Truck drivers can look forward to reduced wait times at CHEP service centers as the pooled equipment provider looks to roll out triple-tine forklift trucks to its metro operations nationally in 2015.
CHEP’s Gillman Service Centre in South Australia introduced the triple-tine forklift trucks in January 2014, and according to regional operations manager, Mike O’Flaherty, load times have reduced by an average of 10.5 minutes compared to loading with a double-tine forklift.
“It has certainly decreased the wait time customers trucks spend in the yard which delivers cost benefits. I’ve been here [at Gillman Service Centre] for 23 years and this is the least congested I’ve ever seen the yard in this normally busy lead up to Christmas,” says O’Flaherty.
“By using a triple pallet handler attachment we are now able to carry three stacks of pallets in a movement compared to two stacks with the double pallet handlers.
“This means we achieve a 50% improvement in productivity and 50% improvement in load/unload times.”
Other improvements that have impacted the reduced wait times include fitting the forklift trucks with larger gas tanks, cutting filling time down to once per shift and saving up to 30 minutes per forklift.
Another improvement is that CHEP Logistics trucks are now loaded overnight to reduce yard congestion during the day.
CHEP worked with the manufacturers on the forklift truck specs and on building an attachment that handles three stacks of pallets safely and is strong enough to cope with the 50% increase in weight.
The new five ton fork truck is small enough to maneuver around a CHEP yard and has the flexibility to pick up one, two or three stacks of pallets/product at one time.
Victoria’s largest pallet service center at Dandenong South adopted the new innovation in August, with Altona to follow in early 2015 followed by key metro sites in Australia.
