Hiab, the leading provider of on-road load handling equipment, has been named a finalist in two categories for the 2018 Fork Lift Truck Association FLTA Awards for Excellence.

　　The annual awards are the biggest in the materials handling industry calendar, recognising and rewarding examples of excellence throughout the fork lift truck industry, as well as within the logistics sector.

　　Hiab’s E MOFFETT electric truck-mounted forklift is competing for the coveted winner’s trophy – the Archie statuette – in the Protecting the Environment category.
 
　　Entrants in the Environment category must demonstrate products that have made significant strides in cutting emissions, working more efficiently, or reducing consumption of precious resources – while still delivering the goods.

　　Hiab’s entry focused on how its client, Pets at Home, specified a fleet of electric HIAB E MOFFETT truck-mounted forklifts to resolve noise complaints surrounding out-of-hours deliveries to a high number of its stores across England.

　　The retailer needed to address the problem fast, and undertook a six-month trial of the HIAB E MOFFETT at its Stoke DC to test its durability and viability. With a lifting capacity of up to 2,000kg, the lithium-ion-powered truck is completely emission-free and silent in operation, and met Pets at Home’s operational requirements.

Pets at Home now runs 16 E MOFFETTS across its fleet.

“It’s been a total game-changer,” explains Steve Travis, General Manager for Transport at Pets at Home. “Implementing the electric MOFFETTS has allowed us to return to scheduling our fleet at the most economic time of day, saving money on fuel and reducing our carbon footprint, as well as no longer being a nuisance to the neighbours in our local communities.”

In October 2017, Hiab and Pets at Home collected the John Connell Award for ‘Enterprise in Quiet Logistics’ from the Noise Abatement Society.

In the Innovation category, Hiab’s ePTO (electric power take-off) solution has made the cut to reach the final stage of the competition. The FLTA Innovation Award is open to new products that have pushed the boundaries of materials handling technology.

Hiab’s ePTO enables all Hiab equipment – loader cranes, hook lifts and skiploaders – to be operated with the vehicle engine switched off.

Comprising a battery, an electric motor, a hydraulic pump and a smart electronic control system, the ePTO reduces noise levels, lessens environmental impact and improves energy efficiency compared to a diesel-powered system.

Key benefits of the ePTO include:

30% reduction in noise
No fumes
60-70% less energy consumption
70% lower operating costs
Equal lifting capacity to conventional crane
Travis Perkins describes it as “the perfect solution” for new-format branches requiring out-of-hours deliveries, and has begun trialling it in Birmingham.

“As soon as I saw what Hiab had developed with the ePTO, I wanted to trial it, as I knew it could give us the ability to deliver through-the-night, be more efficient in our operation and provide a better service to our customers,” says Graham Bellman, Director of Fleet at Travis Perkins.

Commenting on the shortlisting, Hiab’s UK Managing Director, Rogier van der Linde, adds: “This recognition bestowed upon us by the independent shortlisting jury of the FLTA recognises the continual investment we make across our product range to shape and inspire the industry and find innovative and cost-effective solutions to the challenges facing our customers. We are very excited to have been nominated as a finalist alongside some very well-known industry brands, and are looking forward to the winner’s announcement in February.”

The FLTA Awards for Excellence ceremony will take place at the Telford International Centre on Saturday 24th February 2018.