Forklift preventative maintenance

Performing preventative maintenance on your electric pallet truck is critical for safety and reliable machine operation.  Accidents can cost lives and thousands of dollars’ worth of damage.  Unscheduled downtime can also be extremely expensive because of productivity losses.  The risk of forklift downtime issues can be mitigated with properly scheduled PM work.   

Critical inspection areas:  Be sure to inspect your machine on a regular basis.  The forklift wheels should be checked for cracks (for polyurethane wheels), punctures (pneumatic tires), and uneven wear.  Having proper tires is essential for operating your forklift safely.  Be sure to have the right tires for the proper operating conditions as well.  If  you use your forklift outdoors, be sure to use pneumatic tires. 

If you have an electric forklift, you should inspect the batteries on a regular basis. Be sure the cells are properly filled with water, to avoid shortening the life of your forklift batteries. You can also purchase an automated battery monitoring system, to streamline your battery PM checks. Properly maintained forklift batteries can last up to seven (7) years.

Fluid checks: be sure to check your motor oil and hydraulic fluid on a regular basis. If you need to add hydraulic fluid, be sure to check the manual for the appropriate fluid. Do not use motor oil or brake fluid to fill up the hydraulic system on your forklift or pallet jack.

The fluids should also be analyzed by a testing lab to check for issues such as wear. Checking your fluids can give you advance warning of pending issues (i.e. such as by finding metal in the fluid). Regular screening can also extend your fluid change intervals as well, if you use proper fluid analysis.

If you have an IC (internal combustion truck), some checks will involve engine oil & filter change, lubricate truck bearings. You should also inspect and check operation of brakes, cooling system, steering and safety components. For the hydraulic lift assembly it is important to check the hoses and hydraulic components for leaks and abnormal wear.

Depending on your usage, you may also need to repack wheel bearings, and replace hub and axle seals on your forklift.

Your tires will need to be replaced based on how long you use the machine, how heavy your loads are, tire compounds, and operator driving habits. Worn out tires can cause issues such as extra transmission wear, and inability to handle uneven terrains. As a general rule press on tires need to be replaced after the outside diameter is worn by 1.5", Pneumatic tires should be replaced after the outside diameter has worn 2 to 3".

Outsourcing your PM work can be a good idea, if you do not have the proper in house resources to do this. You can usually purchase a service contract during your forklift acquisition, and roll the service costs right into the monthly payments. Your local service center will send a qualified team on a regular predetermined basis to do this. This is also a good idea if your staff does not have the discipline to perform regular maintenance.

If you have adequate in house staff, you may want to consider doing your own PM work. If you have a larger fleet of material handling vehicles this can be more cost effective than outsourcing your PM work. Most factories (Toyota, Crown, Clark, Yale, Hyster,  Big Joe, Mitsubishi, Caterpillar, etc.) also have certified training programs which you can send your maintenance staff to. This is a good idea, so that they can learn the particular nuances with regards to servicing specific forklift models.