El Ciruelo's two production centers are located in Cieza and Alhama in the province of Murcia in south-eastern Spain. They each cover an area of 20,000 square meters. This is where the harvested fruit is delivered, processed, packed, packaged and made ready for dispatch. The company has been using Crown forklift trucks for more than eight years: El Ciruelo uses around 60 pallet trucks from the WT series every season. In addition, there are up to 30 electric counterbalance trucks from the SC series and a double-decker pallet truck from the DT series. El Ciruelo relies on flexible long-term rentals to cover seasonal peaks, with the entire fleet being renewed every five years.

"When our long-standing business partner Tecasur became Crown's official dealer for the Murcia region, it made sense for us to seamlessly continue our proven collaboration and work with Crown products from now on," says Aquilino Sola, Operations Manager of El Ciruelo in Spain, describing the start of the collaboration with Crown. "We had a clear idea of the first-class product and service quality that we could expect here. This idea was then confirmed in practice within a very short space of time."

Seasonal fluctuations as a challenge

To begin with, the logistics experts from Tecasur and Crown analyzed the specific requirements at Ciruelo's production centers in detail. The fruit industry is very seasonal. Accordingly, Ciruelo works with varying levels of capacity throughout the year. "In the peak season, when an average of 70 trucks commute between the two sites every day and 80,000 tons of fruit are transported, around 100 forklift trucks are in use in our facilities, operating around the clock in three shifts at peak times. The robustness and reliability of Crown equipment are of course essential in this tough environment. In the two-month off-season, we work with around 20 forklifts," explains Sola.

The result of the analysis was a tailor-made proposal that provided the right answer to these fluctuations. The solution comprises a long-term and flexible long-term rental contract, supplemented by services. The fact that an extensive fleet of rental forklift trucks is available at all times means that the fleet can be flexibly dimensioned according to the season and specific requirements. Each season is planned in advance and the forklifts that are likely to be needed are reserved accordingly. The success of this solution meant that the long-term contract was recently renewed with larger fleets at both locations.

"The decision to convert our entire fleet to Crown forklifts and to enter into a long-term contractual relationship was extremely easy for us at the time," says Aquilino Sola. "The professional approach of Tecasur and Crown and the deep understanding of the specific requirements in our production centers confirmed that we had found the right fleet solution for our purposes."

Sprung platform increases operating comfort

At the heart of the fleet solution are the WT series ride-on pallet trucks with folding platform. The pallet trucks are designed for intensive ramp operation and high handling capacity and are primarily used at El Ciruelo for loading and unloading trucks and for weighing goods. Some of these pallet trucks are equipped with special forks for transporting special fruit pallets. According to the company, the WT series is characterized by high performance, reliability and robustness and offers exceptional ease of use. When driving on uneven floors and ramps, for example, the folding and sprung FlexRide platform reduces the transfer of impact energy by more than 80 percent. Operators benefit from this, especially when driving on ramps. The damping system offers excellent stability and protects against physical fatigue. Operators can work efficiently and comfortably and always have the pallet truck under control, even during the hectic harvesting season.

Suitable for intensive operating conditions

During initial testing, the operators were not only impressed by the ergonomics of the new pallet trucks. With its robust design, reinforced chassis and good protection for the internal components, the WT series has proven itself right from the start under intensive operating conditions in loading and ramp operations. Added to this are its compact design and maneuverability. This allows the pallet truck to move with agility even in tight spaces.

The first test runs with the SC series three-wheel counterbalance trucks also went smoothly. At El Ciruelo, they are used to store and retrieve cartons and pallets and to prepare goods for order picking. The operators emphasized the good visibility, the ease of operation - for example, the ergonomic hydraulic controls require only minimal hand movements - and the generally easy handling. As a result, the picking processes have been accelerated.

24-hour maintenance service for high availability

The flexibility of the fleet strength is also a particular advantage for Francisco Andreo, Maintenance Manager at El Ciruelo, because in addition to the performance of the industrial trucks, the company also benefits from a support service: "At peak times, an expert service technician is on duty in both production centers, and a 24-hour maintenance service ensures that all forklifts are in excellent operating condition, even during full-shift operation."

Operations manager Sola sums up: "With the forklift trucks from Crown and the service from Tecasur, we always have the optimum fleet in use - the right size at the right time and precisely tailored to our requirements. These are simply very good, professional products that enable us to work smoothly and increase productivity. The price-performance ratio for long-term rental is simply unbeatable. We would make the same decision again at any time."