Get shorty: short term rentals have never been more popular

One of the many implications of the credit crunch for the forklift truck industry is an upturn in the number of companies looking to acquire trucks on short term rental contracts.

Jungheinrich

"We have seen a noticeable increase in demand for trucks on short term deals,” reports Neil Warren, Jungheinrich UK’s used equipment and short term rental director.

He continues: "Traditionally truck users have turned to short term deals to cover peaks in  demand – such as Christmas or Easter – but we are experiencing a growing number of enquiries from companies seeking short term rental machines because they have a need for a truck, but a permanent addition to the fleet is not in the budget.”

The obvious advantage of a short-term rental agreement is that because it's temporary users get instant availability without committing to a purchase. As an alternative to owning a forklift truck through outright acquisition or a lease agreement, a short-term rental deal allows users to meet their temporary materials handling needs for a low monthly or even weekly rate. 

"Renting forklifts on a short-term basis can provide much-needed flexibility and save costs at the same time,” says Neil Warren.

Jungheinrich operates an extensive short term rental fleet and trucks from the company’s entire range – from humble pallet handlers to state-of-the-art high lift reach trucks – are available.

Short term rental contracts can be anything from one day to one year and models can usually be delivered within 24 hours – or even on the same day – and any trucks that are not available from within the UK fleet can be sourced from across Europe and are often working at a client’s site within three days of an order being placed.

"Users are seeking agile solutions for their handling requirements and short term rental deals are one of the options we can offer to help companies to budget more easily during the current climate,” adds Neil Warren.

Jungheinrich UK recently invested over £5 million in its fleet of short term rental products to cope with growing demand.

Linde Material Handling
Linde’s short term hire trucks are readily available in each of its 23 regional centres across the UK. The company says it has a fleet of hire trucks substantially larger than that of its nearest competitor.

Mark Sullivan, head of used trucks and short term rental at Linde MH (UK) explains: "Our 10,000 strong fleet ensures that we can provide our customers with a complete range of modern equipment, from a simple hand pallet truck, through to a laden container handler.

"There is often uncertainty among fleet managers about the quality of hire trucks and how much they may end up costing over the duration of the contract. However, we pride ourselves on the fact that all our short term rental trucks are fully serviced with a valid LOLER/PUWER inspection before they leave our depots. Our hire trucks are also offered with a full maintenance package, so our customers are fully aware of the total cost of the hire from the outset.

"Our modern fleet of trucks ensures that the customer will benefit from the latest advances in product design, productivity and reduced environmental impact. Our trucks are industry leading in terms of lowering fuel/energy consumption and carbon footprint too and we believe that it’s important that customers consider these features before hiring a truck as they may result in additional savings.

"Linde hire trucks are fully serviced and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines; meaning less downtime and improved value for the customer.”

Briggs Equipment

Where short term hire is concerned, there are four key things to consider, says Briggs Equipment sales director Bill Goodwin. 

"The availability of equipment, specification, quality and speed of delivery are very important. Briggs’s STH fleet has been extended to include machines for the ports and shipping sector, making it one of few companies to include heavy handling trucks.”

Briggs builds strong customer relationships and invests to meet the growing needs of customers requiring a ‘one-stop-shop’ service and has a range of scissor lifts, JCB Workmax trucks, wheel loaders and skid steers as part of its STH fleet. The company is now also aligned with attachment suppliers to be able to offer more than just an ‘off-the-shelf’ solution. 

Bill continues: "Regular investment guarantees high quality equipment with the latest technology. Without it, there would be a greater impact on cost and machine reliability with a higher risk of breakdowns. So always consider how old STH fleets are.”

Keeping up with all of the latest legislation requires time and money. Briggs has seven STH facilities across the UK, ensuring high regional availability with national support and that all equipment is LOLER and PUWER certified and health and safety regulations are maintained. 

With its own transport network, Briggs has complete control of its deliveries and can prepare and supply equipment fast, from order to delivery, within 24 hours. Plus, with over 600 multi-skilled mobile engineers, Briggs has a three hour response time guarantee to minimise truck downtime.

Toyota Material Handling

At Toyota, the objective is to help meet customers’ hire requirements whether they want a single hand pallet truck or a full fleet. Toyota has in excess of 3,500 trucks on its short-term hire fleet including counterbalance forklifts and warehouse equipment.

Toyota Material Handling UK business solutions director Alan Sowersby says: "Often businesses need short-term hire trucks for a variety of reasons - emergency replacement, unexpected or seasonal demand, occasional use or even product evaluation before potential purchase, and therefore they need a reliable and efficient supplier.

"Toyota provides support for all businesses looking for a hire truck. If you are not sure what type of truck you require, don’t worry, our hire specialists will be able to help. Just let us know where the truck will be working, how heavy the loads are, the highest lifting point and any height restrictions and we’ll do the rest.”

Toyota has also developed short-term hire fleets that are located at regional depots. These depots hold trucks that suit the local industry and customer requirements, allowing them to provide 24 hour delivery.

Toyota adds customers can hire its trucks from a single day to several months, to suit all budgets at guaranteed performance levels with a money back commitment. Support is also available from Toyota service teams, including guaranteed breakdown response times.