With over seven different classes of forklifts available, how do you know which is the best option for your lumber yard? Each class requires the driver to be certified in that particular one and they all have different types of features.

A truck-mounted or piggyback forklift is an ideal option for a lumber yard. Piggyback forklifts can be mounted to the back of a trailer or truck, making transportation easy.

Simple transportation isn’t the only benefit of a piggyback forklift. This guide will go over the benefits of buying a piggyback forklift and how it can improve productivity at a lumber yard.

What Is a Piggyback Forklift?

You may see the terms tailor or truck-mounted forklift used in lieu of piggyback forklift but don’t let it confuse you. They’re the same type of forklift.

It’s a truck that has a payload-carrying and open bed. The forklift attaches to the back with latches, hooks, or chains. This ensures that the forklift doesn’t shift while the truck moves.

The truck carries wood or other types of material to a warehouse or job site. The forklift is then detached from the truck and used independently to unload, move, or load material.

Some common brands of piggyback forklifts include:

• Moffett
• Hiab
• Princeton
• Sellick
• Manitou
• Palfinger

Piggyback forklifts are a cost-effective way to handle and transport materials. Especially with a lumberyard, you can use a piggyback forklift to deliver materials to a customer’s home or job site.

The Benefits of a Piggyback Forklift

In addition to being cost-effective, a piggyback forklift has a variety of other benefits.

Load Carrying Ability

The flatbed of the truck gives you plenty of space to stack with materials and other goods. You don’t have to worry about taking up precious space with the forklift since it attaches to the back. Then, both the materials and the forklift arrive at the job site at the same time.

Save on Labor Costs

A piggyback forklift can be operated by a single person. That means the person driving the trailer or truck can be the one operating the piggyback forklift. You don’t have to spend additional labor costs to send multiple people on a lumber delivery.

Since an employee doesn’t have to manually offload the products at a customer’s house or job site, it reduces the chance of accident or injury. Employees are unloading materials in a safe manner, reducing the likelihood of a company having to pay out medical costs.

Efficient Use of Time

A piggyback forklift will greatly improve the efficiency of your lumber yard. Instead of having to deliver materials to a customer’s house and have to wait for the forklift to show up, you’ll be able to bring it with you. Instead of taking an entire day to deliver products, it can be handled in a matter of hours.

Improve Customer Relations

Many customers may come into your lumber yard to buy a large number of materials but they have no way to bring them home or to their job site. Offering a delivery service that includes the safe transportation of their materials is an added bonus that not a lot of places can offer.

Having a piggyback forklift gives you an advantage over the competition. You’re adding value to your customer’s experience. It also gives you an opportunity to increase your revenue by charging extra for delivery or working it into your pricing.

Your customers will appreciate the service you’re offering them. Most people are willing to pay extra to have something delivered. You’ll increase your likelihood of repeat business since they know your company is reliable.

Easy to Drive

Don’t worry if you have to drive your forklift over uneven terrain. A piggyback forklift drives easily through rough ground or weather conditions.

A lot of industrial forklifts are hefty, oversized pieces of equipment. Their capacity is likely more than what you need when delivering materials. A piggyback forklift is compact, lightweight, and easy to maneuver.

Since they’re smaller than industrial forklifts, you can access tighter spaces. For places that don’t have unloading or loading docks, this is crucial. Especially if you’re delivering wood to a home, you can drive your forklift into someone’s backyard.

Piggyback Forklift Maintenance Plan

Routinely performing maintenance on your piggyback forklift is essential to ensuring it continues running properly and safely. You can do the maintenance yourself and connect with a trusted forklift company to do it for you. You’ll want to inspect both the forklift and the truck.

One of the first things you’ll want to do is a comprehensive inspection of the forklift and truck. You’ll want to evaluate if the piggyback forklift is starting and resting the way it should. If there’s a problem with the ignition, then other issues are likely to crop up.

The next step is checking the functions of the vehicle and equipment. You should check the following items during your inspection:

• Horns
• Lights
• Controls
• Steering mechanisms

Next, inspect the undercarriage of the truck and piggyback forklift. You’ll want to see if there’s any bodily damage to either vehicle.

Look at all the fluids to make sure they’re filled. If fluid levels are down, that can result in the truck or forklift not operating properly. You’ll also want to fill up both fuel tanks.

A piggyback forklift uses the following fuel types:

• LPG
• Electricity
• Diesel
• Gasoline
• Biodegradable fuel

Ensure you know what type of fuel your forklift takes. You’ll want to keep backup fuel on hand in case of emergencies.

One of the last things you’ll want to check on your piggyback forklift is the hydraulic system. Hydraulics are what’s used to carry and lift materials. It’s vital to your entire operation.

Keep your truck and forklift properly maintained will increase their lifespan and cut down on unexpected costs.

Find a Quality Piggyback Forklift for Sale

If you’re running a lumber yard, having a piggyback forklift is a vital part of your business. You can provide an extra value to your customers that doesn’t cost a lot for you in labor costs.

If you’re looking for a new or used piggyback forklift, look through our current inventory.