FORKLIFTS MORE ESSENTIAL THAN EVER IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN

According to the British Industrial Truck Association (BITA), thousands of businesses across many industries heavily rely on the use of forklift trucks. Last year, BITA stated that over the last decade “… the UK forklift market has risen dramatically from a low in 2009 of 17,658 units to 2018’s figure of over 35,300 units.” Showing an increase of over 50% in sales for the forklift industry. What’s caused this surge in forklift sales? The ever-increasing diversity in types of forklift trucks being used throughout the industry certainly seems to correlate with the rise in sales in the British market and abroad. With many of the larger manufacturers being more active than ever before, thanks to a healthy global demand for reliable machinery. The UK and EU have no taxes for trading forklifts, unlike other markets in the world, such as Peru, Chile and Colombia who have to pay duties and taxes for importing them. This is clearly seen as a factor for why sales have been consistently stronger in European markets. Other factors that have had an impact also include EU policies aimed at minimising CO2 emissions of course. According to EU Legislation published in June, 2009 – “From 2021, phased in from 2020, the EU fleet-wide average emission target for new cars will be 95 g CO2/km”. It may be the case that in the near future, the forklift industry may not be exempt to this legislation, which is why many manufacturers and companies in the industry are focused on investing in technology to innovate solutions that reduce environmental harm. Strong global growth The rising levels of manufacturing and sales continue to paint a positive picture that the industry is going to continue to see strong global growth, despite the current climate. Of course this can all depend entirely on policies from individuals and departments within governments. These factors will always have an impact on specific aspects of market trade, and every decision made will have a knock-on effect on local supply chains. However, it’s clear that investment in new technology and a persistent focus on improving efficiency using clean energy will have a big impact when manufacturing industries choose the brands they wish to work with. At H&F Lift Trucks, we’ve got all the new or used forklift models you could ask for.

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