Equipment downtime is your operation’s worst enemy. Just like a car or house, a forklift requires maintenance and repairs after you purchase it. Taking a reactive approach to maintaining your forklifts can be accompanied by uncertainty and unexpected periods where forklifts are out of service. This can interrupt work flows that need to run smoothly for your business to succeed.

This is why many companies that use forklifts opt for a routine maintenance plan. The two most commonly used maintenance plans in the material handling business are planned maintenance agreements and full maintenance agreements (also referred to as guaranteed maintenance). Both plans are designed to maintain equipment uptime, be proactive on potential repairs before breakdown, and ultimately save you money in the long-run. But is the difference between a planned maintenance agreement and full maintenance agreement? We break that down right here for you.

Proactive with Planned Maintenance

Detailed inspections. Recommended repairs. Flexible billing. Tailor-made schedule. In my experience at a Toyota forklift dealership, these were expectations that come with a planned maintenance agreement. Many service providers have a detailed point inspection checklist the technician uses to inspect repair needs, potential safety risks, wearable items, and routine replacement parts. As technicians work through the checklist, he or she documents recommended repairs and provides service quotes to you for those repairs.  After going through the inspection process and performing any necessary repairs, many dealers will then bill you and schedule in the next appointment based on both hour usage and date cadence. While this process might be slightly different with dealers throughout the Toyota dealer network, maintaining uptime for your forklift is the value of any Planned Maintenance agreement. At Toyota, we believe in the value of planned maintenance so much that we include four PMs in the first year when you invest in Toyota 360 Support Plus. New forklift investment and proactive maintenance should go hand-in-hand.

Free Time with Full Maintenance

Signing up your forklift on a full maintenance agreement is like receiving the royal treatment. At the dealership I came from, you not only received everything included in the planned maintenance agreement, but you also had a plethora of other benefits, including:

• Maintenance records, tracking, and regular reports.
• Pre-paid scheduled and breakdown repairs with the exception of repairs due to misuse, abuse, and wearable items.
• Replacement rental equipment for the covered repairs, without charge.
• Flat monthly payment with the exception of repairs due to misuse, abuse, and wearable items.

With full maintenance, dealerships often take on the burden of overseeing the entire preventive health of your forklift. The true benefit is that the people who work with the equipment daily at the dealership now manage your forklift maintenance. When the dealership is able to work side-by-side with the customer, the dealership personnel is often in the best position to understand when to make repairs and replace parts before it affects your operation. This adds additional peace of mind when owning a forklift fleet. The monthly rate also helps you budget easier as the cost will not fluctuate from month-to-month. Ideally, you wouldn’t have to pay for every scheduled maintenance interval or the unexpected repairs that come with owning the forklift. Full maintenance monthly rates take into consideration a number of factors, such as equipment type, forklift utilization, age, service history, and the environment in which the forklift is operated.

Every service provider may differ in the way that they offer maintenance agreements. Planned maintenance and full maintenance agreements, in general, follow what I outlined above. Define your expectations and take a long, hard look at a proactive maintenance for your forklift fleet. It’s up to you to work with a dealer and tailor the maintenance agreement to meet your needs. 

Written by:  Kenny Trusnik, Marketing Systems & eCommerce Specialist, Toyota Material Handling, USA

If you’ve heard an anecdote beginning with, “Well, so-and-so said. . .” you are likely not alone. Part of our human nature means relying on our gut instincts and, while trusting your gut is something to be proud of, doing so isn’t always appropriate. Ensuring operational efficiency and the long-term value and ROI of capital equipment such as forklifts means having a good handle on how that equipment is being used within your operation. You may have a strong hunch about how equipment is being operated, but backing up that intuition with solid data is always the way to go! A vehicle management system (VMS) is a way to make sure you’re getting the right data to help you take firm, decisive action.

Trust me, I know how overwhelming data management can seem. And the data you’ll receive from a VMS like Toyota’s T-Matics Command or T-Matics Mobile can be overwhelming – unless you establish a few clear goals right from the beginning.

I’ve found that setting up a few key goals is a great place to get started with T-Matics or any VMS. For forklift operators and managers, vehicle uptime is often the “true north” that ensures a high efficiency and ROI. Adding T-Matics to the forklifts in your fleet can help your Toyota technicians have a clearer understanding of your needs and to ensure that you have maximum uptime in your organization.

Fault Code Notifications

Fault code notifications managed via T-Matics Mobile give instant insight into forklift malfunctions to help you understand the cause behind your forklift’s breakdown. When sensors are able to discover potential problems before the affected forklift is inspected by your technicians, they’ll be better prepared by having the correct parts in hand right when they arrive, increasing their efficiency. First-time fix rate is also increased as diagnostics are constantly running in order to provide technicians the insight they need to be successful.

