A NEW range of forklift trucks has been developed thanks to the advice of wholesalers at New Spitalfields market.

Toyota's Generation 7 forklifts contain a System of Activity Stability (SAS) which was created after consultation with the market traders. The system monitors areas such as load, speed, vehicle position and acceleration. It can then use this information to activate measures to prevent accidents.

The technology has led to an unprecedented level of safety for forklift trucks. The new trucks also have automatic fork-levelling, which helps prevent damage to goods.

Harry Kemsley from Anker, a regional distributor of Toyota Industrial Equipment, said: 'We have been working with many of the wholesalers over the last five years consulting with them on their material handling requirements and giving them advice and support.

'The market traders operate in an extremely competitive and demanding environment, so the trucks they use must be efficient and reliable. There is also pressure to sell perishable goods quickly which means that forklifts often operate quickly between stalls and buyers vehicles.' David Kerris, a partner at fruit and vegetable wholesaler Evans and Radford Ltd, said:'These trucks contribute to our productivity levels. The self-levelling forks are a real asset and they save us time.'

Topics