To meet the highly specific needs of its freight customers, UniCarriers Americas (UCA) is increasing the number of standard options on its Platinum II®, Nomad®and BX Cushion series lift trucks. Over 21 new options, previously only available as custom orders, will become part of UCA’s inventory, resulting in lead times shortened by over five weeks.

Developed in close collaboration with its customers, UCA analyzed the wide variety of environments and applications in which its trucks are utilized to offer complex custom parts as standard options. UCA has also enhanced its manufacturing process to add the standard options to the trucks as they come down the assembly line. This highly efficient process results in a reduction in lead times when trucks are ordered with these new standard options.

Examples of UniCarriers’ new options include an extended debris package, which helps offer additional protection from shrink-wrap and other common debris from warehouse environments. The remote jumper cable posts offer yet another solution to applications with severe battery drain from repeated engine start/stop cycles and high current draw from accessories allowing for charging without opening the hood.

With this program, UCA seeks to establish an efficiency benchmark for offering customized solutions and standard options. UCA fulfills custom orders concurrently within the manufacturing process, with trucks being modified as they come down the assembly line (traditionally, custom orders were modified off line).

“We’ve listened to the needs of our customers and worked with them to develop extremely intricate customization that is done quickly and cost-effectively,” says Mark Porwit, director, corporate planning at UniCarriers Americas. “The result offers end-users extremely customizable trucks, which can now be delivered faster than ever.”

UCA is offering more than 21 new standard options for internal combustion engine trucks, with options on electric units beginning in December.