Propane Gas – Benefits for Using Propane for Forklifts!

Diesel and gasoline may be popular fuels for vehicles, but they may not be the safest and most cost-efficient option for running forklifts. In that case, there is propane for forklifts, and this can be a better option than electric forklifts. Around 600,000 forklifts in the US warehouses are powered by propane, and for many good reasons. Here are some of them:

• Minimal emissions – Propane for forklifts produce minimal carbon emissions compared to vehicles that run on gasoline. Otherwise known as LPG, propane is a clean and approved fuel that is listed in the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and the 1990 Clean Air Act as a clean-burning fossil fuel. The US Environmental Protection Agency tested the fuel and found that vehicles running on propane produce 30 to 90 percent less carbon monoxide and approximately 50 percent less toxins and other smog-causing emissions than those running on gasoline.

• Safer for workers – Carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal, and it can occur when emissions are trapped in an enclosed space. Propane for forklifts is nontoxic and it will not harm water or soil. Moreover, it may help reduce the incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning, too. Propane forklifts are manufactured to meet the strictest national safety specifications and they come with an automatic shut-off mechanism in case of an accident. This way, the flow of LPG is halted before it can endanger workers or the facility.
• Save time, increase productivity – Propane for forklifts is supplied to the vehicle via cylinders, which are easy to replace and safe to refill compared to natural gas tanks. In most cases, a cylinder can power a forklift for up to eight hours, which is lengthy enough for an entire shift. You can simply switch to a new cylinder for a new shift. And in case of a power outage, you do not have to worry about a forklift running low on batteries.
• Cost-effective – A study was done in 2005 to analyze the costs of running a forklift on propane and compared it with that of electric forklifts. It was found that running costs are lower than electric forklifts by a few cents, and while that seems minimal, it can be greater when you apply that to an entire year of using multiple forklifts in your business.

This article was written by ThompsonGas. The 16th largest retail propane company in the U.S., ThompsonGas has been family owned and operated since 1946.