EUROPE – UK – For the second year in succession a model from the Jungheinrich range has picked up the prestigious International Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) Award with the battery powered EFG S40s counterbalanced truck collecting the honour as Best Truck from 3.5 tonnes, a category which is a favourite of freight and logistics customers. The IFOY Awards are open to all manufacturers of materials handling equipment who supply products or services to the European market and identify and recognise outstanding achievements in the materials handling sector. Crown, Still and Toyota Material Handling Europe were the other companies picking up awards on the night with another electric truck, Toyota’s Traigo 80 getting the award for trucks below 3.5 tonnes.
The EFG S40s features the latest generation of environmentally friendly Jungheinrich three-phase AC motor technology which ensures that the truck is ultra-cost efficient to operate and the company was once again pleased to be recognised with Jonathan Morris, Sales Director of Jungheinrich UK Ltd, commenting:
“We are naturally delighted that once again Jungheinrich truck technology has been recognised the IFOY judges. We continue to invest heavily in the development of our range to ensure that Jungheinrich’s clients enjoy the best possible truck performance coupled with market leading energy efficiency.”
It has been a good month for Jungheinrich, Sureway Express Transport based in Bristol announced that they would once again be upgrading their fleet of trucks with an all Jungheinrich order. With attractive capital allowance incentives available at the moment.
Sureway has purchased all of the Jungheinrich trucks in its new fleet outright and an ongoing maintenance contract has been agreed between the companies. Sureway’s 12,000 sq ft cross-docking warehouse in Bristol operates around the clock six days per week. Typically, some 500 pallets are handled every day and, because the palletised loads that pass through the site rarely stay in the facility for longer than 24 hours, racking is not required - everything is stored at floor level. A Palletway member since 2001 the company relies on an efficient forklift fleet to ensure the smooth operation of the Bristol site and has used Jungheinrich equipment for a number of years.
Sureway has replaced its existing Jungheinrich forklifts with models from the German manufacturer’s new IC-engine powered range of counterbalanced trucks. The new diesel powered DFG320 trucks feature hydrodynamic drive – or ‘Torque Converter’ technology. Hydrodynamic drive is ideal for operations like Sureway’s where trucks are shuttling back and forth on short ‘runs’. Around 95% of the trucks’ time at Sureway is spent loading and unloading curtain sided trailers and the ‘Torque Converter’ technology makes direction changes smooth and straightforward, which minimises pallet pick and put-away time.
The trucks also feature an electric parking brake as standard. The operator simply presses a button to activate the brake, while a new lifting mast design ensures improved view of the payload, forks and general working area. In fact, the visibility in all directions is class leading - which enhances all round safety throughout the shift. Safety was another important consideration. The DFG’s counterweight has been designed as an integral part of the load-bearing chassis. This means that the truck’s centre of gravity is extremely low which ensures outstanding stability without the need for additional and costly electronic stability systems. Sureway’s Director and company founder, Rob Lloyd, commented:
“We have had a good experience with Jungheinrich – our drivers like their trucks and the company’s account management and aftersales care has always been of a high standard.”
Photo: The award winning EFG S40s
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