Insulation supplier raises productivity with Moffett13 March 2014

Building materials supplier Essex Insulation is reporting significant improvements in distribution efficiency and health and safety since introducing a Moffett truck-mounted forklift.

The Moffett is fitted to a 26-tonne, three-axle MAN truck – one of six in the company's fleet. Most deliveries are direct to building sites and the Basildon-based firm wanted to overcome delays caused by waiting for on-site forklifts to become available.

After evaluating the market and trialling two brands, Essex Insulation chose the Moffett and specified an M5 25.3LT with a 2.5-tonne capacity. The company also specified a 'lift assist' option, which enables all goods to be offloaded from one side of a truck – at full reach, the Moffett has a lift capacity of 2 tonnes.

It takes less one minute to demount the Moffett, allowing unloading to begin immediately. Each truck delivers up to six drops per day, so the time saved has boosted productivity and improved service. The truck-mounted forklift also eliminates the need for any manual handling.

Simon Wray, managing director of Essex Insulation, says: "We had three primary objectives: to increase productivity and thereby reduce costs; to improve the delivery service that we offer to our customers; and to meet our obligations to our employees in terms of better protection of their health and safety at work.

"With the Moffett we score on all three," he adds.

Other factors in his decision included the Moffett's off-road capability – essential on building sites – and its total cost of ownership. "We expect this first one to outlive the present truck to which it is fitted and perhaps the next one after that, at which point I believe that it will achieve a good resale value that will contribute to a competitive whole life cost," says Wray.

Author
Laura Cork

Related Companies
Cargotec UK Ltd
Moffett Engineering Ltd

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