Planned Maintenance Intervals

The problem with calendar-based planned maintenance is its failure to show the actual needs of a forklift because it relies on ambiguous and historical understanding of usage and need. With a VMS like T-Matics, planned maintenance can be scheduled based on activity rather than on a predetermined calendar date, meaning you’ll get maintenance right when you need it.

Utilization Monitoring

When you capture data effectively, you can turn it around into information that can be handed over, clearly and accurately, to your technician. By painting a detailed picture of your forklift utilization to your technician, they will be better at anticipating any upcoming compilations and at using this information to perform accurate diagnostics on current and potential breakdowns. The more your technician knows about a forklift’s utilization, the better equipped they are to deliver the best services.

Peak Usage Monitoring

T-Matics data offers insights into when your forklifts are being used most often. Use this knowledge for improving operational efficiencies, especially since it will allow you to distinguish between login and motion hours. These insights can also give you and your technician a good understanding of when they should be working on your forklift so they don’t interrupt your operation. Planned maintenance and fixes of problems not leading to breakdown can be performed during slower periods of your operation.

Written by:  Linley Kullman, Telematics Support Administrator, Toyota Material Handling, USA

Winter is coming! And while you likely don’t have to worry much about an army of the undead descending upon you, you still have to prepare yourself (if you’re an operator), associates (if you’re a supervisor), facility, and forklifts for the harsh weather conditions ahead. Winterizing your fleet and facilities is no small task and it can have serious long-term impact if you don’t take the right forklift weather protection steps before snow piles up. So where to start? There are several areas of an operation to consider as the cold arrives.

Forklift Weather Protection in your Facility

This one’s pretty obvious, but if your operation involves working outside, then the wintery conditions are going to affect you significantly. Whether it’s freezing rain, snow, or anything in between, you need to have procedures in place for how and when it is appropriate to work in these types of environments. What types of hazards does this present for your application? Do you have ramps or pathways that could be particularly icy or dangerous to traverse? Is there danger of your product being damaged if exposed to these elements? What effect does the weather have on your visibility? Forklift weather protection is all about understanding the severity of the weather and its impact to your entire operation; that’s key to proper decision making. Make sure to never operate a forklift in any dangerous conditions and to only travel as fast as the conditions will allow.

Forklift Weather Protection for Employees

The safety of all associates is paramount. This starts with making sure operators and pedestrians are dressed appropriately for the weather by wearing extra layers and covering up their extremities as needed. If you’re an operator, make sure you take responsibility and let your supervisor know your needs. Gloves, coats, socks, boots, and ear muffs are but a few additional items to consider. When visibility is adversely affected by the weather, it’s also a good idea to wear high visibility clothing such as safety vests to help ensure high visibility. However, remember that safety is the most important thing here. Any additional clothing or gear operators wear should not impair their ability to perceive their environment (e.g. hearing or sight restrictions) or operating ability (e.g. limited mobility or ability to operate controls)

We talked about setting procedures for how to handle cold weather conditions, but it’s just as important to keep your employees informed of these procedures. Hosting daily meetings before each shift to evaluate current and expected weather conditions is a useful practice. This helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page prior to beginning their work day and allows you to develop a forklift weather protection action plan catered to the specific conditions for that day. It can also help you to reinforce good pre-operation checks. Having proper fluid levels, tire conditions, and other standards satisfied will help your operators stay safe during this time of year. If you’re an operator, this is definitely a process worth bringing up to your manager.

Forklift Weather Protection for your Forklifts

Does your forklift have an enclosed operator compartment and a heater/defroster? If you’re operating outdoors, and as long as the compartment doesn’t hinder perception of the working environment (fog glass, inability to hear, etc.), features like these can go a long way to keep operators warm, comfortable, and productive. It can also help make sure the operator controls and seats stay in top working condition. What about cold start aids such as engine block heaters and coolant preheaters? Are you using batteries that are designed to work or be charged in cold conditions? If you can’t even get your forklift started, you’re not going to get very much work done.

Even if your forklift is properly equipped, you still need to properly maintain it to keep it up and running throughout the winter. This starts with scheduling preventative maintenance with an authorized Toyota dealer prior to the start of cold weather and having regularly scheduled maintenance throughout the year. Proper battery care and maintenance is equally as important. Maintaining proper water levels and limiting exposure to cold weather as much as possible are two general rules of thumb for electric forklifts. Cold weather can greatly reduce battery life and battery run time so you should prepare for how this might affect your productivity ahead of time. Consider your battery charging options and number of batteries on-hand to help reduce potential downtime.

