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What's new with the 8?
Kicking the tires on Toyota's latest forklifts
Lisa Wichmann
Toyota Industrial Equipment came to market with its new 8-series of forklift trucks in October. The trucks cost about six per cent more than the older 7-series, but the increase is reflected in multiple improvements around safety, ergonomics and durability, the company reports.
Ergonomic upgrades
The average forklift driver gets in and out of the cab about 200 times per day, said Martin Boyd, national product planning manager with Toyota Material Handling USA, at a recent media event. With that in mind, Toyota set out to make the 8-series easier to get in and out of, by curving the guard bars. Grip assist handles have been relocated from the outside of the bars to the inside, to prevent them from being damaged. The grips are also longer, making them easier to grab.
Other ergonomic improvements include full-suspension for a smoother ride, a larger entry step, and 25 per cent more seat slide to accommodate drivers of different heights. The ignition has been placed higher up, so drivers no longer have to lean forward to access it. The parking brake is now foot operated, for the same reason.
The large cup holder is another welcome improvement, especially to North American customers, Boyd said. The cab itself is more spacious than its predecessor, with significantly more foot and legroom. A new heat/defrost system makes the trucks more suitable for outdoor and refrigerated conditions.
Safety strides
In terms of safety, Toyota has made significant progress over the years with active stability technology. The system detects turning yaw and compensates by controlling the tire to prevent tip-over. Forward mast control has also been improved, to reduce the chance of the truck tipping forward. The new mast and guard bars give drivers a better view of the tines and load.
The seat belt, which was black on earlier forklifts, is now bright orange, so supervisors can tell with a glance if the driver is wearing it. It also has an anti-cinch design, to reduce the likeliness of operators removing it.
Clearing the air
Right now, the 8-series—which includes 3,000 to 6,500 lb. cushion and pneumatic models—are available with internal combustion motors. Engineers are working on an electric version. Yet electric motors raise controversy in many fleets. They don't produce as many emissions, but they present other challenges around battery maintenance, change-out, and the additional staff and space required. That said, internal combustion won’t be around forever.
"Clearly, there's a trend toward electric," said Shankar Basu, president and CEO of Toyota Material Handling USA. "We're not sure if the trend will continue...We believe in the next 20 years we will see commercial deployment of hybrid fuel cells—not concepts, but mass scale."
In the meantime, forklift companies are trying to make internal combustion engines as clean as possible. In the US, California is leading the charge toward greener trucks with stringent requirements for emission controls. Toyota has already met the requirements of the US Environmental Protection Agency's 2010 mandate, so it’s about three years ahead of the curve, Boyd said.
Wear and tear
At one point in the presentation, Boyd took out a rubber mallet to demonstrate the improvements around durability. Tapping the panels of the truck with the mallet produced a solid thump, as opposed to the ping on competitor and older Toyota models. The different sound results from a fully redesigned chassis with substantially less cosmetic plastic and metal.
Toyota's new Intelli-Shift option helps protect drive train components from abusive full-speed directional shift changes, by allowing them only at programmable speeds. An optional wet brake system provides longer life, while reducing heat build-up and brake noise.
Aside from making physical improvements to the forklifts, Toyota is setting out to help customers optimize the management of their trucks. The company is expected to launch a new fleet management service early next year, offering advice on leasing, buying, and choosing the right truck.
Lisa Wichmann, editor of Purchasing b2b, can be reached at lisa.wichmann@pb2b.rogers.com
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