Are the Good Times (and your forklifts) Ready to Roll?

It’s been a long time now since consumer confidence has been high, but in spite of continuing worries about the state of the EU, there are indications that confidence in the U.S. economy is growing. Yes, there are still a lot of negatives to worry about, but a recent study shows that consumer confidence has taken an unexpected upward swing. Does this mean it’s time to gear up with new forklift accessories and other equipment and get your forklifts running full throttle again?

Well, the news isn’t quite that good, but according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan study reported by Bloomberg, consumer confidence hit a 3 month high in the first half of February, climbing from 73.8 in January to 76.3 in February on the preliminary index of consumer sentiment. This exceeded Bloomberg’s own projection of 74.8, so if it takes you by surprise, don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Why are consumer sentiments so buoyant? Gas prices are on the rise and a 2 percent rise in payroll taxes means that Americans making $50,000 a year are taking home about $83 less each month. On the plus side, though, there are quite a few other things to be feeling good about.  According to Bloomberg:

• Property values are on the rise — single family home prices up in 88% of cities.
• Stocks are at 5 year highs.
• Manufacturing is on the mend.
• More jobs are being found and fewer jobs being lost.

All of these things are making Americans a little more confident that a corner has been turned and the economy and their personal finances are on more stable ground.

Before you rush out and buy a fleet of new forklifts in anticipation of a rush of orders, though, the news isn’t all that exciting. As Coca Cola’s CEO Muhtar Kent remarked in the Bloomberg article cited above, “it’s a recovery that is at best lukewarm, but we feel that it could get better.” So what should your short term strategy be?

Instead of planning for an as-yet uncertain future, take stock of your current situation. Are your forklifts in good working order? Do you have a regular maintenance program in place? Are your forklifts running as efficiently as they could be or are they sitting idle when a forklift accessory could make them more efficient and productive? Having a better grasp of your current working conditions and developing strategies for improving workplace efficiency and productivity now will make you better prepared for any future eventualities.

Why not do a little brainstorming on forkliftaccessories.com? Take a look at some of the hundreds of forklift attachments and accessories on the site and imagine how they could be put to use in your materials handling setting. There’s no need to buy anything. Just add some items to your wishlist of products for later reference. That way, when a situation arises when you think, “We could really use a drum attachment” or “Those fork extensions would come in handy right about now,” you’ll know where to find them fast.

Don’t forget to give your forklifts a thorough inspection, too. If you need any forklift parts now or want to keep some on hand for later, Forklift Accessories is the place to find the parts you need.