Briggs Equipment is warning forklift managers that signing up for cheap weekly hire contracts could end up costing them a small fortune.

In a difficult economic climate, some forklift suppliers are offering cut-price deals, but businesses need to read the small print to spot the hidden costs, says Briggs short-term rental manager Allan Parsons.

Companies that offer deals that are 'too good to be true' often make their money back through inflated delivery charges. "We recently conducted a spot-check survey which revealed staggering differences between initial hire prices and delivery charges. In addition, the equipment supplied could also be as old as 10 years which increases the risk of high maintenance and repair costs," he explains.

"During seasonal periods where uptime is vital, the most important aspect to consider is the age of the equipment. An old machine will be less reliable and could let you down at the worst possible time. Ensure the equipment has done less than 5,000 hours and your supplier provides full maintenance and repair cover."

The sole Great Britain distributor of Yale equipment boasts that its short-term hire department, which has grown into a multi-million pound operation, stocks hire equipment with an average age of 48 months.

A Forkliftaction.com News survey conducted in March 2012 found that in the midst of an unstable economic environment, two leading players in the forklift market - a Japanese and a European forklift manufacturer with global operations - have seen their short-term forklift rentals grow.