How Forklift Attachments Can Boost Efficiency and Cut Labor Costs
Forklifts are the workhorses of any warehouse, job site, or industrial yard. But without the right attachments, your equipment and people are working harder than they need to.
Forklift attachments aren't just fancy add-ons. They're tools that provide additional functionality, so that you get more bang for your buck with that forklift. No longer will that forklift sit idle in the shop just because you don’t have pallets to move! The right attachments help your team move faster, safer, and smarter. The result? You get more done with less effort.
And in today’s economy, who doesn’t want that?
At Sidekick Attachments, we want that for you! We’ve teamed up with our friends at Iron Bull Manufacturing to design and offer attachments that offer true forklift efficiency to shops and warehouses. No matter what you use forklifts for, we have the parts and accessories to help turn your forklift into a versatile and efficient powerhouse.
Ready to find out more? Let’s go!
Why Forklift Attachments Deserve Your Attention
Forklift attachments are cost-effective accessories that revolutionize the way people use forklifts. No longer is the operator confined to just using a forklift to lift pallets. The attachments, particularly the ones by Sidekick Attachments, are adapters that let operators use a forklift to push, tow, and maneuver trailers or lift large pallets. And because they’re designed specifically for the task, they’re safer thanks to OSHA-compliant design.
Say Goodbye to Manual Labor Headaches!
Imagine a forklift equipped with the right hitch or extension, completing the job in one pass with no extra steps, switching equipment, or waiting for a second set of hands to arrive.
By using the correct attachment, you can speed up some tasks, such as:
- Turning trailer repositioning into a one-person job: Our trailer attachments are as easy to use as driving the forks into the trailer attachment to pick it up, and positioning it under the coupler to connect.
- Eliminate the need for manual load alignment: Positioning loads by hand is exhausting and potentially hazardous. Fine motor movements don’t necessarily require more energy, but positioning heavy objects using a forklift equipped with the right attachment is faster, safer, and requires less manpower.
- Reduce long travel paths by moving larger loads at once: The ability to move large objects quickly and repeatedly, especially when it comes to oversized pallets, with one operator, is a compelling reason to invest in a forklift extension.
- Reduce workplace fatigue by reducing the heavy lifting: Fatigue leads to reduced alertness and an increased risk of repetitive strain injury. Invest in your people by investing in machinery that keeps them healthy and efficient. Our forklift attachments are designed in a way that you just need to drive into the attachment to use it, rather than having to manually mount it to the forklift.
Properly selected attachments also provide an intangible benefit: workers who aren’t bogged down by repetitive and exhausting tasks will stay more focused, leading to fewer mistakes, less damaged goods, and a smoother workflow.
Reducing manual labor isn’t just about saving your employees’ backs. You’ll also reduce the chances of expensive workers’ comp claims, injury downtime, and employee turnover. These in turn have an accumulative effect on employee morale.
Efficiency is vital in high-traffic areas such as warehouses, loading zones, and vehicle yards. A forklift trailer mover lets one operator do what used to take two or three people and a truck. It’s a game changer that yields results that are felt quickly. By reducing the amount of foot traffic, you’re improving safety by putting fewer people in a high-risk environment.
The bottom line is that investing in a forklift with the right attachments will help you save money while protecting your workforce.
The Right Tool for the Job: Attachments That Do the Heavy Lifting
Here are some examples of time-saving, labor-reducing forklift attachments you should know about:
- Forklift Trailer Movers: Quickly move utility or farm trailers around your lot without needing a truck. A trailer mover connects and disconnects quickly, saving time and effort. With a Sidekick trailer mover, the hands-free and self-locking attachment means you won’t need to use chains or pins, or get off your forklift to get it attached. Great for busy yards or loading areas.
Interested in learning more about trailer movers? Click here to check out our blog covering trailer movers in extensive detail.
• Semi Trailer Movers: Designed to move full-size semi trailers with your forklift. Much like a trailer mover, it’s perfect for repositioning trailers at loading docks or warehouses. Increased visibility from the forklift means better situational awareness, resulting in a faster and safer move.
- Fork Extensions: Need more reach? Durable fork extensions that don’t easily wear out or bend enable you to handle longer or bulkier loads safely and effectively without needing to switch machines. Our extensions are fully tapered for more effortless loading and unloading, with locking pins for added safety.
- 3-in-1 Forklift Hitches: Are you tired of needing to purchase separate hitches for trailers, campers, and other equipment? The 3-in-1 forklift-mounted hitch eliminates the need for multiple towing options! These multi-function hitches offer a combination of ball, pintle, and receiver hitch compatibility, making them a game-changer in terms of efficiency if you own a fleet of trailers in various shapes and sizes.
Short-Term Investment, Long-Term Win.
Do you need a lot of hands on deck? Hiring more workers can ease today’s workload. However, over time, labor costs tend to rise. You’ll also have an excess of people on payroll once the workload eases up, leading to the need to make difficult decisions about letting people go and facing additional consequences of laying people off. Add turnover, training, and injury claims to the headache.
Attachments, on the other hand, are a one-time investment that pays off year after year. Let’s break it down:
- One trailer mover: hundreds of labor hours saved, and quicker yard management without using a truck (and that truck can then be used on the road, increasing your capacity).
- One forklift extender: quality forklift extenders that don’t bend mean enhanced safety and savings since you’ll only need one set.
- One 3-in-1 hitch: complete versatility with just one attachment. No more time spent looking for, loading up, and installing extra attachments for a job!
And unlike human workers, attachments don’t call in sick, have a bad day, and are still around long after you’ve paid for them.
How To Choose The Right Attachment
Every business runs differently. What works at a distribution center might not make sense in a warehouse, truck yard, or farm. The key to choosing the proper attachment is to take a good look at your operations and ask yourself a few questions:
- What kinds of trailers or loads do we move every day?
- Are there any tasks that slow us down because we’re using the wrong tool, or no tool at all?
- Are we constantly switching equipment just to handle simple moves?
- Are we putting people and property at risk because we’re improvising with equipment not made for the job?
These questions will help you figure out the pain points.
Do you have a lot of oversized pallets to move? Fork extensions will provide you with the ability to pick these up safely and properly. Do you have a lot of gooseneck trailers in your yard? Sidekick’s gooseneck trailer mover does it safely and easily. Are you moving farm trailers or fifth wheels? With Sidekick’s help, you can easily move it with a forklift.
From there, match the tool to the task. At Sidekick Attachments, we offer:
- Heavy-duty attachments that stand up to wear and tear
- Simple, efficient designs that make work faster
- Custom builds to match your forklift and workload
Here’s a tip: Start with bottlenecks in your operation. That’s where you’ll see the most significant and immediate gains. Once you’ve seen the improvements, you can start to focus on the next area for improvement.
Don’t be afraid to reach out for help either. At Sidekick Attachments, we know that every operation is different. Whether you're working in agriculture, construction, or warehouse logistics, we’re here to listen and recommend the attachment that makes the most sense for you.
Conclusion
If your forklift is still running bare forks, it’s not working at full potential. The proper attachment turns your lift truck into a real problem solver.
At Sidekick Attachments, our experience with forklifts drives our designs. Our attachments are carefully designed, thoroughly tested, OSHA compliant, and best of all, made from quality materials in the USA. We’ve helped other shops gain efficiency by putting over 250 trailer movers in the hands of shop owners, saving them an average of 75+ hours per year per shop, and an average of $ 1,875 per year in labor.
Less labor. More output. Safer crews. That’s what we strive for.
Contact us today to discover how the right attachment can help your business achieve more, for less.
With so many types of attachments available, you are sure to find one that suits your particular needs.