Written by:  Trinton Castetter, Product Marketing Specialist, Toyota Material Handling, USA​

Doing more with less has become more important than ever in the warehousing industry. While manufacturing and distribution centers are on the rise in the United States, companies are uncovering new challenges when it comes to their warehouse space. There is a need to fit increasing volumes of products into the same warehouse buildings. How are we supposed to do this? Packing all of your product into smaller spaces usually calls for Narrow Aisles (NA) or Very Narrow Aisles (VNA) solutions.

General Aisle Widths

A typical aisle measures 10 ½ feet or more. While narrow aisles range anywhere from 8 ½ to 10 ½ feet, very narrow aisles may be only as wide as 5 to 7 feet. This is why NAs and VNAs can be a challenge when putting product away or stacking orders. Normally, counterbalance forklifts do not fit in these types of spaces, and even if they did, they would not have a tight enough turn radius to avoid hitting the racking. Below are some of the options you can look at to help you solve you narrow aisle problems.

3 Wheel Electric Forklift

The 3 Wheel Electric Forklift is great for narrow aisles. It leads the industry in run time, travel speed, and lift/lowering speeds. Having just one wheel in back allows for a tighter turn radius meaning it doesn’t need as much room as a four-wheel forklift to turn. The 3 Wheel Electric is also available in a “short” model, making it an even better fit for those compact areas. But just because it is smaller doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful. This forklift can lift up to 4,000 lbs.!

6 Series Order Picker

Toyota’s Order Picker is manufactured for specific applications. Order pickers are used to help employees reach goods stored on high racking, but does not necessarily stack products. There is a platform where an operator stands to pick things off of the shelves and place them on the pallet in front of them (that also raises and lowers with the operator). Order pickers allow for very narrow aisles, because they do not need to turn for an operator to put things away. They just reach from side to side, making things accessible for your operator.

Electric Reach Truck

The last piece of equipment we are going to touch on is the Electric Reach Truck. This forklift allows you to put pallets behind each other, by “reaching” out. It comes in a single- or double-reach model, helping you utilize your space more efficiently. The other benefit to using this machine is its ability to lift up to almost 30 feet! And its lift capacity of 4,500 lbs., is ready to take on heavy loads.

These are just a few of the options that Toyota Forklifts offers for those tricky narrow aisles. Take a look at the infographic below to get an idea of the complete range of narrow-aisle equipment available to you. Remember, if you need help deciding on what product is right for you, contact Dillon Toyota Lift, and we will gladly assist you.

Written by:  Lucas Collom, Digital Projects Administrator, Toyota Material Handling, USA

The Tora-Max Electric Pallet Jack Max Savings Event has been EXTENDED!   Now through December 14, 2018 you can purchase a new Tora-Max TWB40 for $2,699 or as low as $63/month.  With a 4,000 lb. load capacity, you can let your new jack do the heavy lifting.  

• Valid July 16 - December 14, 2018
• Tora-Max Walkie Pallet Jack (Model TWB40)
• Includes 24V Battery and 48" Forks
• Shipping Included in Price

Between scratches, dents, and replaced parts, a forklifts can undergo a lot of changes and repairs throughout its lifetime. It’s also common for customers to want to add additional features to a forklift after it arrives. How do you know for sure if the modification is acceptable or how it will ultimately affect your forklift’s safe operation? Here are a few helpful tips based on common misconceptions to help guide you down the right path.

ANSI B56.1 Regulations

One common misconception is that you don’t need permission to make changes to a forklift. While it’s true that not all modifications require approval, per ANSI B56.1 Section 4.2.1, there are some that do:

“Except as provided in para. 4.2.2, no modifications or alterations to a powered industrial truck that may affect the capacity, stability, or safe operation of the truck shall be made without the prior written approval of the original truck manufacturer or its successor thereof. When the truck manufacturer or its successor approves a modification or alteration, appropriate changes shall be made to capacity plates, labels, tags, and operation and maintenance manuals.”

To put this paragraph in simpler terms, it is stating that if the modification could affect the truck’s lifting capacity, stability, or safe operation, then you should seek prior written approval from the truck manufacturer to make the change. If you’re ever unsure if a modification will require approval, make sure to work with your local, authorized Toyota dealer to confirm. They can also assist with ordering and installing new data plates as necessary.

Some of the common modifications that require approval per this regulation include:

1. Drilling or cutting into the overhead guard or hood
2. Changing attachments, forks, masts, or tire types
3. Swapping counterweights
4. Modifications that affect visibility

UL Rating

Many forklifts conform to or are certified for a certain Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) rating. There are also options available that modify a forklift to meet other UL rating standards so that they can be safely operated in certain types of environments. The UL rating certification verifies that the forklift and its configuration have been approved by UL to comply with these standards.

