The background
On January 26 this year, PFD Food Services commenced a five-
year agreement with Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) for
the supply of more than 300 pieces of material handling equipment
for its sites nationally.
The agreement resulted in the implementation of brand new
equipment, a first for many of the company’s sites and the strategic
setting of key KPIs to ensure that the increased service level
enjoyed by the company’s metropolitan sites was extended to the
regional centres.
The partnership was the culmination of a 12-month process in
which both parties required a clear understanding of each other’s
requirements, including the trial and modification of equipment at
several sites.
Key benefits from this process now include total freezer proofing of
all equipment.
The reach trucks gained the most benefit from this process, with
heated floors, laser guidance, independent drive and custom dead-
man’s pedal now standard equipment on PFD-spec equipment.
Future plans for the partnership are the implementation of TMHA’s
new fleet-management system, with PFD being the first Australian
company to have access to this new global technology.
TMHA’s agreement with PFD Food Services
has seen the rollout of new forklifts across
58 sites nationally with the company taking
delivery of approximately 300 forklifts –
around 85 per cent of the PFD fleet.
TMHA worked closely with PFD to help
develop a number of forklifts specifically for
designed for their individual requirements
– notably operating in minus 25-degree
environments.
TMHA undertook detailed research and
analysis of PFD sites and then consulted with
them in the development of products to best
suit the freezer conditions.
PFD’s National Fleet manager Steve Wright
said: “Numerous factors led to the contract
with TMHA A little over a year ago, TMHA
ordered in some equipment for us to trial.
“The specification of the trial forklifts were
such that we could easily evaluate the units in
our sites and we then worked with TMHA on
evaluating and further developing the standard
features on the units as well as a few other
additional options that were available.
“This development work is part of the reason
why the products have performed so well,
because they were tailored to suit us.
“The significant improvements we saw were
in the steering and traction of the Raymond
Reach truck, which is obviously very
important when working in slippery minus
25-degree conditions.
“We were also impressed by the
professionalism TMHA displayed. They
understood that we had been with our current
supplier for many years and the decision to
change was not one that we would take lightly.”
“The region-service capability and coverage
of TMHA was a key component for us,” Mr
Wright added.
Mr Wright said TMHA’s Raymond brand
forklifts, which comprise the majority of the
PFD fleet, had made a positive difference to
operations in the company’s warehouses.
PFD’s involvement with the One Toyota
family, which includes the Toyota Motor
Corporation Group, Hino Trucks, Lexus and
Toyota Financial services, is an added benefit
of the arrangement with TMHA.
“It’s not something we considered at first,
because we wanted to make sure we had the
best product and service for our business.
But we certainly see great value in a
relationship with Toyota across all parts of our
business.” Mr Wright said.
Australia’s largest privately owned food-service distributor is now using Toyota Material
Handling Australia (TMHA) forklifts across its national networks of warehouses.
PFD Rises To custom-Designed
Forklifts FromToyota
TMH Torque
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5
1800 425 438
TMH Torque
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4
1800 425 438
