Hills Transport has based its materials handling machines on timing, reliability and co-ordination of duties to maintain high operating services in the competitive transport sector servicing the Sydney metropolitan and NSW intra-state express freight market.
Hills has a fairly complex freight operation with many different styles of freight that it unloads, positions in the depot and reloads, but what makes the company's task a little different is the diversity of freight which is handled.
According to Bruce Munro, general manager-operations of Hills Transport, based in the western Sydney suburb of Villawood, the company moves everything from the smallest skid to large four-pallet capacity freight cages and sometimes, substantial pieces of machinery.
To enable Hills Transport to continue to prosper in this ultra-competitive freight industry, the right type of materials handling equipment was not only needed, but also integral to the success of the operation.
"We conducted a study into our lift truck needs that addressed many factors including reliability, service standards and arrangements," Mr Munro said.
"And generally, we assessed what other users of lift trucks were saying and came up with Crown as being the right choice for our business."
After making comparisons between many brands, the machines Hills Transport chose to commission were 15 Crown CL25 LPG-powered lift trucks and 1 CL 40 LPG-powered Crown lift truck.
The units operate at the Villawood distribution centre continuously over a three-shift cycle, 24 hours a day, Monday to Friday.
But the main reasons to go with Crown were not just the obvious ones. Munro says that worker safety and comfort came into this equation as well.
"Naturally, price is a consideration when choosing any vehicle brand, but price was only taken into account after all the other major factors had been explored."
"As for our drivers, they are highly impressed with the fork trucks. Generally, now all of our drivers think that these forks are the best they have driven.
"Initially there was a degree of resistance from a small number of drivers - individuals that had been driving a certain style of lift truck for a long period - but even they have come to recognise the value of the Crown control layout and superior seating comfort".
Another critical factor in choosing Crown was that of the promise of increased productivity.
Munro says that changing from an older fleet to a newer one, the fleet productivity has definitely improved, and along with other tangible benefits such as drivers affectionately taking ownership of "their" lift trucks have all helped.
Due to the nature of its business, Hills Transport requires for its lift truck fleet, a number of modifications such as the addition of side-shifting fork positioners which help in the handling of pallets and skids.