International Forklift of the Year Winners Announced

Jungheinrich, Still, and Unicarriers were among the forklift manufacturers recognized when the prestigious International Forklift of the Year award winners were announced earlier this month during a trade show in Munich, Germany.

Since 2013, winners of the awards have been selected by an independent jury of leading international heavy equipment trade journalists. This year, a record number of 14 forklifts made it to the final round.

Finalists were scrutinized in a neutral test as well as a scientific “innovation check” before winners in each category were selected, according to a news release from IFOY, the German trade association that sponsors the competition.

Best Forklift Up to 3.5 Tons

Jungheinrich’s EFG S30 series three-ton electric forklifts won the award for “Best Counterbalanced Truck Up to 3.5 Tons” category.

The jury complimented the vehicles on their predictable handling, calling the forklifts the “perfect all-arounder for the mass market.” They feature an ergonomically and intelligently designed cabin, and simple, automatic battery charging that allows two-shift duty without the need to change the battery.

Best Forklift Over 3.5 Tons

The winner in the category of “Best Counterbalanced Truck Over 3.5 Tons” was Still’s RX 60-80 line of eight-ton forklifts.

The jury said they were impressed with the electrically-powered eight-tonners’ power and agility, as well as its encapsulated and maintenance-free drive unit that includes multidisc brakes.

The RX60-80 shows that the trend toward electric forklifts has now finally penetrated the high-performance market, according to the jury.

Best Warehouse Forklift

The Tergo URS forklift, which is manufactured by Unicarriers, was named the “Best Warehouse Truck”. The jury chose the vehicle — which combines a narrow aisle truck with a reach truck — because of its multifunctionality and its forward-looking ergonomic concept.

The jury praised the Tergo URS for combining the benefits of high warehouse density with the reduce handling requirements. The vehicle also sets the benchmark in ergonomic design due to its being highly responsive and predictable for operators, they said.

Best Intralogistics Concept Vehicle

Still Forklifts, a subsidiary of the German multinational giant KION Group, also was presented with the IFOY award for “Best Intralogistics Concept” for its work on a new raw materials warehouse for Kuraray Europe GmbH.

The jury recognized Still’s innovative combination of automated guided vehicles with a pallet shuttle system, as well as the link-up of automatic and manually operated units.

The jury said Still succeeded in installing a fully-functional, 24/7 solution with state-of-the-art technology for Kuraray in just nine weeks and that the solution set a benchmark with an amortization schedule of just three years.

The company’s work on the project is not the standard against which future warehouse planning and design will be measured, according to the jury.

IFOY Awards Sponsors

The IFOY awards are presented under the patronage of the German Ministry of Economics and Energy and are sponsored by the VDMA Materials Handling and Logistic Systems Sector Association. The logistics partner of the IFOY awards is Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.

All of the award-winning forklifts were on display at the CeMAT trade show held in Munich, Germany, earlier this month.