Lift Truck Issue:Technology’s imprint evolves

The labor availability challenge continues to drive the development and implementation of fleet software, telematics and operator assist features. Senior editor Roberto Michel offers a comprehensive look at how much of today’s lift truck technology is geared toward improving the productivity of the workforce.

“While the option of moving to fully autonomous lift trucks is clearly an option, as Bob points out in this month’s cover story, it begs for a careful cost/returns analysis,” says Michel. “For many operations, it’s likely that fairly conventional, though higher end lift truck models with some operator assist features, can help improve productivity and worker comfort.”

Michel also reports that added options, like telematics or semi-automated trucks that speed up order picking, offer additional benefits. “It’s like three levels of automation, in effect,” he says, “with the foundational level consisting of operator assist functions, not too unlike the type of operator functions you find in higher end passenger cars or light trucks today.”

We included a question about the adoption of autonomous and semi-autonomous forklift technology in this year’s “Lift Truck Acquisition and Usage Study.” “I guess it was no surprise that the usage numbers are fairly small, coming in at 14% in this year’s survey,” says editor at large Gary Forger.

“That number should be used as a general indicator of lukewarm buying activity at best as this technology continues to evolve,” adds Forger. “However, it’s certainly a number to watch in coming years.