If you travel for work, how many cars do you need to own?
You might need more than one at home, depending on how many drivers are in your family. However, you wouldn’t buy an additional car in every city you visit. The cost would be absurd, draining your funds for vehicles you only drive a few times a year.
That’s exactly the mistake your business is making if you’re not using forklift rentals.
Maintaining a peak-season-sized fleet during the slow season means paying for forklifts you only use for part of the year. Likewise, it’s an enormous burden on your operational budget for almost no return. Yet, forklift rentals solve these challenges, right-sizing your fleet during fluctuating demand.
Read on to learn how fork truck rentals help you scale your fleet and save money.
For many businesses, workload fluctuates throughout the year.
During busy season, you're working at maximum capacity. Your forklift fleet and staff are constantly in motion, trying to keep up with demand. The increased orders and associated revenue justify the additional units and new hires.
Then, slow season arrives.
Orders diminish, requiring fewer forklifts and staff. You let seasonal hires go, but now, a significant part of your forklift fleet sits idle. Used or not, these units cost money to maintain and take up valuable space. The associated loss carves away the bumper profits you made during peak season. Yet, the solution isn't making do with less.
Fork truck rentals let you pivot with the seasons, maintaining the perfect size fleet regardless of demand.
Rentals offer the ultimate seasonal flexibility, solving more than just unit numbers.
Slow season determines your minimum fleet size.
When work slows to a crawl, you need fewer forklifts to keep up. Those forklifts are worth buying or leasing, as they provide value year-round. However, you need more units as you enter busy season. Instead of sinking capital into buying machines for temporary use, renting lets you increase or decrease your fleet size as needed. You increase rentals during peak months and return them afterward.
Renting extra forklifts based on workload ensures you never end up with unused equipment.
When idle, they accumulate dust, not value. Worse, idle units drain revenue. Even when out of service, you're still paying for insurance, maintenance, and unit depreciation. Those expenses stack up quickly for machines that aren't making you money.
Rental forklifts let you shrink your costs with your workload.
You aren't responsible for insurance or maintenance for rented units. Likewise, you don't have to worry about their resale value. Consequently, idle equipment ends up costing more than rental fees in the long run.
Ultimately, forklift rentals protect your budget.
Seasonal hires help staff surges but provide no benefit without the necessary equipment.
You can hire as many temporary forklift operators as you want. Yet, if you don't have enough forklifts to keep them busy, you're wasting your labor budget. Likewise, maintaining a large, permanent fleet usually means keeping more operators on staff all year. During slow season, you don't have enough hours to keep them busy, leading to attrition and the loss of your best associates.
However, forklift rentals allow you to temporarily increase fleet size while hiring seasonal workers.
Adjusting fleet size and staffing levels based on seasonal demands, optimizes productivity while reducing overall costs. Additionally, if you suddenly find yourself needing more staff and a larger fleet during your slow season, you can easily convert temporary workers to permanent hires.
With rentals, you can continually match fleet size to staffing levels with limited risk.
Many operations use rentals to maintain operational elasticity.
However, that can limit rental availability during peak season for companies that don’t plan ahead. That’s where our experience shines. Our experts can assess your workflow and recommend the best rental forklifts for your situation. Additionally, we can help you plan ahead for seasonal shifts, ensuring you get the rentals you need before they’re snapped up. We make forklift rental planning simple.
To learn more about how forklift rentals benefit your business, contact us online or visit one of our locations:
Florida
Jacksonville
Lakeland
Ocala
Orlando
Tampa
Winter Haven
Georgia
Albany
Macon
Columbus
Valdosta
Further Reading
8 Reasons to Rent from a Forklift Dealer
6 Questions to Ask When Renting a Forklift
5 Reasons to Rent a Forklift