How to Keep Your MHE Safe and Efficient in Extreme Heat

Once the temperature hits triple digits, machines start to show it. Forklifts lag, hydraulics run hotter than they should, tires wear faster, and even charging cycles start acting up. Extreme heat puts pressure on your material handling equipment (MHE) in ways that may not be immediately apparent.

How to Keep Your Material Handling Equipment (MHE) Safe and Efficient in Extreme Heat

Watch the Fluid Temps, Not Just the Gauges

Hydraulic systems run hotter in summer, and if they get pushed past spec, seals start to break down. Once that happens, pressure drops, leaks form, and performance tanks. You might not notice until the lift response slows or jolts a bit between stages. Keep your fluid levels topped off, but more importantly, check if they’re overheating under load. Infrared thermometers are particularly helpful, especially on older units that lack digital alerts.

Battery-powered MHE, like electric pallet jacks and reach trucks, are also affected. Heat increases resistance inside the battery, which slows charge times and shortens cycle life. Charging stations need ventilation, and charging schedules may need to be adjusted to cooler parts of the day.

Inspect Tires More Often: Heat Eats Tread

Air-filled tires expand as the pavement temperature rises, especially on asphalt lots. Solid rubber tires soften slightly under sustained high temperatures, making them more vulnerable to wear. If the floor or ground surface is already rough, the extra heat only accelerates that damage.

More frequent tire checks help you catch trouble before it affects traction or stability. Look for uneven wear, cracking, and pressure shifts. Heat tends to exaggerate small alignment issues, especially in powered steer wheels on electric trucks.

Electronics Can Overheat Before the Engine Does

It’s easy to focus on engines and hydraulics, but your control panels and onboard sensors are also vulnerable. MHE with CAN bus systems or complex telemetry can throw error codes if internal components get too hot. Dashboards might dim, displays freeze, or fault codes trip when nothing’s wrong, just overheated.

Dust buildup around circuit boards and fans worsens the problem. A quick clean-out with low-pressure air can make a difference, but don’t wait until the truck shuts down or goes into limp mode.

Operators Feel It First

If your crews are slowing down, your machines probably are too. Fatigue shows up in decision-making, accuracy, and response time. Add a hot cab or metal frame that holds heat all shift long, and things get sloppy. Hydration, shade breaks, and a quick cabin fan retrofit can prevent bad lifts and even worse injuries.

Equipment checks mean more during high heat, but so do people checks. Make sure whoever’s driving knows what to watch for, slow responses, strange smells, loss of power, and has a plan if the unit needs to be cycled out.

Preventive Steps Save Downtime

Daily walkarounds count more in the heat. Catch a small leak or a swelling battery early, and you avoid a full stoppage later. Replace filters on time, clean debris from vents and radiator fins, and don’t overload units on hot days; they’re already running harder than normal.

Heat doesn’t just affect performance; it shortens the lifespan of every system that’s not being watched for signs of overheating. Keep the checks tight, the loads smart, and the equipment clean. It’ll get through the season if you treat it like it’s already operating under pressure.

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Nebraska Warehouse One-Stop-Shop | TechnologyEnabled 3PL Value-Added Services Warehouse | Freight Broker | Logistics

Nebraska Warehouse doesn’t just help to facilitate your shipments, but we are truly a one-stop-shop solutions provider. Our services include:

• 3pl Warehouse Omaha Specifications
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