Camerons switced to TFG 425s hydrostatic drive counterbalance trucks

A Hartlepool brewer has increased speed and performance of its keg handling after switching forklifts.

Camerons Brewery, well known for flagship brand Strongarm and north east classic Trophy Special, produces over 400,000 pints of beer or lager every day at its Lion Brewery - amounting to over half a million barrels of beer a year.

Ensuring fast and efficient fulfilment of orders for the demanding contract brewing side of the business is critical to the company's success and requires a well-equipped fleet of robust, reliable lift trucks capable of handling 18 kegs at a time for two eight-hour shifts a day, five days a week.

In July 2014, following an expansion of the brewery, Richard Forster, production planning manager at Camerons, decided to make a step-change in forklift fleet performance by switching from trucks with torque converter transmission to five Jungheinrich TFG 425s hydrostatic drive counterbalance trucks. All five were supplied with B&B keg handling attachments.

"The hydrostatic drive truck is better than the torque converter for picking up 18 kegs at a time, stacking them and loading 40 ft. curtain-sided trailers. The hydrostatic operation allows for smoother handling, ensuring that the truck applies the right pressure when picking up loads - which gives the drivers more confidence and, in turn, helps increase speed and performance," says Forster. "In this business, it's important that drivers are reassured and aren't worried about anything being dropped."

The environmental and cost-saving aspects of the new trucks also proved attractive to Forster. "With the increasing cost of fuel and the drive to be more environmentally friendly, we could see significant fuel savings with the Jungheinrich hydrostatic trucks, which would help reduce our carbon footprint," he says.

Another benefit has been reduced tyre wear: "You can't spin the wheels with the hydrostatic trucks. We've seen a dramatic reduction in the number of black marks left on the floor, so there's less wear on tyres."