overheated lift truck might need $20 brushes and one hour of labor. But in the interest of productivity, an operator might turn the lift truck off, reset the fault code, and get back to work.