What many people don’t know is that any change to a forklift’s electrical, exhaust, or fuel system (among others) can void the UL rating of the truck. Changes as simple as swapping a wiring harness or installing a new strobe light can actually cause the forklift to no longer meet UL’s set standards. Fortunately, many items can be installed in the field by a Toyota technician without affecting UL classification.

If you need to replace an existing part, replacing it with the same manufacturer’s part as instructed by the manufacturer will typically not void the UL rating. For parts being added that aren’t replacing existing ones, it is important that the parts be approved by UL as a field installable option.  Manufacturers of approved field installable options for forklifts can be found on UL’s website. These pre-approved parts are specific when it comes to the brand/model of the part and the forklift, so it’s important to pay attention to this prior to making any changes. Just because a part is “UL approved” or “UL listed” does not mean that installing it will not void the UL rating of your forklift.

Finally, if a part is being installed or a modification is being made that isn’t pre-approved, UL can send out a field representative to observe the modification being performed. They may also need to test the truck afterwards to determine if it meets their requirements and, if it passes, they can grant their approval for it to maintain the UL rating. For general UL related questions or to schedule a UL visit, you can contact them on their support line at 877-UL HELPS.

When in doubt, it’s best to verify with a professional who is knowledgeable on the subject prior to making any changes to your forklifts. Regardless of the change you are wanting to make, be sure to contact Dillon Toyota Lift for professional advice and support throughout the entire process.

- Trinton Castetter, Product Marketing Specialist, Toyota Material Handling, USA

Thinking of purchasing a Toyota forklift? In 2018, congress expanded the Section 179 tax deduction limit to $1 million on qualifying material handling equipment – including forklifts. So now may be the time to buy!

How Does Section 179 Work?

In previous years, businesses typically wrote off their equipment a little at a time through depreciation.  The Section 179 Deduction allows your business to write off the entire purchase price of qualifying equipment for the current tax year, up to $1 million.  Use this calculator to help estimate your tax savings and see how the Section 179 Tax Deduction can make a difference to your bottom line at the end of the year.  Consult your tax advisor to determine if you qualify and if this deduction is right for you.

How Much Money Can I Save?

The amount of money you save depends on the amount of qualifying equipment purchased and put into use in the qualifying year.

Is There a Deadline?

Yes! Qualifying equipment must be purchased or financed AND put into service before midnight on December 31, 2018.

Does all Toyota Forklift Equipment Qualify?

The IRS allows for Section 179 depreciation on qualifying equipment, including forklifts, used in a business or income-producing activity. Consult your tax advisor for more information.

Contact Us for questions and to take advantage of the year-end tax savings.  

When inventor Sakichi Toyoda successfully pioneered the automatic loom, he laid the foundation for Toyota Industries and our commitment to kaizen, continuous improvement. For nearly a century, the Toyota name has been synonymous with excellence in quality and innovation with the inventor’s spirit at the heart of our business.

It took only eight years after establishing Toyoda Automatic Loom Works Co., Ltd. – known today as Toyota Industries Corporation – before Toyota produced its first engine in 1934: the A-type engine for automobiles.

But I’m sure if you’re reading this blog you know that Toyota makes much more than cars. In 1956, Toyota began producing forklift engines, a new chapter in the story of Toyota Industries. As material handling needs evolved, so did Toyota’s role in the game. Heavy duty applications called for equipment tough and robust enough to take on high capacity needs. And at the core of these powerful workhorses needed to be an engine with the durability and grit to deliver reliable life and power.

In 1986, Toyota introduced a forklift engine that could take on these heavy duty challenges: The 4Y industrial engine. Carefully designed and engineered through the core practices of the Toyota Production System, this engine set a new standard of excellence within the material handling industry. Today, millions of these engines have been produced and can be found in forklifts, compressors, gas heat pumps, and more.

But most important, these engines are at the heart of Toyota’s internal combustion forklifts, making them some of the most dependable pieces of equipment on the market. Don’t believe me? The 4Y Engine has helped Toyota forklifts achieve more than 35,000 life cycle operator hours with ease. Some have even reached over 80,000 hours.

It’s an engine that is built to perform, but also engineered with sustainability in mind. The 4Y engine’s emissions system filters carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, and nitrogen oxide gases, allowing it to surpass federal EPA emission standards.

The 4Y engine is a testament to Toyota’s commitment to the pursuit of improvement and of its dedication to creating a more sustainable future.

Want to learn more about the 4Y engine? Check out this video on 4Y’s perks and history or this video about how the 4Y improves Toyota forklift operation.

Anastasia Sistevaris - Communications Copywriter, Toyota Material Handling, USA