Defining the Forklift and Its Origins In many ways, the roots of modern-day forklifts reach back thousands of years, spanning an interesting mix of countries and cultural influences. While a forklift today is widely known as an industrial vehicle that lifts and maneuvers heavy loads to varying elevations, its historical genesis lies in separate...

In part one of this two-part series, we ran through the occupations and facilities that are most likely to involve exposure to silica dust- the potentially dangerous by-product of crushing, drilling or cutting concrete and other materials.  Long-term exposure to silica dust can cause serious and sometimes fatal lung conditions and you should read...

These next two blog entries may, or may not, apply to the work your facility does – but it’s really important on several levels so it’s worth spending the time on. Federal regulations about the handling of silica dust in the workplace are changing, and if you haven’t already, you’re going to need to adjust quickly. Silica dust is...

Plenty of questions these days about the tax cut recently signed into law by the current administration. While it hasn’t been without controversy, it’s good news for industries that move heave materials. One of the purposes of the bill is to increase business investments. Forklifts are among the types of capital investments, along with...

As time marches forward, technology eventually catches up with every business- and the materials handling industry is no different. The latest trend is an underlying debate over so-called” robotic” forklifts. More popular at the moment in Europe, these robotic forklifts do offer some advantages, but at this point- as we’ll see here- the...

There is a certain “buyer beware” element of purchasing any used forklift.  Of course, the AFS technicians and mechanics go over every inch of every used unit, and there are things you can do to make sure your newly-purchased used forklift will give you several years of good work. Here are the warranty levels available: As-is: No warranty...

The Boys of Summer are entering the playoffs, and starting this year you’ll see Doosan all over America’s pastime. Doosan announced a four-year partnership with Major League Baseball and the American League Divisional Series. The partnership means viewers will see Doosan commercials and other elements during game broadcasts on FOX, FS1,...

We often get calls from young people who ask us how they can become a forklift operator.  While it seems like an easy question, there are certain requirements that make the answer a little complicated.  We’re going to try to unsnarl the details here: First, you have to be 18 and have your high school diploma.  That’s the simplest...

It goes without saying that the internet has changed nearly every aspect of the way companies do business. From commerce, information and communication there is nearly no aspect of your business that hasn’t been affected by technology. Function of your facility can be monitored remotely via the internet, and you can receive notifications,...

                Awhile back, we spent some time busting some widely-help forklift myths- things that people swear are true but just aren’t.  Let’s take a few more minutes and put some other forklift myths to rest.   MYTH:  OSHA requires forklift operators to carry...