Page 17 - LBMAO - Reporter - Mar-Apr 2024 - web optimized

new truck with a forklift mounted Assess any existing vehicles suppliers. Trucks, truck-mounted
A or a knuckle boom is one of the Your truck will dictate the equipment equipment, and parts supply were
most expensive single purchase most you can mount to it. Understand the extremely tight, with lengthy delivery
dealers will make. Gone are the days specifications and limitations of your base times, and the market has yet to stabilize.
when lumber packages were rolled off vehicles to ensure compatibility with any Some equipment manufacturers and
the back of a flat bed truck or when new equipment. Rear-mounting kits are distributors continue to be plagued by
employees carried bundles of shingles, the de facto standard for truck-mounted inventory shortages.
patio stones and drywall by hand. Making forklifts, allowing them to mount to According to Phil Aitken of Trinty Truck
informed decisions before purchasing almost any truck or trailer. However, crane Sales, demand is still more than supply,
truck-mounted cranes and forklifts size and truck size go hand in hand. Before and so any thought that after the post-
will save costs, improve equipment adding cranes to your fleet, managers Covid demand bubble would burst and
performance and reliability, and enhance need to consider GVW, payload, capacity, pricing will come down is false. Our U.S.
operator satisfaction. Choosing the wheelbase, and engine power. exchange rate has deteriorated in the
right trucks is essential for lumber and past 2 years, so that adds to the price,
building materials managers, but what Get specific about your equipment needs which is not negotiable. The demand
do you need, how do you choose what to Do a deep dive into your fleet’s for vocational trucks is still greater
purchase and where can you get all the types of jobs and the needs they entail, than supply, so the fleet discounts we
information? including capacity, reach, flexibility, enjoyed up until 2020 will not return
use, precision, performance, and safety. any time soon. January 2026 is the start
First, know your fleet needs Look at features, benefits, options, of the 2027 model year. There is a new
Before adding truck-mounted and accessories that can maximize emission mandate that comes into play
equipment to your fleet, consider your productivity, boost capacity, save fuel, then. All the engine manufacturers have
goals. Do you want to better service your increase safety and operator comfort. indicated that the cost of meeting the
existing customers, expand into new new mandates will be passed along to the
markets, or both? What loads will you Supply issues and work-ready solutions buyer, and the estimate is that a $25,000
be delivering, where, and under what Supply chain disruptions, workforce surcharge will be placed on every heavy-
conditions? What equipment will best challenges, inflation and shifting duty truck invoice. Good used trucks are
serve your customers? consumer requirements made the last still in scarce supply. Used truck prices
few years difficult for materials handling should remain high, even though the U.S.

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