 Ross Grassick |
Ross Grassick is the founder and managing director of Lencrow Group.
Wet hiring a forklift is when you hire a forklift and it comes with a licensed driver to operate it on your site. It's a good option for businesses that only need a forklift for a short period of time or for a one-off occasion, as you'll avoid having to get the training and license to operate the forklift.
Generally, paying for wet hiring a forklift is based on an hourly rate and a on a depot-to-depot basis. Forklift wet hire is available 24/7, so you can get any job whether big or small completed at any time. But what else do you need to know? Here we give you all you need to know about forklift wet hire.
Why do businesses choose wet hire?As frustrating as it is to be short-staffed and not have someone available to operate a forklift, finding the time to hire someone new, train them and put them through the HR processes is often not an option.
 Wet hire provides a driver with the forklift |
A wet hire forklift can alleviate that stress. The operators are fully licensed and aware of current safety standards, so the job can be done safely and efficiently, lowering the risk of any accidents an unskilled driver may cause.
The efficiency and lower risk that comes with wet hire saves businesses time and money and minimises admin work. This is because the operator is employed by the forklift dealer, and you have the flexibility that once the job is complete, you don't have any more expenditure.
Some businesses may already have a forklift onsite but could have a short deadline that their forklift and an inexperienced driver wouldn't be able to manage. Wet hire can provide both an extra forklift and an experienced operator to help get the work done on time.
Regardless of your business operations, whether you're moving pallets of stock across the warehouse or loading stock onto trucks, finding the right forklift dealer that provides a wet hire service will save you time, as having to source a forklift and a driver separately will be a longer process.
What can you expect from your next wet hire solution?Wet hire provides you with the convenience of having a forklift delivered to your worksite along with the driver to do the work for you. Remember forklift wet hire is available 24/7 so you can get the job done on your time.
The right forklift dealer will be able to provide you with an operator who:
- Knows the ins and outs of a forklift operation. Your wet hire will have a wealth of experience using all kinds of machines daily on different sites, and this will allow them to deliver the highest service and reduce the risk of an accident. They'll know which forklift is the right one to use for your business, as well as the necessary forklift attachments to get the job done.
- Will scope out your site and become familiar with their task. For example, you may need a heavy pallet with stock moved from outside to inside the warehouse. The operator will need to see how wide and high the entry is for accessibility and assess the surface they'll be working on.
- Is fully licensed and trained on the latest WHS requirements. This will give you peace of mind that the WHS requirements will be followed and your business protected by minimising risk and providing a safe environment for work.
Your wet hire should complete the job you needed to be done and will then leave your business premises. If you're happy with the services you received, you'll be able to get back in touch with that company any time you need a similar service done for your business.
How to make the most of your next wet hire experienceAlways give your forklift operator a run-down of the job they'll be doing before they start. You can do this when they arrive onsite or even include them in your morning staff meeting to help the operator to have a better understanding of your business.
An operator will need to get familiar with your site to know how to best carry out the job, so allow them to inspect the area before commencing the job. You can inspect the area with the operator so that any questions they may have can be answered on the spot to get the job going.
Once the job is done, debrief with your operator to confirm it's been completed and fill out any necessary paperwork. This is also an opportunity to exchange feedback with your operator, evaluating how the job went and if anything else needs to be discussed before leaving.