Category: Travel

How to Perform a Routine Forklift Check

Forklifts are a god send to any warehouse operation. You can use one to unload and load items with great ease and efficiency. They also greatly improve the general safety of the warehouse as they eliminate the need for major human involvement in a variety of logistics-related tasks.

If you or your employer owns a forklift then it needs to be well-maintained at all times. A good routine check before the start of the day will help ensure that there are no problems with the machine that could manifest later and compromise a job. But what exactly goes into a routine check? Read on and find out:

Examine the Forklifting Device

A faulty forklifting device isn’t just going to stop you from carrying out a task; it’s also a major hazard. Hence it is an absolute must to inspect it closely at the start of each work day.

Start off by performing a visual inspection. Do you need notice any dents or cracks located around the carriage teeth? If so, you’ll have to send it for repairs or possibly get a new one. If not, move on to checking its performance. In order to do this, simply raise the forks to the highest possible point and lower them down again. If you notice any abnormal sounds or stiffness, then something is clearly wrong.

As time goes on and parts age, you may get to the point where you are constantly performing repairs on the forklifting device. At that point, it may be more cost-effective to simply look up forklift sales online and purchase a replacement.

Check the Brake System

The brakes on your forklift must be working at all times. If they suddenly give out while you’re transporting some heavy cargo, you may likely injure yourself and others.

Hence, the next agenda on the check-up should be to inspect the brake system of your forklift. Start by stepping on the foot brake and try to determine whether it requires more pressure than usual. Secondly, check whether the parking brake works as intended. Lastly, move on to the brake lights and check whether they’re functioning properly too.

At the beginning of every day it is better taking your forklift truck for a slight spin, without any weight, to make sure the steering works appropriately. After all, the manoeuvrability of your forklift depend on heavily on the reaction of your steering system. This checking is predominantly favourable if you are about to drive on a different surface type that you haven’t experienced before.

Inspect the Steering

The last item on the check list should be the steering. You can inspect this by driving the forklift a short distance back and forth. While you do so, make sure to how responsive the machine is being. Do you have to turn the wheel with greater force than usual to get the tyres to swing? If so there could be several problems present.

One of the biggest causes for poor steering is inadequate tyre inflation. Under-inflated tyres also improve the risk of a blowout so you should get it sorted straightaway. In other cases, it’s usually a tyre alignment issue.

As a forklift owner or operator, it’s up to you to ensure that the truck remains healthy and fully functioning. You can do this by performing a daily check at the start of the day, inspecting the forklift device, the steering and the brake system.


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The Right Supplies For Your Car Detailing Supplies

If you own a car detailing service, or even want to ensure that you get your car detailing done in a professional manner at home, there are a specific set of tools which you will need to use in order to get the best job done. If you were to use cheap products or even products and equipment which aren’t properly adapted to the way in which your vehicle is built, you may end up doing more bad than good to your vehicle. Thus it is always important to know which type of supplies to use in order to ensure a smooth detailing process of your vehicle.

Here some noteworthy supplies that must be used when detailing your car in a professional manner.

Steam Power Cleaning Machines

A steam power cleaning machine is the right type of cleaning machines to be used to ensure spotless exteriors and interiors for your vehicle. Steam Power cleaning machines use both high pressure steam as well as high pressure water to clean the largest of stains on the outside of your vehicle. These types of stains will not able to be removed if you were to use a regular cleaning machines, as the power would not be adequate enough. These cleaning machines would ensure that you use the just enough pressure to clean your vehicle without leaving any scratches or damages. At a temperature as high as 250 degrees F, you would be able to get rid of grease and mud even in the smallest of gaps on the exterior of your vehicle, making these cleaning machines a must use in your detailing.

Using Green Chemicals

One of the major issues of getting your vehicle detailed is the use of harmful substances which have chemicals which may tarnish the look of your vehicles or even affect the owner of the vehicle through harmful allergies. It also causes a certain degree of environmental pollution. However, to get a spotless finish, chemicals are an important component. Thus it is always advisable to use green chemicals to get the job done. Green chemicals are naturally sourced from the environment and have less severe consequences than artificial chemicals. These types of expert detailing supplies are also bio degradable which means that you won’t have to worry about any sort of pollution after using them. They also get the same job done as artificial chemicals and thus would be the more obvious choice out of the two.

Carpet Washing Systems

If you own a car, you would know that the area which gets dirtiest the most inside of the car would be the carpets. This is mainly because of the dirt and also at times, pieces of food which somehow magically end up there! Simply taking your carpets out and washing them with water is not sufficient as it still may hold back a lot of dirt. Thus you will need to put your carpets through a comprehensive washing system by using a high powered water pumping system to really get a thorough cleansing.

Thus in conclusion, it is always important to use the right type of supplies or equipment when detailing your vehicle to ensure you get the right results!

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Tips for Getting Your Car for the Next Road Trip

Road trips are a great way to get away from the stresses of normal life. It’s just you (and perhaps a few loved ones), your car and the open road as you travel through beautiful scenery.

In order for any road trip to be successful, proper planning is necessary. First of all you need to consider what the best route is and then pack all of the essential supplies. More importantly, you need to make sure your vehicle is up for the challenge.

Road trips can take quite a toll on your car. However, if you take the right preparatory steps, it should be able to handle the trip just fine. Here are some tips to help you do just that:

Inspect Your Tyres

Whenever you’re getting ready to go on a long drive, always pay special attention to your tyres. First of all, make sure that they’re not too worn out. If they are, you should have them replaced before you set out on the trip.

Pay attention to the pattern of wear on the treads too. If it’s significantly uneven, then it might point to a problem in the alignment. In that case, you should take your car to a mechanic and get it adjusted.

Finally, check if your tyres are probably inflated. Both underinflated and over inflated tyres increase the risk of your suffering a blowout.

Check That the Exterior Lights Are Working

When you’re on a road trip, you may have to do some night-time driving. Therefore, you should make sure that your headlights and taillights are working perfectly. In addition, check whether there are any problems with the turn signals.

Take Care of Any Warning Lights on the Dashboard

Do not set out on your trip of the check engine light is on. Instead take your car to the mechanic and get it looked at right away.

If you have an OBDII scanner, you may be able to work it out yourself. Plug in the scanner and to the connector port located below the dashboard and check what code is displayed on the screen. If you’re not familiar with the codes, a simple Google search should help you identify what the problem is.

Pack an Emergency Toolkit

Sometimes your car can break down randomly without warning. Hence, you want to be adequately prepared for such a scenario with an emergency toolkit. Here are some of the items that you should include in it:

  • Tyre patching kit
  • NOCO charger for charging your car’s battery
  • Jumper cables
  • A rain jacket
  • Plenty of food and water
  • A flare gun

Check the Fluid Levels

Your car needs several fluids at optimal levels in order for it to run properly. Oil is obviously a very important one. Use a clean dipstick to check its level and the colour. If it’s either translucent or a bit yellowish/greenish, then you have nothing to worry about.

In addition you should top off automatic transmission fluid, coolant, antifreeze, windshield washer fluid, radiator fluid and brake fluid if necessary.

Road trips are quite fun and can help you eliminate stress. However in order for it to be a completely stress-free experience, you have to make sure your car is up to the challenge of a really long drive.

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