GLTC’s short-term rental offers customers a flexible solution

With the unsteadiness of the economy, influenced by factors that fall outside the control of the industry, Goscor Lift Truck Company’s short-term rental solution offers flexible and cost-effective solutions for cash-strapped material handling equipment users.

A major benefit of Goscor Lift Truck Company’s (GLTC) short-term rental solution is its flexibility. Tanya Brummer, national rental manager at GLTC, says the importance of flexibility cannot be reiterated enough, especially during these tough operating conditions for many businesses across several industries.

“Short-term rental can be anything from a day to three years. Amid the current uncertainty due to tough economic conditions, this is a flexible solution for our customers as they don’t have to be bound to five-year rental contracts, for example. They can terminate the rental agreement anytime when finances are tight or business production reduces,” she says.

If a company rents equipment with GLTC’s rental division on a short-term basis, she says, and the market deteriorates, they are in a position to return the equipment to the supplier. On the other end of the scale, if they win projects or take on new work, they can still hire more equipment to meet their immediate needs, without taking on greater risk. “Our short-term rental solution offers that much needed flexibility, allowing customers to easily adapt to business fluctuations,” she says.

As the peak season approaches, Brummer says many of GLTC’s customers find the short-term rental solution a fitting solution for their needs, as they can easily and cost-effectively satisfy their additional machinery needs. “For example, we expect to start supplying farmers in the Cape Town area with additional equipment as they are approaching their peak season,” she says, adding that the company also supplies warehouses and distribution centres, and ahead of the festive season, these facilities tend to be busy.

The rental division is represented in all the major economic hubs of the country, with branches in Johannesburg, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, East London, Cape Town and two multi-franchise branches in Port Elizabeth and Nelspruit. “We also have our own roll-back trucks that deliver the forklifts to our customers to reduce turnaround times and increase flexibility, for example, when a customer requires early delivery or late collection,” she says.

The short-term rental division has a big fleet of a wide variety of equipment that speaks to the needs of different customer groups. The current fleet is 1 200 pieces of machinery, with the majority of this situated in Johannesburg. The range is from small electric pallet jacks to 16 t diesel forklifts.

The full range includes the small WT (electric pallet jack); 1,8 – 3,5 t electric forklifts; specialised Bendi articulated forklift trucks as well as diesel forklifts from 1,8 t to 16 t. “We also offer reach trucks from 1,4 t to 2 t with lifting heights from 6,5 m to 12,5 m. Gas-powered machines are also available from 1,8 to 3,5 t sizes.

“Our wide range of equipment for short-term rental can meet all our customers’ equipment requirements for their sites, giving them the convenience of dealing with a single supplier. To give an idea, we have one of the largest 11,5 t reach truck fleets in the country. We can also assist mining and container industry customers with our bigger 8 t, 11 t and 16 t offerings,” says Brummer.

Commenting on some of the new trends in this industry, Brummer says there is definitely a shift towards more eco-friendly materials handling equipment. She reasons that the forklift industry has seen a major shift with the growing preference of electrically-driven forklifts. GLTC offers a wide range of electric units on short-term rental.

In conclusion, Brummer says central to the success of the rental business has largely been the commitment of the rental team. “Customer retention has always been our top priority. We have committed staff who bring a wealth of experience to the rental business. Some of them have been with the rental division for more than 10 years. We are a solutions driven team – we find a solution to every customer’s problem. We are also grateful to our loyal customers who have been instrumental to the growth of our business, even in the face of tough economic conditions,” she concludes.