Forklift / Lift Truck Testimonials

Fleetman Consulting Inc., Vancouver, BC, Scott McLeod, President

Lordco Auto Parts Ltd.

A few years ago the philosophy at Lordco was to buy used forklifts. Although each store location required the use of a forklift, the usage per day was so low that it seemed difficult to justify acquiring a new machine. When we looked for a used forklift we were at the mercy of the market and had to accept what was available at the time of our need and this often meant compromising on certain features that we would otherwise want to have.

Scott McLeod helped change all of that for us. He has such significant product knowledge and knowledge of other customer applications similar to ours that he was able to properly advise us on the right forklift to buy and how to choose the options to best meet the needs of our store locations. He did this in a way that lowered our total forklift costs over the longer term.

In addition to choosing the right options for a particular store location, Scott also made sure the trucks were configured in such a way as to increase our flexibility to move the forklifts from one store location to another... ie the specifications of the truck were largely acceptable to most of the store locations in the Lordco family. This consideration would allow us the ability to rotate our trucks when the need arose due to service issues or for upgrading requirements etc.

I have always found Scott to be very reliable and creative when it came to finding solutions to our problems. He has a unique ability to quickly assess a situation and find the right solution to achieve an outcome that will maximize our profitability or improve other related aspects of our business.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Scott to another business if they were looking to find ways to better structure their forklift fleet. We were very happy with the outcome.

Joe Fantillo
Fleet Manager
Lordco Auto Parts Ltd.

Standard Building Supplies Ltd.

Approximately 3 years ago I met Scott McLeod at a time when our forklift fleet was a mixed bag of different makes and models, hours, condition etc.

We met at a time when our company was experiencing unprecedented growth and change. We knew that finding safe but productive forklift drivers was difficult as the demand for this type of employee was high due to the significant growth of the BC economy. Frankly the challenge still exists today.

We also knew that if we were going to compete in what is a highly competitive building supply market we would need a better mouse trap and we would need to clearly show our value, not only in the marketplace, but with our employees.

Scott took the time to look into more than just the forklifts we had. He spent a lot of time talking to our people and finding out what they liked and didn't like about our current trucks but he went further than that. He also wanted to know more about our business, our challenges, our opportunities and our constraints.

He surveyed our facility, took lots of measurements and he provided evaluations for our equipment. He also studied the usage of our equipment and recommended ways to be more efficient with the trucks we had throughout the day. He spent a lot of time making sure that our equipment specifications were right and that they would allow the truck to be as versatile and effective as possible.

When we finally decided to upgrade we knew that the work Scott did at our facility would help us make the best decisions. He was there every step of the way before, during and after the delivery of the new machines making sure all would go according to plan.

Today our forklift operators are extremely happy and our employee turnover in this area is the lowest it has been in our company's history.

We have less product damage today because our operators care about their job and the impact their activities have on the company's profitability.

We burn less fuel, our work environment is quieter and in general our employees feel more safe.

As for productivity, we feel our current equipment helps us get more done in a day as we have taken advantage of technology that reduces an operator's effort to move a load.

Scott was very instrumental in helping us see the light and make changes when sometimes they were a little uncomfortable to make. Today we are very glad we made these changes.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Scott to any client that is looking to do more with less and who would like to run a more efficient and safe forklift fleet. He helped us tremendously.

Darcy Doroshenko
Operations Manager
Standard Building Supplies Ltd.

Sunrise Soya Foods

Sunrise Soya Foods has been very pleased with the forklift management results Scott McLeod has brought to our organization.

Scott's approach to forklift utilization and assessment of hourly consumption helped us increase our forklift utilization rate by 20%.

His expertise in forklift specifications and his recommendations for acquiring the right trucks with fewer units, saved us tens of thousands of dollars a year.

Scott helps me take the guesswork out of managing my fleet of forklifts and has saved me a lot of my time and money.

Colin Poon
Vice President of Operations
Sunrise Soya Foods

CarlWood Lumber Limited

Approximately (4) years ago our plant was operating (3) forklift trucks where our costs seemed to be a little higher than they were in the past.

At the time we thought we needed all (3) forklifts because each forklift had a specific purpose in our plant and each forklift was different in capacity, lifting height etc. so it wasn't possible to switch the lift trucks around to the various work areas.

We had been operating this way for years and to be honest we didn't think there was a better way at the time.

