An all-terrain 5-T. forklift rolls over scale to get weight before air evacuation. PHOTO: US Air Force/2nd Lt David J Murphy

Category 1 Hurricane Sandy disrupted routines for materials handling equipment dealers and put pressure on inventories of forklift rentals to replace water-damaged units and for recovery efforts.

Again, the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) is supporting disaster response efforts through engaging industry to address the unmet needs of relief organisations, communities and people.

At the dealership level, Raymond of New Jersey LLC of Union, New Jersey and the Long Island facility of Infiniti Handling Systems in Garden City, New York "have had issues with power, fuel and phone availability", says Scott Johnson, vice president with Clark Material Handling Co. "Additionally, as you might suspect, several employees have had personal challenges at their residences."

In a 2 November Hurricane Sandy dealer update, Clark notes, "Some of our dealers have been affected and are unable to answer their phones." The Clark email message directed customers, as needed, to a toll-free number for the Clark customer service department.

Maintainco Inc is "running on generators with a limited staff and delivering rentals" - 75 in three days - to customers, says James G Picarillo, president. "A lot of our customers were flooded" including businesses in Belleville, Jersey City and Long Branch, New Jersey. Many Maintainco customers lost electric power for several days.

Referring to a liquor distributor in South Kearny, New Jersey, "his equipment is not usable, and he is moving his inventory to another warehouse", Picarillo notes.

On an urgent basis, Maintainco has purchased 20 forklifts that were en route from Mississippi, Florida and elsewhere. Maintainco represents the Toyota, Mitsubishi and Konecranes brands of materials handling equipment.
In New Jersey, Maintainco is based in South Hackensack and has a branch in South Plainfield. Neither location experienced damage.

The storm impacted operations of Hilo Materials Handling Group, although details about damage and dislocation were not immediately available.

Hilo president Steven LoPiccolo picked up the phone on 5 November, saying: "It is intense around here now. I cannot even speak with you."

Hilo represents Yale and Hyster with a facility in the hamlet of Hauppauge, New York, and the group recently opened a Hyster branch in New York City's Queens Borough.

In the wake of the superstorm, ALAN has requested that industry players provide loaned materials handling equipment and is posting daily updates.

"The power of the supply chain community is really working," says Kathy Fulton, ALAN director of operations. "The industry is stepping up, people are coming together and requests for support are being met."

ALAN lists these materials handling equipment needs as of 6 November: four to six conventional 6,000 lb. (2,700 kg) forklifts, four to six 12,000 lb. (5,400 kg) extended reach telehandlers, 16 to 24 pallet grabbers and chain sets, four motorised pallet jacks, four hand-operated pallet jacks, four portable loading dock ramps and 100 to 150 pallets.

"The needs change frequently so please direct would-be donors to post their offers using the following link," Fulton says.

Volunteer non-profit ALAN works closely with emergency management agencies and through Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster units matching resources with needs.

At the same time, ALAN discourages donations of unsolicited miscellaneous goods that can slow down the ability to distribute the relief supplies that are really needed.

Photographs from the US Air Force showed materials handling equipment in use or transition.

For example, a telehandler operator and spotter positioned generators on 30 October at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey for US Federal Emergency Management Agency electricians and engineers for distribution in the New York and New Jersey region in response to storm damage.

In advance of the storm, the military airlifted certain equipment including forklifts on C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft to safe locations.

On 29-30 October, Hurricane Sandy caused high winds and coastal flooding in large areas of the eastern US and left an estimated 8 million customers without power.