Cushion or pneumatic tires for a Michigan warehouse?

Describe the floors and outdoor surfaces the truck will cross and ask us which tire type fits that route. OSHA classifies engine trucks on cushion tires and on pneumatic tires separately.

Can my operators use a permit from their last employer?

No. Under MIOSHA Part 21 a permit is valid only with the employer that issued it. Part 21 does allow an employee with a valid permit from another employer to be tested without repeating the full training.

Sit-Down Counterbalance Hi-Lo Rental in Michigan

The sit-down counterbalance truck is the machine most people picture when they say hi-lo. The operator sits facing forward, the forks sit out front, and a heavy rear end balances the load. It is the general purpose choice for loading trailers, moving pallets around a building, and working a yard.

Counterbalance trucks need room to turn, so they suit docks, open warehouse floors, and outdoor yards more than tight racking aisles. In OSHA's classification, electric sit-down riders are Class I, and engine-powered models are Class IV on cushion tires or Class V on pneumatic tires.

Because OSHA's classes separate engine trucks on cushion tires from those on pneumatic tires, tire type is one of the first things we will ask about. Tell us every surface the truck will cross, including parking lots, ramps, and gravel, and whether it will go in and out of the building in winter.

OSHA's rule says trucks fitted with non-factory front-end attachments should be marked to show the attachment and the approximate combined weight at maximum elevation, so ask us to confirm the data plate matches the setup that is delivered.

The heaviest load you will lift and how far its center sits from the fork face
The highest point you need to reach, measured to the top of the load, not the shelf
Door and ceiling heights the mast has to clear when lowered
Indoor, outdoor, or both, and whether the floor is level
Whether you need attachments such as a side shifter or fork extensions

Under MIOSHA Part 21, an employer must train, test, and issue a written permit before an employee operates a powered industrial truck. The permit lists the type of truck the operator is qualified on and is valid for no more than three years, and only with the employer that issued it. The rental does not come with that permit. Read the operator training guide before the machine arrives.

Part 21 also says an employer must not let a truck be used if, for example, the service or parking brakes do not work or the fuel system leaks. Check the truck when it is delivered and report problems right away.

Several large Michigan dealers rent sit-down trucks under a handful of makes. Bell Forklift, a Toyota dealer with branches in Clinton Township, Detroit, Novi, Birch Run, and Gaylord, carries Toyota. Alta Equipment carries Hyster and Yale and has Michigan branches that include Livonia, Lansing, Kentwood, Saginaw, and Traverse City. Crown runs its own branch in Kentwood and rents its own trucks.

In Crown's rental inventory, the FC 5700 Series is a four-wheel electric sit-down truck rated up to 6,500 lb, and the C-5 1000 Series is an LP gas cushion tire truck rated up to 6,500 lb. If your operators prefer a make, tell us when you send the request.