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Warehouse in the News Lift Truck Tech: Trends Converge Around Labor Efficiencies Re-examining lift truck power structure The Future of Inventory Management Project Verte heralds deployment of Six River Systems’ fulfillment services at Atlanta-based DC ISM report highlights strong August manufacturing output More Warehouse News All Resources Could a warehouse/DC partner bring the right expertise in balancing labor, technology and cost management to your organization? Plenty of lift truck technologies are in play—so many that it can be daunting to pick the winners. Just a few include autonomous lift trucks, telematics and fleet software, virtual reality (VR) software, and digital cameras that integrate with truck forks. One thing all these technologies have in common is the ability to improve labor efficiency. As a result, one can assess value by how much efficiency a technology can bring to an operation relative to its cost. Think of it as a sliding scale for lift truck technologies. Few distribution centers are ready to acquire an entire fleet of autonomous trucks, but many can benefit from smaller investments like adding cameras or telematics to conventional vehicles, or perhaps going to full automation for some workflows, explains Jack Kaumo , director of iWarehouse solutions for Raymond Corp ., a lift truck vendor. “The overall theme we’re seeing right now is labor,” says Kaumo. “Labor is consistently a top concern because of the shortage of skilled operators and also retention of operators. That makes improving labor efficiencies fundamental.” Lift truck suppliers offer a broad range of technologies, including telematics and fleet software, autonomous lift trucks, and other advancements like lithium ion (Li-ion) trucks. Another shift in the market is that vendors are now focusing more on solutions and systems, says Brian Markison , senior director of sales and marketing with lift truck provider Unicarriers Americas […]