Supporting Container Operations with a Refurbished Doosan Forklift

J Hayward & Sons of Walsall Ltd (Hayward Transport) is a well-trusted name in transport and road haulage incorporated in 1952. Today, the business operates a fleet of 82 Euro 6 compliant 44-tonne vehicles from sites in Walsall, Leeds and Liverpool.

Although known as a general haulier, 80 per cent of the company’s business is related to container operations, which often involves heavy lifting duties for Hayward Transport’s forklift truck fleet. Much of the work is time-critical, requiring fast and efficient on-site movement of full and empty containers, as well as boxes and pallet loads of goods. Reliability of the materials handling equipment is a prime concern for managing director, Sean Hayward, as any downtime could significantly impact operations, with negative implications for customer SLAs.

So when it came to expanding the business by opening a new depot in Leeds, Sean was keen to replicate the reliable handling performance he had experienced with the forklift fleet on the company’s Walsall site. Sean’s father and uncle had previously purchased a 7 tonne capacity Doosan counterbalance truck over ten years before, and it had proved to be extremely tough and ultra reliable – capable of lifting heavy loads, empty containers and performing general yard duties, day-in, day-out.

The decision for Sean was simple. He wanted another heavy-lifting Doosan. However, the machine was needed quickly and it had to be just like their existing Doosan, which made sourcing a second-hand refurbished truck the best option.

Working with Rushlift, a specialist materials handling and airport ground support equipment supplier and service provider, a similar model, but with an eleven tonne capacity, was quickly found. The Doosan D110S-5 was ten years old and had only done 4,500 hours service, making it a highly attractive machine for purchase and refurbishment.

In just a few weeks the D110S-5 was completely refurbished at Rushlift’s Service & Engineering Centre in Northampton and delivered to Hayward Transport’s Walsall site for early May 2022.

Along with repainting the vehicle and reconditioning the carriage, Rushlift had fully serviced the engine and transmission and replaced worn components with genuine Doosan parts throughout – including key elements such as steering joints, lift chains, rams and fork tines. Completed to exacting Rushlift standards, and fully compliant with LOLER requirements, the truck was ready for another ten years of reliable service.

“The machine looks as good as new,” says Sean. “Rushlift were brilliant. They found the exact truck we needed within a matter of days and were really efficient at getting the machine to us on time, fully refurbished and ready to go.”

Reflecting on his decision to buy another Doosan through Rushlift, he says: “We wanted a repeat performance on a good reliable truck – if you have a positive experience then you want to reinforce decisions that bring positive results.”