Every little bit helps to reduce our carbon footprint. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

By Tom Andel, contributing editor

A company's carbon footprint is as unique as its CEO's leadership style. And more and more CEOs are leaving footprints for their organisations to follow toward environmental sustainability. Managers from every department of these CEOs' organisations are heading in that direction, including those who manage forklift fleets. The question is how big an impact can people who select, maintain and operate forklifts have on the amount of carbon monoxide and dioxide their companies spew into the atmosphere?

That's the fourth question in Forkliftaction.com News' ongoing survey of forklift experts representing members of both the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) and the Industrial Truck Association (ITA). Most of our respondents represent product lines that are being built or re-engineered to be both efficient and environmentally friendly; however, the contribution one's choice of forklifts can make to cleaning up the environment is debatable.

The not-so-much side

"Ultimately, I am not convinced that forklifts play a significant role in reducing the carbon footprint, unless you believe in the 'every little bit helps' approach," says Bill Rowan, president of Sunbelt Industrial Trucks of Dallas, TX. "However, both electric and internal combustion forklifts are a lot more environmentally friendly, and simply by updating their fleet, a company is reducing the emissions of their older equipment."

Stu Jacover, president of R&J Midwest Equipment in Chicago, agrees that it will take more than forklifts to make an emissions impact.

"In the big picture, forklifts are relatively low fruit in reducing a company's carbon footprint," he says. "Typically, a business that is operating IC forklifts in their warehouses also utilises hundreds of ... diesel trucks to deliver their goods to the marketplace. A single tractor-trailer can burn up to 60 gallons (22 litres) of diesel fuel a day that emits many times the emissions of a relatively clean-burning LPG forklift."

Nevertheless, Jacover adds that with the continuing improvements in fuel cell technology, there is an opportunity for businesses to reduce emissions by changing out their internal combustion fleets. How quickly this transformation takes place will be determined both by the cost effectiveness of fuel cells and how much of their own money companies are willing to invest in the technology. To date, most applications have been funded by state or federal grants.

On the significant side

Mark Milovich, president of Lift Atlanta, Inc., argues forklifts do represent a large part of a company's carbon footprint if you include that portion of a fleet that is used outdoors.

"Eighty-volt electric pneumatic trucks that can run outdoors in any type of weather are beginning to replace traditional diesel and LPG trucks," he notes. "With improvements in run time and battery charging systems, lift trucks can become the smallest part of a company's carbon footprint. A few years ago, no one would ever dream of running an electric truck outside in the rain. Today, the technology exists to do just that."

Don Chance, president of NACCO Material Handling Group Sales in Greenville, NC, adds that the rising capacity of electric forklifts is also making them more competitive with ICs. Within the next two years, Yale and Hyster will come out with a new electric sit-down rider line up to 12,000 pounds (5,440 Kg), both cushion and pneumatic.

"We think this will lead to replacing IC product in some applications where companies are challenged to shrink their carbon footprint," he says.

James Malvaso, president and CEO of The Raymond Corporation, says AC technology also contributes to the power potential of electrics.

"Our ... technology improves truck energy consumption and reduces the number of batteries, therefore requiring fewer charging hours," he notes. "This contributes to the reduction in a company's carbon footprint."

Thinking "Big Picture"

Where fuel cells are concerned, however, Milovich isn't convinced they represent a significant footprint shrinkage opportunity. Commercialised technology is still many years away, he believes, and even when the technology itself is perfected, the distribution systems will still need to be resolved.

However, Brett Wood, president of Toyota Material Handling USA, says alternatives-both fuel cells and hybrids-can't be ignored.

"We believe environmental responsibility is becoming just as important as quality, value and customer service," he says. "Electric lift trucks have advanced significantly to offer longer running times and higher performance levels. And future technologies such as fuel cells, hybrids and alternative fuels are a hot topic in our industry and showing promise."

Dave Griffith, president and CEO of Modern Group Ltd., agrees, but the promise is part of a much bigger picture: "Total energy use will be an interesting issue, and alternative power plants and sources will contribute." He adds lithium batteries to that mix, as well as what happens with 'Cap and Trade' legislation, which will fuel further advances.

• Next week, Part 5 looks at the effects mergers and acquisitions among lift truck OEMs have on products and services.