Reliability was a key requirement for IBB Polish Building Wholesale when it came to replacing its forklift fleet.
IBB Polish Building Wholesale was established eight years ago and now supplies over 10,000 customers in the UK, importing goods from Poland as well as the rest of Europe. The expanding company has four branches in total — two in London, one in Birmingham and one in Manchester — and states that all operate to “exacting standards in a fast-paced environment where meeting customer demands, on time and to schedule, is absolutely critical”.
Keeping goods moving on-site and loading lorries efficiently are essential activities, requiring robust and reliable material handling equipment. Being required to operate 10 hours a day, six days a week, when it came to replacing the company’s aging forklift fleet, IBB reviewed the market for a reliable supplier and turned to Jungheinrich UK.
“We recognised Jungheinrich as a company with a good reputation,” said Jacek Ambrozy, owner of IBB, “so we asked them to come and discuss our options.”
Jungheinrich UK provided IBB with two new diesel counterbalance trucks — the DFG 430s and the DFG 425s. The hydrostatic transmission on the DFG 430s and the automotive VW engine are described as offering precision control and improved fuel efficiency in handling loads up to three tonnes.
“The trucks meet our needs for heavy duty handling in a relatively confined space, giving us the maneuverability we need.” explained Jacek. “Our operating team is very happy with the trucks and all are running smoothly. With 50 to 80 customers a day and moving some 40 tonnes daily, it is vital that the trucks do not fail.”
Fitted with triplex masts for duties such as placing plasterboard into racking, the well-equipped trucks feature cabins that provide a comfortable driver environment. The front, top and rear screens reduce exposure to the elements while still enabling the driver to quickly mount and dismount in order to assess stock and product. Additionally, front and rear spotlights are fitted along with a panoramic mirror for enhanced driver visibility.
The trucks have been supplied with extra-long forks to facilitate the fast loading of palletised goods and plasterboard onto vehicles — allowing the loading of a lorry from one side only and reducing the need to re-position the vehicle in a constricted yard.
“Our operating team is very happy with the trucks and all are running smoothly. With 50 to 80 customers a day and moving some 40 tonnes daily, it is vital that the trucks do not fail.”
Jacek concluded: “We decided to rent the trucks from Junheinrich for three months first, to see how they performed. They proved very capable for the job so we decided to place an order. Fuel efficiency is a big factor for us and easy access to the cabin is very important too. But, the most important factor is that everything works to a high standard and generates no problems for us. We are extremely happy with our new trucks.”
About the company
Jungheinrich UK has evolved from a manufacturer of Forklift Trucks to a full “Intralogistics Solution provider”, offering support in automation, racking systems and warehouse planning, as well as in long and short term rental and financial services.
Operating from seven locations across the country, the firm’s portfolio now includes high energy efficiency pallet trucks, stackers, counterbalance trucks, reach trucks, order pickers, very narrow aisle trucks and stacker cranes in more than 600 truck variants. In addition, it provides an extensive customer service support network.
For more information about Jungheinrich, visit: www.jungheinrich.co.uk
