Tough Hyster trucks for metal coil handling

Reliability, visibility, fleet management and parts supply are just some of the benefits that Hyster lift trucks and ReachStackers have brought to the Port of Oxelösund to support its tough metal coil handling requirements.

The Port of Oxelösund is around 100km south of Stockholm, Sweden. With a team of around 200 employees, operations at the Port are based on bulk goods for ocean-going vessels, alongside other packaged transportation solutions.

Metal coils arrive at the port by train from Borlänge and are unloaded with a crane, ready for forklifts to drive out and pick up the coils. When a ship comes in, the Port’s operators must then transport the metal coils to the port cranes which load coils onto the ships.

A combination of factors made the Port of Oxelösund choose a fleet of Hyster trucks for its demanding operations.

“Machines that are reliable. Strong machines,” says Christian Vallin, production engineer at the port. “That they [Hyster] had a solution on how to fix any problems. Supply of spare parts. A total solution that appealed to us.”

“Before selecting the new fleet, the Port of Oxelösund created a list of requirements for the vehicles. Its drivers also had a say from start to finish, with the opportunity to express how they wanted the vehicle to behave and what equipment the new lift trucks should have,” says Erik Pogrebnjak, sales representative for local Hyster distribution partner Nordisk Truck-Trans AB, which visited the site many times and provided feedback to help specify trucks to meet the port’s specific requirements.

After consulting with Hyster and the local dealer, the Port of Oxelösund eventually opted for two Hyster H32XM012 forklift trucks, two Hyster RS46-36CH ReachStackers and one 20 tonne capacity H20XM-9 Hyster lift truck. This equipment is reliable and strong, well suited to the tough portside conditions.

“Before ordering the trucks, the customer had the chance to see the trucks and ReachStackers in action at other Hyster customer sites and with Hyster dealers,” says Dmitry Dubrovsky, Big Truck Manager for Hyster. “They also had the opportunity to visit the Hyster factory in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, to test the trucks and ensure they made the right decision for their specific application needs.”

Optimising operator visibility

The Port of Oxelösund uses big machines and handles large metal loads, so that means an operator’s view backwards and forwards may be impaired.

Hyster helped by installing cameras at the back of the Hyster heavy-duty forklift trucks, as well as high cameras placed both on top of and under the fork stand. Operators have found that this has helped with the view of the quay when driving.

“What I like about the Hyster trucks is that they turn softly, they have brakes that brake securely, but not too much. I don’t feel stiff when I step out of the machine or have neck pain or anything like that. They are ergonomic and quiet,” said one of the Port’s operators.

Hyster Tracker provides control

An important part of the new fleet delivered is the Hyster Tracker wireless asset management system. Alongside a full range of fleet management benefits, this has given the Port of Oxelösund an opportunity to limit drivers, so only those who are authorised by the company can drive a truck during working hours.

Since the delivery of the trucks, Hyster and the dealer has worked with the customer to adjust and adapt the trucks even further based on the Port of Oxelösund’s specific business needs.#

“As a whole, we are very pleased with the deal and how it went from start to finish and our relationship with Hyster has further developed – the Hyster team takes time to call and ask how it is going,” says Christian Vallin, production engineer at Oxelösunds Hamn. “I would definitely recommend others to drive Hyster.”