Don’t fork out on tyres and fuel

Written by Nik Webb
Written on Thursday, 01 September 2011

Don’t fork out on tyres and fuel

High oil prices and an increase in the cost of rubber have led many port operators to rethink their operation to reduce their long term costs.  According to equipment manufacturer Hyster Company, ports all over the world are adopting new Hyster technologies that significantly reduce the consumption of these important commodities.

“Hyster recently introduced fuel savings up to 15% for the life of a vehicle with new energy efficient technologies” says Jan-Willem van den Brand, product strategy manager for Hyster Big Trucks. “This is a massive saving for operators of high capacity forklift trucks and container handling fleets.”

Hyster achieved the savings by combining Cummins engine technology with performance optimisation developments such as cooling on demand, RPM management and alternate engine idle speed.

“Hyster has a reputation for designing tough and dependable trucks with a low cost of operation and we have now managed to make an unmistakable difference at the pumps” he adds, explaining that the entire Hyster ‘Big Truck’ range over 16 tonnes is Tier 4i/Stage IIIB compliant and delivers massive financial savings.

A number of container ports in the Middle East, South Africa, Europe, US and Asia have also received the first batch of empty container handlers that incorporate Hyster tyre saving technology which reduces tyre wear up to a factor of three. In February 2011, the design won the Environment Award at the prestigious FLTA Awards for Excellence in the UK.

"Tyres on large container handlers are not only costly and time consuming to change, they produce a great deal of waste and the availability may not always be there" says Jan-Willem. “With the rising price of rubber, it is not surprising that container ports are adopting this technology.”

Hyster Tyre Saving axle design is now available on Hyster 5-8 high Empty Container Handlers. The differential is mounted in the wheel ends at each side of the axle, an innovation that allows the wheels to rotate independently, greatly helping to minimise tyre scrubbing.

For more information about reducing the lifetime costs of forklift truck and container handling fleets, visit www.hyster-bigtrucks.com or contact the local Hyster distribution partner.

ENDS - 351 Words