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Hydrostatic trucks chosen by GMA Warehousing
Operating in an arduous environment not only requires equipment that is tough, but also reliable and comfortable to operate.
A fleet of ten Linde lift trucks is helping turn round 30 lorries a day at an Ipswich warehousing and storage centre. GMA Warehousing and Transport manages more than 150,000ft2 of warehousing and external storage. Working a 12-hour shift, GMA’s lift trucks handle a mix of loads ranging from raw materials to finished goods, including paper reels, timber stacks and books. A large proportion of loads consist of containers filled with 20-foot lengths of timber which have to be dragged out of the containers.
It is in this particular application that the Linde 39X hydrostatic forklifts on site excel — their ability to constantly shunt backwards and forwards is said to surpass other machines.
Hydrostatic transmission requires no clutch, differential or gearbox. This not only eliminates the downtime and maintenance associated with these parts, but also contributes significantly to the operator’s efficiency by permitting rapid directional changes with little physical effort. And the rubber-mounted front suspension on the 39X ensures that operators are isolated from the shocks and vibrations caused by the uneven road surface at the site. Noise levels have also proved to be dramatically reduced in the warehouse.
GMA managing director Steve Day said: “The transmissions on the trucks we used prior to Linde were not up to the job and breakdowns were common. Since introducing the Linde trucks, our maintenance costs have reduced dramatically and overall performance and output have shown significant improvements.’’