RAISING THE STANDARD: ALL LIFT FORKLIFTS & ACCESS EQUIPMENT

Established in 1998 by Bruce Kretchmer, then joined by son Dean in 2010, All Lift Forklifts & Access Equipment is a hire, sales and repair company that provides machinery to all manner of workplaces – from warehouses to shopping centres to construction sites.

All Lift’s NSW State Manager, Mark Gillespie informs us that the hilly terrain of Sydney can pose some difficulties, particularly on construction sites. “One job we had was positioned at the side of a cliff face. We had to find a way to get bricks down from the ledge and onto the foundation. For that job we used a tele-handler,” said Mark. For those not in the know, a tele-handler is a multi-purpose machine with a crane mechanism that gives it a large reach. It can also act as a forklift or a bulldozer. The versatile machine can manoeuvre around tight spots as well as move material onto upper stories or levels. Not only have the all-terrain tele-handlers been popular during the construction boom but so have the services of All Lift Forklifts & Access Equipment, who now employs over 24 people in Sydney and five in Melbourne. On a typical day, All Lift would be involved in 30-40 movements per day and relocations to and from worksites. But bringing the machinery to the workplace, redeploying it and picking it back up again requires a reliable transport solution, which is where the Isuzu FYJ 2000 steps in. [caption id="attachment_4756" align="alignnone" width="650"] Photographed at All Lift Forklift on June 20, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Nicola Bailey/1826)[/caption] Mark, who joined the operation in 2011, has purchased three new Isuzu trucks in the last four years. To buy trucks is a significant capital outlay, but so is the machinery they hire out. Without a solid and dependable transport solution, the equipment doesn’t get to and from its destination. All Lift now have three Isuzus in their fleet: an FYJ 2000 Long Manual, an FXL 240-350 6x2, and an FSD 140-260. [caption id="attachment_4752" align="alignnone" width="651"] Photographed at All Lift Forklift on June 20, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Nicola Bailey/1826)[/caption] The 14 tonne and 12 tonne FXL and FSD are ideal for smaller jobs, but for the larger jobs the FYJ comes into its own. With twin-steering, a GVM of 30,000 kg and 257 kW @ 2,000 rpm and 1,422 Nm @ 1,400 rpm, the FYJ delivers both manoeuvrability and grunt. “We use the trucks to deliver forklifts, tele-handlers and other access equipment to site, and to pick them up as well, so we needed a reliable truck,” said Mark. “Without your own truck you have to rely on a sub-contractor, which presents a cost issue as well as a service provision risk, which is something we can’t afford in our business.” Reliability and customer service is something that All Lift has invested in with their staff so naturally they wanted that ethos to extend to their capital equipment as well. “The trucks travel 9-10 hours a day, so we can’t afford downtime there,” notes Mark. “But owning your own trucks means we can track hours, kilometres and bring them in for servicing when required. All of that means we’re in the driver’s seat.” Speaking of which, the comfort levels behind the wheel in the trucks has been appreciated by the drivers. “The conditions we work in can be bumpy, rocky, grassy, muddy. Rain, hail or shine, they have to be ready to go,” said Mark. “The drivers love them. They’re comfortable, good to drive and able to turn in tight little spots. When your drivers like to keep the trucks clean you know they’re well liked. “The biggest challenge we have from a transport perspective is meeting deadlines. We’ll make ten deliveries at the one time, so payload is important as is reliability,” said Mark. “They’ve got the power and the payload to carry more forklifts in each journey which means lower running costs, while still maintaining that agility on site, which is great.”