4 Lift Truck Battery Fleet Mistakes You Can Avoid to Increase Efficiency during the Holidays and Beyond

Efficiency is always one of the highest priorities at any facility because it directly affects productivity. Efficiency is especially important during the holiday season when most companies face the greatest demands for productivity. Long hours, seasonal personnel, and high demand can really push a team to its limits.

Is your facility ready for the holiday crunch? Here’s a list of 4 common mistakes that can leave your team in a lurch:

1. Over/under use of batteries

   – Is your team using the same few batteries over and over? Are you struggling to get through a shift on one charge? Over using some batteries and under using others can significantly shorten the lifespan of your entire battery inventory. Even rotation of your battery inventory means you can better estimate battery lifespan and bring all of your maintenance and replacement needs into a more reliable schedule – and a smaller budget.

2. Operating on more batteries and chargers than necessary

   – Improper battery rotation goes hand-in-hand with having a battery inventory that is incorrectly sized for your truck fleet and actual use requirements. A right-sized battery fleet eliminates overspending on extra equipment and maximizes battery life and run time.

3. Not assigning Dedicated Operators for battery handling

   – In a rush, your Lift Truck Operators might grab the first battery they see for a change-out. That practice quickly leads to uneven use problems. Using improperly charged batteries can even lead to damage to your truck fleet. These quick-fix change-outs will cost you in long-term maintenance expense. Assigning Dedicated Operators that are trained to perform all battery change-outs and maintenance will prevent misuse of equipment and drive efficiency.

4. Neglecting proper maintenance intervals

   – Is your team consistently performing required battery maintenance tasks? Even during the busiest shifts? During peak use periods, it’s easy to ignore necessary battery maintenance. However, neglecting to wash and water batteries regularly can cause expensive problems like unnecessary downtime or worse – hazards like acid spills and corrosion.

All of these issues and more can be solved by using a Battery Management System, like the BHS Fleet Tracker. Battery Management Systems will instantly tell your operators which batteries are fully charged, properly cooled, and ready to use. They can alert your team when a battery is due for maintenance like watering or equalizing charges. Battery Management Systems will help your facility determine exactly the right size battery and charger inventory for your truck fleet and production demands and ensure that all batteries are evenly used. Maximizing your battery run-time and life span now will maximize your production levels for the future. No matter what kind of Battery Management System you choose, BHS is ready to help your facility gear up for the holiday rush and beyond.