Forklifts help distributor out of a tight spot

ARB 4x4 Accessories runs a fleet of five 1.8-tonne Toyota 7FBE18 battery-electric three-wheel forklifts at its purpose-built warehouse in Canning Vale, and has used Toyota forklifts at the facility since it opened in 2010.

ARB Corporation WA state manager Rick Long said ARB offers a large range of 4WD accessories to wholesale and retail markets via its branded stores and dealers located around Australia and overseas.

“We deal with everything, from protective and safety equipment like canopies, winches and bull bars to camping accessories,” Long said. “These products are often ‘ugly’ freight: nearly everything we do involves over- or under-sized pallets, making for an interesting and fairly tight warehouse layout.

“The Toyota 7FBE18s we use are perfect for this type of storage facility as they are light and nimble, so our operators can easily manoeuvre them around,” he said.

“The two forklifts we most recently commissioned were specially fitted with 6-m masts to take full advantage of the warehouse’s height.”

Toyota’s 1- to 2-tonne 7FBE range of three-wheel battery-electric forklifts feature the ability to make pivot turns, making them a good choice when operating in tight spaces while offering the performance, reliability and operability of alternating current (AC) power technology.

Ergonomic features include a four-way adjustable suspension seat and rack and pinion hydrostatic power steering, while operator safety is enhanced by features like the System of Active Stability.

All of ARB’s Toyota forklifts are serviced by the local Toyota Material Handling branch in Kewdale.

TMH Kewdale area sales manager Danny Carbery said ARB 4x4 Accessories’ application of its Toyota 7FBE forklifts was a perfect demonstration of their superior handling capabilities for operators dealing with confined spaces and unusually shaped freight