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SECTOR REPORTS W A R E H O U S I N G : L I F T T R U C K S T oday's lift trucks are more versatile than ever. Tey ofer more comfort features, they're more energy ef- cient, have greater reach capabilities, more safety features, integrate with warehouse management software, and more. Tat's the good news. The not-so-good news is that all these problem-solving capabilities sometimes make it difficult for a warehouse manager to know what particular lift truck best suits his or her needs. Investing in a lift truck now requires research and evaluation, if not a pilot test. Every year, manufacturers introduce more lift trucks to the market. These vendors usually claim a litany of cost-saving capabilities and energy efficiencies, oftentimes citing third-party test results to verify their claims. At the very least, a materials handling manager is required to 1) research what's available, 2) determine the organization's objectives, 3) follow up with manufacturers to find out how the products will meet their needs, and 4) arrange to see lift trucks in action. Cesar Jimenez, national product planning manager at Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc., says users must con- sider site specific needs; will the forklift have to be equipped with accessories such as work lights, strobe lights and/or alarms? The type of rack storage utilized at the location also must be considered: selective, drive-in, push-back, or flow rack. Thanks to evolving software, today's lift trucks can integrate with racking systems, voice picking systems, floor sweepers, battery charging systems and more. Hence, the lift truck is best viewed as part of an integrated warehouse management system. Last year, Crown Equipment introduced InfoLink, a cloud-based, forklift fleet and operator management system that delivers data to help warehouse managers maximize productivity. InfoLink delivers actionable data through content-rich, interactive dashboards. The wireless system provides fleet-wide visibility into an array of operator and fleet informa- tion, such as battery usage, impact history, truck utilization, OSHA compliance, service needs and more through a user-friendly inter- face. Scott Craver, product manager for business and information systems at Raymond Corp., observes that materials handling is becoming more of a service than a product for logistics managers, thanks to more robust software. "People have a strong interest in the information that the trucks can provide," he says. He notes that 77 percent of warehouse cost is in labor while only 11 percent is in the price of the truck. Hence, information sys- tems that make labor more economical bring new benefits. "You can get a full picture of what these guys are doing every single second," Craver says. In addition, the software can interface with warehouse management software. Consider the warehouse environment Food and beverage distributors oftentimes review lift truck needs when moving to a new warehouse or revamping an existing one. They find it makes sense to decide what lift trucks to use when designing or redesigning a facility since truck capabilities can impact the amount of space required. Fabiano Brothers, a beverage distributor, reconsidered its lift trucks when relocating to a 300,000-square-foot distribution center in Bay City, Mich. After consulting with Andersen Material Handling, a Raymond sales and service cen- ter in Wixom, Mich., Fabiano Brothers uses Raymond Model 4700 sit-down counterbal- 38 JUNE 2014 • FOOD LOGISTICS www.foodlogistics.com How Lift Trucks Work Smarter Improvements cover energy efficiency, reach, safety and warehouse software integration. By Elliot Maras The new Jungheinrich ETR 340 — 335d series of panto- graph reach trucks allow loads to be staged at higher-rack levels for greater warehouse efficiency and productivity. UniCarriers Americas' Plati- num RPX Series Walkie & Walkie/ Rider Pallet Truck is among the AC-powered options available. FLOG_38-41_0614 Whse Sector.indd 38 6/12/14 9:00 AM