Seasonal forklift hire: when it makes sense and what to expect
Most businesses assume forklift hire is for companies that don’t own their own trucks. A lot of the customers we work with already have forklifts. They just need more of them, or a different one, at certain points in the year.
Here’s when short-term hire makes sense, what’s included and how to decide between hiring and buying.
Who seasonal hire is actually for
Short-term hire works across a few different situations.
- You own or lease trucks but hit a peak period where they’re not enough. Christmas is the obvious one. Warehouses and fulfilment operations that run fine for ten months can be seriously stretched in November and December. Hiring one or two extra trucks for six to eight weeks is simpler than committing to equipment you don’t need the rest of the year.
- You don’t need a forklift all year but have recurring moments when you do. Events, shows, seasonal production, agricultural work. If you need a truck for a few weeks at a time rather than continuously, hire is almost always the better financial decision.
- You have the right truck for day-to-day, but a specific job calls for something different. A compact electric truck works well in a smaller indoor space but working outside on rough or uneven ground is a different matter entirely. The environment dictates the equipment, and it isn’t always what’s already on site.
When the numbers work in hire’s favour
Buying a forklift means taking on more than the purchase price. There’s servicing, inspections, insurance and repairs. Those costs continue whether the truck is working or sitting idle.
Short-term hire at Moorgate includes:
- Delivery and collection
- Maintenance and safety inspections
- Breakdown cover
- A replacement truck if something goes wrong on site
You get a well-maintained truck for exactly the time you need it, without managing any of the upkeep.
Hire or buy a second truck: how to decide
This is worth thinking through honestly. The answer isn’t always hire.
If you need extra capacity on an ongasis throughout the year, buying or leasing a second truck is likely to work out better over time. The more hours it’s working, the lower the cost per use.
If your need is seasonal or specific to a certain project, hire is usually the smarter call. The hire cost for a six-week peak period will be a fraction of what it costs to purchase, insure, service and eventually sell a truck that you’re not getting full use out of.
- A few days to a few months: hire
- Recurring need across most of the year: buying or leasing is worth considering
- One-off job requiring specific equipment: hire every time
If you’re not sure which is best for you, it’s worth a conversation. We’d rather help you make the right call than put you in something that doesn’t suit you.
Why businesses in Yorkshire come to Moorgate
We’ve been supplying forklifts across Yorkshire for over 35 years. Here’s how hiring with us works:
- Fast turnaround. We can deliver across Yorkshire within 24-48 hours in most cases.
- Matched to the job. We’ll ask about your environment, the task at hand and how long you need the truck, then tell you which one makes sense. That might be electric, diesel or LPG depending on what you’re doing and where.
- Everything included. Delivery, collection, maintenance, breakdown cover, so you’re not dealing with any surprises. The only exception is accidental damage.
- Local. We know Yorkshire businesses and how they operate. We’re not a national operation; you deal with the same team every time.
A lot of our hire customers come back year after year. We’ve supplied trucks to the Harrogate Flower Show at the Great Yorkshire Showground fourteen years running. It’s a huge event with tens of thousands of visitors. They need the right equipment for the build and breakdown, and they need it to work without a fuss. Over a decade in and the trucks arrive ready to work, are covered while on site and we collect them when the job’s done. It means one less moving part for the team to worry about.
Don’t leave it too late
If a busy period is coming up, we’d always recommend reaching out sooner rather than later. Get in touch to let us know what you need and we’ll come back to you with availability.
