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00:00 14 Jul 1994
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ECONOMICS
UTILISATION
As a result, both utilisation and profitability have risen. Inevitably, as the machine population in hire fleets has gone up, rates have slipped back, but a number of companies have countered the trend by offering specialist machines and packages.
The quick change front end has added significantly to the unit's versatility which makes it more appealing to hirers. From the standard set of forks, there is a huge range of buckets, crane jibs, concrete skips and hydraulic clamps. There are telehandlers that will never see a building site in their working life, yet still earn good money in other industries such as grain handling.
Unfortunately, or maybe that should be fortunately, 99% of telehandler failures are due to pilot error and unless operator education improves there will be more failures and accidents as machines get bigger.
The intelligent telehandler has yet to be built, but there are already some that will override the operator's commands if these endanger machine stability or mechanical integrity.
TRACK RECORD
MATERIALS HANDLERS
In the beginning there were back to front tractor RTFLs. They were the ones with the vertical mast and much much later, some funny foreign machines with a telescoping mast that became known as telehandlers.
By the mid 1980s, even the most fervent believer had to admit that the telehandler was the outright winner in the battle although the RTFL retained a strong following in the agricultural and industrial sectors.
From 3,700 units in 1989, sales plummeted to less than 1,700 in 1992 but picked up again last year to just under 3,000 machines and look set to climb back to around 3,500 for 1994.
HOW MANY
A shaky start but marked improvement as the years progressed, is a fairly accurate summary according to hire companies.
The trouble in the beginning was that we had the machines before we got round to educating people how to make full use of them.
That may sound arrogant, but it is true. The Continentals were streets ahead of us on the most efficient way to lay out and distribute materials on building sites.
UTILISATION
As a result, both utilisation and profitability have risen. Inevitably, as the machine population in hire fleets has gone up, rates have slipped back, but a number of companies have countered the trend by offering specialist machines and packages.
The quick change front end has added significantly to the unit's versatility which makes it more appealing to hirers. From the standard set of forks, there is a huge range of buckets, crane jibs, concrete skips and hydraulic clamps. There are telehandlers that will never see a building site in their working life, yet still earn good money in other industries such as grain handling.
Unfortunately, or maybe that should be fortunately, 99% of telehandler failures are due to pilot error and unless operator education improves there will be more failures and accidents as machines get bigger.
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The intelligent telehandler has yet to be built, but there are already some that will override the operator's commands if these endanger machine stability or mechanical integrity.
TRACK RECORD
MATERIALS HANDLERS
In the beginning there were back to front tractor RTFLs. They were the ones with the vertical mast and much much later, some funny foreign machines with a telescoping mast that became known as telehandlers.
By the mid 1980s, even the most fervent believer had to admit that the telehandler was the outright winner in the battle although the RTFL retained a strong following in the agricultural and industrial sectors.
From 3,700 units in 1989, sales plummeted to less than 1,700 in 1992 but picked up again last year to just under 3,000 machines and look set to climb back to around 3,500 for 1994.
HOW MANY
A shaky start but marked improvement as the years progressed, is a fairly accurate summary according to hire companies.
The trouble in the beginning was that we had the machines before we got round to educating people how to make full use of them.
That may sound arrogant, but it is true. The Continentals were streets ahead of us on the most efficient way to lay out and distribute materials on building sites.
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