Container lift eliminates double handling and cuts costs

CLIVE EMDON
THE NEW generation container lift, when put to work, can sort out the Moscow Circus, Bridgestone’s entire factory of tyres or work all night to move sets for Mama Mia. “It’s dependable, versatile and available” says Avis Rent-a Forklift MD Kevin Bailey. “The principle of a container lift is that it shortens material handling time by eliminating double-handling. It can move containers straight out of the factory to the ship instead of the warehouse. The cost and time savings are enormous.” The rental option for electronically controlled side-lifters is “a remarkable innovation for companies that need to move containers around for short jobs but would never buy one at R1million. They can use it effectively on an hourly rate for a day or two or up to a month,” says Bailey. It comes with a horse and trailer and is hired out as forklift-crane-and-truck all in one, he said. Built in New Zealand and Australia, it has a 36 ton capacity allowing for the lifting of a full 40ft container. It is able to lift containers off the ground and move them around, or load them onto trailers or rail wagons or offload them onto the ground in precise positions. The company also has a range of 400 forklifts from 1.5 ton to 15 tons and a French-built highly sophisticated ‘telescopic handler” used for 3-7.5 tons mainly by the construction industry, for hire of up to six months.