 Hoist Liftruck will provide the Alabama State Port Authority with two P‐Series P1000s
similar to this P1100 model. |
The Alabama State Port Authority has awarded a contract worth USD1.24 million for two high-capacity forklifts to Hoist Liftruck Manufacturing Inc.
The authority needs the equipment to handle steel slabs at its USD115 million Pinto Terminal now under construction at the deep-water port in Mobile and slated for initial operations in early 2010.
Bedford Park, Illinois-based Hoist won the contract for the 100,000 pound (45,000 kg) capacity machines in a competition with four other forklift manufacturers.
The Mobile branch of family-operated Cowin Equipment Co Inc will function as servicing dealer for the Hoist forklifts.
Marty Flaska, Hoist Liftruck president, comments: "Our machines are manufactured to handle demanding and rugged applications such as steel slabs. . . . We look forward to seeing the trucks operating there when the project is complete." Hoist plans to deliver the P-Series P1000 forklifts before the end of 2009.
A standard Cummins Tier III diesel engine provides power for forklifts in the pneumatic P-Series, which Hoist recently redesigned. Other components include Dana automatic transmission, AxleTech planetary drive axle, outboard wet disc brakes, wide-view two-stage mast, electronic fingertip controls, true inching control, easy-access service points and RemoteTech vehicle management system.
The Port of Mobile, the 10th largest in the US in 2006, is located along the Mobile River at the entry to Mobile Bay. The authority owns and operates the port's public terminals, which handle containerised, bulk, break bulk, roll-on/roll-off and heavy lift cargoes. Private bulk terminal operators are also located there.
The Pinto Terminal, a free-standing marine facility, will be equipped with three wide-span gantry cranes manufactured in Shanghai, China by Zhenhua Port Machinery Co Ltd. Each crane will have state-of-the-art magnetic lifting gear that is configured to unload product from ships to either barges or direct to storage.
Annually, the 20-acre terminal will be capable of handling more than 10 billion pounds (4.5 billion kg) of semi-finished steel slab.
The authority says the lift technology and design of the Pinto Terminal are unprecedented in North America.