Material planning is a complex and challenging line of work. Make no mistake, forklift operations can be grueling and painstaking even when the most seasoned veterans make it look effortless. However, there are steps any business can take to optimize performance and enhance operational productivity in the most dynamic of settings. One sure-fire methodology is choosing the correct attachment for your forklift. The concept may seem daunting but there is good news: it is simple! Determining what form of material handling application your business will take on and planning accordingly is the benchmark of correct attachment selection. Here is how:

1) Plan What You Will Be Doing – Do your homework. The old adage certainly carries weight here. If you know what you will be doing before you do it, you can plan accordingly. There have been numerous instances where fines were assessed and costs were incurred by failing to do so. This begins with utilizing a diverse and extensive catalog of attachments. The more accessories you possess, the more you can adapt to the demands and rigors of any scenario. In many situations, operations can transcend from indoor to outdoor or from factory floor to mezzanines and thus equipping your forklift with the appropriate attachments allows it to be versatile and adapt to these changes. This of course comes from stellar project planning. Spending more time in the early stages can yield extensive dividends in the long term.

2) Emptying Containers/Transporting Non-Palletized Objects – When objects are not palletized there is more room for trouble to occur if materials are not wrapped or stored in bunches. More often than not, containers fit this scenario. Containers often contain a liquid substance that can shift with movements and is adversely affected by gravity. When using a forklift truck it is appropriate to make sure you have the correct attachment to stabilize these cumbersome items. Failing to do so can result in a malfunction of the container itself and result in spills. If the item being transported in this scenario is a hazardous material, this can be especially detrimental to the surroundings as well as the operation itself. Therefore utilizing the correct attachment will reduce liabilities and slash your overhead by preventing an accident that for many accounts can be avoided.

3) Casks/Rotating/Shifting – According to B&B Attachments, many different forklift attachments are available to help provide safer handling, decrease product damage and improve efficiency and productivity. This is certainly most prevalent in the case of handling casks and/or rotating and shifting raw goods and materials. In this distinct scenario, safe handling is essential, as the products in question are most prone to suffer product damage. It is more than just simply lifting heavy objects, it is choosing the correct attachment to get the job done and this scenario in particular does not focus so much on transportation or logistics but rather proper form.