If you have an old forklift that requires repair, you should take these steps before handing this equipment over to a person who provides forklift repairs services.
Make a list of every single issue the forklift has
If you have used your forklift regularly for several years, then it has probably accumulated many defects, both large and small. If this is the case, you should make a list of every single one of these issues (including even the very minor ones).
For example, whilst you might have initially realised the forklift needed to undergo repair work when its engine overheated (which is clearly a major problem), there may be other less serious, but quite frustrating issues that make the forklift unnecessarily taxing to use. For example, if one of the forks is lower than the other, or is tilted instead of being parallel with the floor, then you may find that items you put on these forks often end up falling to one side (which might affect the forklift's balance) or sliding off the forks entirely.
Ensuring that you list all of these minor annoyances will not only allow the forklift repairperson to evaluate the equipment's issues far more quickly but will also ensure that when it is returned to you, it is not just functional but is actually free from those niggling problems that made it so frustrating to use.
Make a plan to ensure you can do your work without it whilst it's being repaired
Depending on how many problems the equipment has and how serious they are, it may take the forklift repairperson several days to fix it and return it to you. If you rely on your forklift to handle materials in your workplace, then you must ensure that you have a plan in place, that will allow you to manage without it whilst it's undergoing repairs.
You might, for example, decide to rent another forklift or a wheeled lift table. Alternatively, you might decide to invest in a couple of large wheelbarrows and use these whilst you're waiting for the return of your forklift. Deciding what you'll use in the absence of this equipment and ordering the item you need long before you hand over your broken equipment will mean that you won't have to manage without any material handling equipment for several days. If you decide to rent one of the above-mentioned items, make sure you ask the forklift repairperson how long it will take them to fix your equipment so that you know how long you need the equipment rental period to be.
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