Reasons to Rent Forklifts

If you plan to set up a new warehousing facility or expand your current warehouse, then you may need to bring in new or extra forklifts. Rather than buy the machines you need, you might want to rent them instead.

What are the advantages of forklift rental?

1. Save on Upfront Purchasing Costs

If you buy forklifts, then you pay for them upfront. Even if you use a financing plan, you may have to pay a deposit. You'll then have to factor in regular payments that may also come with interest charges.

While you own any forklift you buy, you'll sink a lot of money into buying even a small fleet. You can sell the machines later if you don't need them or want to upgrade, but you'll lose money in depreciation costs.

If you rent forklifts, then you don't have these purchase costs. You simply pay rental fees on either a short-term or long-term basis depending on your usage needs.

2. Build a Fluid Fleet

Some warehouses need a set number of forklifts all of the time. If you have a constant flow of orders to process, then you will quickly discover how many forklifts you need on-site.

However, if you have seasonal business drivers, then your forklift needs will fluctuate during the year. For example, if you supply consumer goods, then you may get busy around Christmas. Or, if you supply products primarily used in summer months, then you'll have a lot of orders around this time.

You may find that you don't have enough forklifts to fulfil orders efficiently when you're busy. Or, you may have too many machines sitting idle when your orders dip.

If you rent your forklifts, then you can quickly increase and decrease the number of machines you have in your warehouse. You rent more machines during busy periods and go back to basics during quiet times. You manage your equipment costs and fulfil your orders more efficiently.

3. Minimize Maintenance Problems

If you own a forklift that breaks down or is damaged in an accident, then you're responsible for the repair. Even if the machine is still under warranty, you'll have to organize its repair or replacement.

You also won't have use of the forklift during this time. This could leave you short on processing capacity.

If you rent forklifts, then your rental company typically takes on maintenance and repairs. If a machine breaks down, they can quickly organize a replacement for you. This reduces your downtime.

4. Get Easy Upgrades

When you own a forklift, you're stuck with it until you buy a new model. While you may start off with a state-of-the-art machine, new products might look more attractive as your forklift ages. If you want to tap into new technologies or features, you'll need to replace your current model.

If you rent, then you can access different models or upgrades whenever you like. You simply switch your current forklift for a newer model.

5. Try Before You Buy

Even if you do a lot of research into forklifts before you buy, you won't know how well a machine will work for you until you start using it. For example, you may regret a purchase if you go for an economy model only to find it doesn't do everything you want it to. Or, you may overspend on a machine with features that you don't actually need to use.

If you rent a forklift, then you can try the machine out without making a significant cash commitment. You may plan on buying forklifts later when you find the right solution. Rental models help you choose the right products to exactly fit your budgets and needs.

For more advice on choosing the right forklift solution, contact Lift Solutions, Inc. As well as regular rental options, we also offer rent-to-buy packages, new and pre-owned equipment, and leasing options.