Drivers welcomed the Komatsu forklifts because of the trucks' ease of operation

Komatsu Forklift Australia will save a large multinational company nearly $5 million with the company's $6.4 million order of over 150 Komatsu electric counterbalance forklifts, which will replace LPG trucks.

KFA marketing manager Jack Socratous tells Forkliftaction.com News the customer that distributes building products in over 20 countries "was looking at any innovations to improve safety and reduce cost".

"Komatsu's battery-powered FB25-12 and FB30-12 ticked all the boxes with IPX4 [standard] waterproofing to enable them to be used outdoors where traditionally only IC trucks could operate, increased run times from a single charge and KOMTRAX machine monitoring/diagnostics as standard features."

KOMTRAX is Komatsu's satellite monitoring system that uses GPS tracking and specialised diagnostic sensors to monitor a machine's critical operating data, including machine location, working conditions, engine temperature and fuel consumption.

Customisations for the customer include a full fleet management system with pre-start checklists, BlueSpot safety lights and sequential seatbelt interlocks.

The client wanted "to increase safety and decrease spend, (the) ability to operate for multiple shifts with a single battery and the capability to service a fleet spread across a broad geographic area (up to 80 branch locations)," Socratous explains.

Fuel savings of about $4.8 million are projected over five years, and Socratous says driver acceptance of the forklifts was high because of the conventional layout of the controls and the trucks' ease of operation.

KFA has a policy of not disclosing customer names.