Back then, (2) of the (3) forklifts were getting very old with too many hours and repair bills that seemed to be excessive. We decided that something needed to be done to improve the situation so we started to look into replacing them with new machines.

Had we not met Scott McLeod back then, that's likely what we would have done.

Scott helped us slow down the thinking process and he helped us consider all the costs associated with operating a forklift truck. He walked through our plant and talked to our people and he took lots of measurements. He recorded hour meter readings and he took the time to ask what we liked and didn't like about the trucks we had. He also asked our people about the bottlenecks they experienced every day.

With all this information he came back and showed us that our initial decision to replace (2) forklifts would not be the best decision in the long term. Scott showed us that it would be far more cost efficient to replace all (3) trucks with (2) trucks that were configured differently than the trucks we had. Reconfiguring the trucks would allow the forklifts to work in most of the work areas in our plant. Our existing forklifts were restricted to the areas they were designated to work in and as a result they weren't fully utilized.

The net effect is that we were able to reduce our fleet by one (1) truck or by 33 1/3%. This change also allowed us to take the 3rd forklift operator and have him be more productive in the plant instead of driving a lift truck. We knew that our operators weren't as productive as we wanted them to be but we didn't know why. We also knew that when operators aren't productive they are likely driving forklifts around just to put in time, and all of that was costing us money.

Overall our forklift capital costs, fuel, maintenance and other related costs have gone down by well over 20%. These days, reducing fuel costs alone can add up to a lot of savings. To us these numbers are huge.

Today, (4) years later we still operate with just (2) lift trucks without any negative impact to production, which by the way is up over 100% from that same time period. In the end, we do more with less.

We valued Scott's expertise and professionalism through the process and we still call Scott today for advice when it's required. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to any prospective business person who is looking to become more efficient and save money with their forklift fleet.

Doug Carl
President & Owner
CarlWood Lumber Limited

Watkins Sawmills Ltd.

I first met Scott McLeod almost 4 years ago now. Within a very short time of talking to Scott, it was clear that I was dealing with someone that knew the ins and outs of the forklift business. He seemed to relate very well to my particular needs even though our business has some very specific requirements as it relates to the forklift.

Scott was able to come in and assess our business very well. He suggested attachments and various options that were available for forklifts which we never previously considered or knew existed.

With his experience, Scott was able to recommend a forklift solution that took into account more than just the forklift itself. The result is that our productivity has increased and our costs have gone down.

We know our industry very well and Scott knows forklift trucks. What was particularly different about Scott was that he cared about our needs and he listened to us. In the end, we both felt good about making some very positive changes for our company and we have enjoyed the benefits ever since.

If there is a business person that needs help figuring out what to do with their forklift fleet or if they simply want to find a way to reduce costs, I would highly recommend that you contact Scott for assistance as he is the expert in the forklift field.

Glenn Johnson
Yard Supervisor
Watkins Sawmills Ltd.

Haida Forest Products Ltd.

I was approached by Scott to do an analysis of our forklift fleet approximately 4 years ago.

When our company finally had enough of our forklift fleet either breaking down, or not running very well, Scott assisted us with a solution that reduced our fleet from 6 forklifts to three.

While our operators were very pleased to have new machines that were comfortable to drive, our fuel savings and reduced maintenance costs provided a payback of less than 3 years.

We found Scott's product knowledge to be first rate, and his analysis of our fleet and the resulting solution was very well documented and thought out.

I would recommend Scott to anyone wanting to improve their mobile material handling fleet.

Robert Sandve
Plant Manager
Haida Forest Products Ltd.

Terminal Forest Products Ltd.

We have dealt with Scott McLeod for a little over 10 years now at our sawmill in south Vancouver. Scott has always been our point of contact when purchasing forklifts at the mill.

When we acquire new forklifts, Scott has been very helpful when choosing the options and truck configurations. We typically run 24 hours a day so it is critically important that we deal with someone with Scott’s product knowledge so that downtime and / or product damage is minimized.

Our lift trucks have many custom options to meet our exacting requirements. With Scott’s many years of experience he has been able to relate to these requirements to help us solve problems quickly when they arise.

Scott has demonstrated that we can rely on him to give us a straight answer to our questions and the integrity of his solutions has earned our trust over the years.

