Frequently Asked Questions: Everything You Need to Know Before You Rent a Forklift

Chandler from FRIENDS was famous for his fear of commitment.

Yet, he was easily one of the most popular characters on the show. Forklift rentals are very much the same—albeit with fewer one-liners. They are incredibly popular and perfect for anyone not ready for a commitment.

If you've ever thought about fork truck rentals but aren't sure where to start, this article is for you. We'll talk about why renting is so popular, what to expect during the rental process, and what equipment we can provide.

Read on to learn everything you need to know before you rent a forklift.

Benefits of Renting Over Buying

Renting isn't perfect for every occasion, but it has some substantial benefits that make it very versatile.

First, rental equipment is commitment-free. You get to use rental equipment while you need it and then return it when you’re done. You can try before you buy to ensure the equipment is the right fit. Plus, if your needs change, you can swap it out for something different.

You don’t even have to worry about maintenance as that’s all included in the cost of your rental.

Second, rental equipment allows you ultimate flexibility. If your needs scale up or down, you can change the number of rental forklifts to match volume. This allows you to easily match seasonal needs without any hassle.

Third, Fork truck rentals are also a cost-effective solution.

Since you don’t bear the burden of ownership, they have no long-term costs associated with usage, making them perfect for short-term projects. Additionally, they can be secured with either a line of credit or your company credit card. Finally, your rental may qualify as a tax-deductible operating expense.

Renting may not be perfect for everyday usage, but it has a lot to recommend for short-term needs.

How to Rent a Forklift

You can rent a forklift or any other equipment with us in as little as four steps.

1. Account Setup

If you don’t have one already, the first step of the rental process is to set up an account.

For the most part, setting up an account is easy. The most difficult step is the credit application. A forklift rental isn't like a purchase where payment happens upfront. With a rental, approved customers receive their equipment and then an invoice.

Invoicing allows many operations to write the rental off as a tax-deductible operating expense.

To benefit from this deferred payment, you must establish a line of credit with us. Your credit application determines how much credit you qualify for. If you would rather pre-pay or don't yet qualify for a line of credit, you can secure your rental with a credit card. However, keep in mind that credit cards are subject to additional credit card fees, which raise the total price of your rental.

Once you've established your account, you can speed through this step for future rentals if nothing in your credit history has changed.

2. Insurance

We require liability insurance coverage for all our fork truck rentals.

The liability insurance you carry for your operation may already cover rental equipment. If it does, we'll ask you to provide a certificate of insurance (COI). Often, this can slow down the rental process as the individual applying for the rental may not have the COI on file. It's best to work with your organization to acquire a COI prior to starting the rental process to ensure speedy delivery.

If your insurance does not cover rental equipment or you can't supply a COI, we'll add a 15% short-term rental equipment insurance fee to the rental cost to cover any potential liability.

3. Equipment Specifications

Equipment specifications are the next important step in the process.

To help you get the right equipment for your needs, we’ll need to know some or all of the following:

• What lifting capacity do you need?
• What type of power source are you looking for? Diesel, propane, or electric?
• If electric, will you need more than one charger? Electric forklift rentals come with one free charger.
• Are you looking for a sit-down or stand-up model?
• What fork length do you need?
• Do you need any special attachments?
• What type of tires do you need? Pneumatic or cushion?
• Duration? How long do you need to rent the equipment?
• Do you have a PO to associate with the rental?

Due to the breadth of equipment we rent, we may have additional questions regarding your requirements. Consequently, understanding the full specifications and work plan for your equipment rentals is essential for finding the right equipment.

4. Delivery and Contacts

The final step is delivery.

We need to know when and where you want it delivered. Delivery arrangements might be made with someone other than the individual placing the rental order. If that's the case, we'll also need an email and phone number for the delivery point of contact.

Designating a dedicated delivery point of contact streamlines rental equipment delivery.

Equipment We Rent

Forklifts aren’t the only things we rent at The Lilly Company.

We also rent the following:

• Sit-down and stand-up forklifts
• Special use forklifts
• Order pickers
• Pallet jacks
• Scissor lifts
• Boom lifts
• Attachments
• Other mobile elevated work platforms
• Terminal tractors
• Utility vehicles
• Construction equipment
• Much, much more

All our equipment comes from major manufacturers like Toyota, Clark, Linde, Kalmar and Komatsu to ensure you get the equipment you can depend on. 

Check Out Our Rental Fleet

Renting a forklift doesn’t have to be hard.

In fact, we're here to make these four simple steps even easier. Our team can walk you through it so you can use your new rental in no time. With over 100 years of experience, we have the process down to a science.

To learn more and rent material handling equipment, click here  or visit one of our locations:

Arkansas - Jonesboro
Alabama - Birmingham, Dothan, Irondale, Madison, Mobile, and Montgomery
Mississippi - Belden, Tupelo, and Richland
Tennessee - Jackson, Memphis, Knoxville, and Kingsport

Further Reading
We Rent It All, Even Heavy-Duty, High-Capacity Forklifts
Top 4 Reasons to Rent Vs. Buy a Forklift
Forklift Attachment Rental – We Have What You Need