When renting a forklift, it is vital to know how long you need it to be on the job site so that you don’t waste money on rented equipment that sits idle. If you have a plan of action, you can determine how long the project can take.
You probably have a job that needs to be done in just a day or less and you may be asking what is the shortest time you can hire a forklift for?
Renting a forklift in short-term doesn’t much effort and discerning compared to long-term leasing. With short-term, you don’t have much commitment with the dealer though you still have to sign a contract and a waiver.
The dealer can give you daily, weekly or even monthly duration in the contract. But still, you can hire a forklift for a minimum of one (1) hour with the driver, though you have the option of renting without an operator for a minimum of one (1) day.
If you have a short-term requirement, talk to a dealer, they would assist you.
When Do You Need a Short-Term Rent?
- With short-term rent, you can try out a model or type of forklift before making the final decision of buying it. With that y,ou can test the equipment if it suits the required application of your business in turn you can save yourself from a big hassle of purchasing an equipment that won’t meet your need.
- You don’t have to spend a lot of money during the peak months of the business. You can actually face seasonal peak with cost-effective measure by leasing forklifts that are only required for that particular period.
- You may have experience equipment breakdown in the past. It cannot be avoided. Breakdown of equipment on the field is something you have to be prepared of. It could bring the operation to a halt; the broken equipment will require a quick replacement with another truck. A short-term forklift leased unit can be the solution to keep operation running smoothly.
How Much Would You Spend to Hire a Forklift on Short-Period
You can rent a forklift for as short as few hours up to a day. The average rate most rental companies offer is $100/day for standard-size truck but a bigger and heavier capacity truck, it cost around $200/day. If you need the truck in just few hours, you can negotiate the rate with the company. The cost of hiring a forklift will depend on the lifting capacity of truck intended for your application.
The additional cost that you have to shoulder is the extension or attachment if you need one and a certified operator if you don’t have someone able to drive the machine. It is important that the operator is properly trained, it is risky to operate the truck with someone who is not certified.
If you are renting an equipment even on short period, make sure to get a guarantee from the rental company that the forklift is functioning properly and in good working condition, you don’t want to have a machine that will break down during the job.
As with other jobs that you have handled with a heavy equipment, you need to have an accurate estimate of the amount of time to get the job done. The time you need the rental forklift on site will determine how much cost you would spend for the truck.
Things to Consider When Hiring a Forklift Truck
- If you are renting a truck on short time, the first aspect to consider is the lifting capacity you need for the application. You don’t want to commit the mistake of bringing the truck on site that cannot do the job. This same applies with the height. You need to know how high you would want your materials be put on the rack so that you can determine lifting height of the rental forklift.
- Where do you want the rental forklift be used? If your application is mostly outdoor on rough surfaces, you need a truck with good ground clearance with pneumatic tires and that it runs on diesel or propane, these types of truck have the capability to lift larger and heavier loads. If the truck is to be driven in the warehouse or indoor, you need an electric forklift so that it won’t emit fumes and exhaust. If the truck is for indoor application, you need a forklift with cushion tire, this tire is made to suit for warehouse floor surfaces. If your business handles food processing, contamination is the one thing the need to be prevented, in this case, you need a white/gray non-marking tires for the rental forklift.
- Does your workplace has enough rooms for the forklift to be driven or maneuver, if not, then you need a three-wheeler truck. This forklift is very versatile and highly maneuverable to compensate with the tight spaces. This type of forklift can run on gas, diesel, electric.
- You have the choices and picking up the rental truck from the company or it can be delivered to you. Before you accept the forklift, inspect it for signs of damage or abuse, if you found something, tell that first to the rental company, so that you won’t be charged when you return the unit. You can try it out first or have someone from the company test it out for you. It is basically test driving when buying a used sedan car.
To Wrap This Up
It is inevitable for businesses to experience voluminous activities and hectic workloads that require additional manpower of course forklift equipment to get the job done on time. Renting a forklift for short time is ideal when you have a seasonal peak or if you need to plan for an upcoming work.
Even if you have enough number of forklift equipment in your company, there could still be times when you need additional equipment during busy periods. Short-term lease is the best way to supplement your business and cope up with the demand during peak season.