If forklifts are a large part of your business, and if you are finding their costs to be unaffordable, I couldn’t recommend a better guy than Scott to help you get back on the right track

Eric Calverley
General Manager
Mainland Sawmills
A Division of Terminal Forest Products Ltd.

I-XL Masonry Supplies Ltd.

I-XL Masonry Supplies Ltd. has been in business since 1912. We have always been a company that has paid attention to our costs.

I first met Scott McLeod roughly 5 years ago. At the time, we had 9 branches and a fleet of 24 multiple brand forklifts. From our first meeting, I knew Scott was genuinely interested in our business and first impressions told me that he knew what he was talking about as it related to forklift trucks. He seemed to have the background and experience that I was looking for.

At the time, I knew very little about forklifts. Back then, I thought the decision concerning what type of forklift to buy was mostly about how much it would lift and how high. From there it was just a matter of sending out requests to quote and then we would buy the most inexpensive. What is interesting is that not one forklift company bothered to teach me that there were many other things to consider? Scott McLeod was the exception.

When I was first contacted by Scott, I told Scott we were not in the market for a forklift. I really believe this did not matter to Scott. Scott was interested in making me a more informed purchaser of forklifts. I was impressed that it did not matter to him that our fleet was minimal and probably not going to grow significantly more than the purchase of one forklift a year. Scott McLeod is passionate about what he does.

I quickly developed a trust in Scott that he was sincere, that he was looking out for our best interests and that he was very knowledgeable about the lift truck industry. He has never let me down on this. Over time, I have become a more informed purchaser of forklifts, with Scott’s help. Almost from the outset, I have always looked to Scott as our forklift consultant. I truly believe there is no one as knowledgeable about the lift truck business as Scott McLeod. Scott McLeod is sincere and he has the ability to add value to my business.

Yes, we have bought forklifts from Scott over the last 5 years but it was never because of the purchase price. It was because of my new found knowledge, with Scott’s input, where I felt confident we were purchasing a truck that was right for us. Scott showed me so many things to consider, other than the original purchase price of a forklift, such as maintenance savings, fuel savings, speed to unload trucks, operator satisfaction, safety, the environment etc. Scott McLeod understands the overall picture from the owner to the operator of owning and operating a forklift.

True story #1..... Scott provided us with a demo truck before we ever purchased from him. Scott knew there would be major push back from our operator when the new style of truck arrived; Scott was there to assist. He was able to identify with the operator and he reassured him that in a short time this would be the operators’ forklift of choice. This same forklift operator was offered a transfer a year later to another yard much closer to his home; he would only accept the transfer if he could take the forklift that Scott had recommended to his new yard. Scott helped us make the right decision.

True story #2..... we were interested in purchasing 1 maybe 2 electric forklifts. These would be replacements for existing internal combustion trucks. Scott discouraged me from purchasing what was available at the time because there was new technology coming. He felt this was absolutely the wrong time to purchase even though he might lose the sale. We held off and purchased when the new technology was available. I know today that this was the right thing to do. We now have 3 electric trucks with a 4th being considered in the near future.

Scott McLeod is honest, trustworthy, knowledgeable and definitely not full of himself. I know his suggestions and ideas have definitely helped us to reduce the cost of buying and operating our forklifts. We would never consider buying another forklift without first consulting with Scott McLeod.

Dryco Building Supplies

Our company, Dryco Building Supplies, is a leading supplier of gypsum board, insulation, acoustical tile, grid, stucco, tools, steel framing and allied products to the Canadian wall and ceiling industry. We operate roughly (15) forklifts from (9) locations in (3) Canadian Provinces; BC, Alberta and Ontario. The fleet is a mixture of different makes and models of trucks where some are owned and others are leased. Due to our lack of forklift experience, we decided to involve Scott McLeod, President and Owner of Fleetman Consulting Inc., in our most recent forklift purchase as Scott has extensive experience in the lift truck industry but is not associated with a forklift dealership.

Scott helped us tremendously by making sure we were choosing the right size and type of lift truck and with the best options for our industry. He was also instrumental in making sure we negotiated the acquisition to our advantage and with the terms and conditions that we believe will save our company thousands of dollars over the next 5 years.

We were very happy with the outcome. Going forward, we would definitely use the services of Fleetman Consulting Inc. again and we would gladly recommend Scott to any other business that is looking to improve their bottom line by lowering their forklift costs.

Dan Mauro
BC Operations Manager
Dryco Building Supplies