CAT: The best kept secret in warehouse handling equipment
Although better known for the durability and performance of its counterbalanced machines, CAT Lift Trucks has a long and impressive history of delivering pioneering warehouse handling solutions.
Exclusively distributed in the UK and Ireland by Impact Handling, part of Aprolis UK, CAT Lift Trucks can trace its warehouse equipment roots all the way back to 1958. Over the years the company has focused heavily on cutting-edge product development and innovative production capabilities – investing heavily in organic growth and acquisition – to ensure it continues to provide its warehouse customers with market leading equipment.
A recent flurry of new product developments sees CAT now offer one of the widest and smartest warehouse equipment ranges in the marketplace. Yet despite the history, the pedigree and all the exciting customer benefits the brand seems to remain one of the industry’s best kept secrets. So perhaps it’s time to take a deeper dive…
Wide Range and Endless Customisation
The first surprise is the incredible scope of applications the CAT offering can support, thanks to its wide range and almost endless customisation options. The core equipment range includes, VNA, reach trucks, low and high level order pickers, ride on and sit on powered pallet trucks, pedestrian powered pallet trucks, stackers, 4-way multi directional trucks, turret trucks and tow tractors.
Richard Root, National Sales Manager at Impact Handling comments: “We support warehouse customers across a really diverse range of sectors, everything from transport and haulage and retail to manufacturing and 3PL. We offer true end-to-end solutions, with dedicated machines for every step in the chain, right down to the back of store or kerbside delivery.”
Strong VNA Offering
CAT has a particular strong VNA offering in the UK, where Impact operates a dedicated in-house team of high-density storage experts. The team includes a UK-based VNA factory specialist from Caterpillar, permanently on hand to support customers. Unsurprisingly, the CAT VNA range has generated significant interest amongst UK customers, combining numerous advantageous benefits such as 19 metre maximum lift heights, wire or rail guide options, superior ergonomics and low running costs.
Customer Focused
The range builds on CAT’s long held belief in developing products based firmly around customer needs. Indeed, Cat operates one of the most comprehensive on-going customer consultation programmes in the material handling sector. These values are echoed in its UK partnership with Impact Handling, extending into the ongoing support and back-up its customers can rely on across their sites, on a daily basis. Mr Root elaborates:
“The warehousing and logistics industries have changed at a remarkable pace over recent years. This has been driven by a number of factors, such as the remarkable rise of e-commerce, the step-change in health & safety attitudes, a continued drive to optimise every last inch of space, environmental concerns and, of course, numerous technological advancements.
“At Impact, we recognise that these changes aren’t something that has happened, but rather they are factors that continue to happen. And that these changes in the logistics industry – and the subsequent requirement from the customers handling fleet – are a continual and fast-moving evolution. This means that aside from an extensive range, market-leading innovation and premium product quality, the most important thing we can bring to our customers is flexibility. Which is exactly what we do.”
Flexibility
A quick fact check shows that a commitment to flexibility is something Impact Handling takes very seriously indeed, featuring as a recurring theme throughout all of its offerings.
Most notably, Impact extends unique levels of flexibility to its long-term rental contracts. Meaning that customers can change equipment to meet changing needs throughout the contract term, without penalty. Effectively future-proofing their fleet in the process.
The flexibility continues with the equipment itself, where, aside from the extensive range of new CAT equipment, Impact can also blend a combination of manufacturer-approved refurbished machines and short-term rental equipment into its agreements. Allowing yet further flexibility which ensures the fleet remains optimised, at all times, to the operation’s needs and budget – Including adjusting for seasonal demand.
Short Term Rental and Service
As you might expect from Impact, the short-term rental fleet includes a broad selection of machines, covering all key models, and is held, primed for rapid despatch, to assist customers anywhere in the country.
Maintenance and ongoing support from impact is equally comprehensive and flexible, delivered by a nationwide team of xxx dedicated service engineers, all equipped with state-of-the-art service vans carrying all common parts and specialist tools. The service engineers are further supported by 20 regional service centre teams.
All-important up-time has proved to be another strength of the CAT – Impact partnership, helped by Impact holding a reassuringly extensive UK-based parts inventory for warehouse equipment as well as CAT operating an expedited delivery system from the factory for all specialist parts requirements.
So, with such an incredible amount to offer warehouse handling equipment users, and such a strong and proven track record, this is one secret where the CAT really does need to be let out of the bag!