Ask anyone in the timber handling industry what’s shaking the market, and the reply will be: two-way or four-way.
Since the introduction of the four-way fork lift truck, suppliers of vehicles have been waging a quiet war, as conventional sideloader manufacturers fight to hang on to market share against their multi-directional competition, a market kick-started in the UK by Combilift.
“End users, particularly in the timber sector, have become more discerning,” said Combilift’s UK product manager Roy Redman. “The need to store higher and in narrower aisles has seen the demand of Combilift trucks increase.”
“Offsite construction of timber frame is developing at a rapid pace,” added Mr Redman. “Standard lift trucks and sideloaders cannot handle this type of product effectively.”
The jury is still out as far as timber goes: many suppliers believe the choice of vehicle should be determined by the application, and what might be right for a sideloader may not be right for a multi-directional truck.
“Four-way, or multi-directional trucks, are ideal for tight areas and smaller yards,” said Clare Park, business development manager at Valmar Handling. “They deliver manoeuvrability, but will never take the place of the sideloader. They are good for the right application, but not particularly suited for sawmills.”
Changing focus
David Cooper, director at Irion Sideloaders, estimates the conventional two-way sideloader market is now half what it was.
“There’s no official data but, before four-directional machines arrived, UK sideloader sales were around 250 units a year,” he said. “As the market becomes more aware of four-directional machines, I believe UK annual sales of these machines are running at higher than the traditional sideloader market – and growing.”
Irion recently unveiled its Quaddro multi-directional machine, which Mr Cooper claims is “unique” in the market, using four wheels instead of the three used by other internal combustion engine equivalents. “This clearly makes it more stable in sideloader mode,” explained Mr Cooper. “Quaddro is different in that the driver can select a conventional sideloader steering operation, whereby the machine will steer from the front in exactly the same way as a conventional sideloader.”
But, said Mr Cooper, four-directional machines are not sideloader replacements. “There is evidence in the market of instances where four-way machines have been sold which are clearly only working in a two-way mode.”
Valmar’s Clare Park agrees. The company, which distributes the Jumbo range of sideloaders, has also recently added a multi-directional fork lift to its range, the Multilift, and taken on a new product manager to develop this area.
But, she said: “A lot of people will put a multi-directional truck into any application, which is something we don’t agree with.”
Others think the same. “In a sawmill, you need something that’s suited to the job,” said Franks Platts, joint managing director at Northern Sideloaders. “A sideloader does what it’s supposed to do and nothing else can do it. Only application can decide what a customer requires.”
Broader appeal
Meanwhile, Redditch-based Translift Bendi has redesigned its sideloader fork lift, now called the Long Loader, to broaden its market appeal. The company says its advantage over other sideloaders is its ability to access loads either side of the truck while within aisles.
Another development is customers leaning towards heavier, six-tonne diesel sideloaders, whereas in the past it was predominantly five. “We are finding that customers are looking for heavier equipment and changing the way they are handling loads,” said Valmar’s Clare Park. “This means they have heavier loads or are trying to speed up and improve efficiencies.”
It’s a view shared by Iain McMillan, sales director at Kalmar. “One of the main things that we are seeing is that capacities are increasing. Customers tend to handle up to maximum capacity every time,” he said.
Other developments have seen Combilift working together with a “major UK timber stockist” to develop an indoor/outdoor four-way truck that would work in a guided aisle of around 2.4m and handle loads to 8.3m. “The high value of stock means that it must be turned regularly while providing the customer with ex-stock availability,” said Combilift’s Roy Redman.
“Stock that is stored under other packs and is difficult to get to is likely to become damaged and, therefore, unsaleable. Our solution provided fast location of stock and less damage to product and racking. The trend towards this type of storage is growing.”
Two other key factors are impacting on developments in the fork lift truck market: health and safety. and technology – and they are interlinked.
Heath and safety
“Health and safety is paramount, and the market is increasingly demanding more health and safety equipment than ever before,” explained Valmar’s Clare Park. “People are looking for things like white noise alarms because they may be in the middle of a residential area.”
One of the other developments has been the introduction of an amber Beacon on top of the cab to show the driver is wearing his seat belt. Truck engines themselves are also becoming quieter to lessen potential hearing damage to drivers – and to minimise noise emissions into the surrounding environment. Customers also want vehicles to be more environmentally friendly, using less fuel and adding devices like automatic engine cut-off.
Northern Sideloaders for example, which distributes the Commander range of trucks, has installed an automatic shut down, not only to protect the driver but also prevent excess emissions.
