Questions To Consider Before You Rent A Forklift

31st Jul 2019

Renting a forklift has been shown to have several significant benefits. In most cases, doing will improve the efficiency of your business processes, boost worker productivity and save you the money you would've spent making a huge initial capital investment purchasing a new forklift.

However, it can be a costly affair if you do not follow the right process when you set out to rent one.

So what are some of the questions that should help guide you rent a forklift so that it's beneficial in the end?

Is the Forklift Well Maintained?

The forklift dealer that you settle should assure you that their rental forklifts are under a well-managed maintenance program.

If you end up with a forklift that is not well-maintained you will expose your operators to accidents, minimize the efficiency of your operations and inflate your operation costs.

Therefore, ensure that you inspect the forklift carefully to identify any signs of negligence before it is handed over to you. To be sure you could bring one of your operators to help you establish the condition of the forklift.

Are You Renting From A Certified Dealer?

Renting a forklift can be a costly affair if you choose to get one from anyone who can offer you a forklift. However, when you rent from a certified dealer your experience will be quite different.

Working with a certified dealer improves your chances of getting the right forklift for your job since they have a variety of forklifts in their fleet including supporting attachments that you might need. 

If you choose a forklift dealer aligned to a certain brand, you will also have access to great customer support since they understand the equipment well and work under a refined customer support system. This is crucial in case you have a safety concern or encounter a forklift malfunction. 

They can also accommodate you even when there is a change of operational plans and you need a different kind of forklift.

If you do not have a forklift operator to operate the equipment they can help you get a certified one or train your existing operators on how to handle that specific forklift.

They will also give you flexible options whether you need to rent for a period or rent to own. You also get to enjoy massive discounts which will bring your costs down.

Do You Have Clarity On The Terms Of The Contract?

One of the things you should expect while renting a forklift is a rental contract.

It is important as a business owner to understand the terms and conditions of renting the forklift because failure to do so can prove costly.

For instance, one of the details you can expect in a rental contract is the duration of the rental period which specifies the rental end time and rental end date.

If the rental end time and end date are surpassed you might end up paying extra charges for the forklift.

However, you can avoid this by understanding all the details of the rental agreement either by asking the dealer questions or working with your attorney in case you have one.

Are You Aware Of The Extra Costs That Apply?

If you want to successfully rent a forklift you should look beyond the cost of renting and consider any additional costs that apply.

Failure to do this will be a costly affair since you will not be working within your budget.

For instance, if you are renting a forklift that will need special attachments for your specific application you will need to pay extra for the attachment. Have you factored that in?

Most forklift dealers also expect you to pay the costs for maintaining the forklift or any damage to it once you rent it.

The terms of the contract could also specify that you pay a security deposit which might stretch your budget.

You should, therefore, ensure you understand the kind of equipment you need for your application, train your operators to handle the forklift or recommend maintenance when needed and the terms of the contract that attract extra costs.

Do You Have An Insurance Cover?

Forklifts are involved in hundreds of accidents every year and insurance companies help cover some of the costs involved in a big way.

For that reason, most forklift dealers will ask that you present them with a 'Certificate of Liability' before they rent out their forklift to you.

They need this assurance for them to know the extent by which they are covered in case their forklift is involved in an accident or collision while it is under your care.

What has worked for you in the past while renting a forklift?