MATERIAL HANDLING
1. SAFETY FIRST: GOING BEYOND COMPLIANCE Safety will remain the top priority for businesses operating material handling equipment in 2026. According to the British Safety Council around 1,300 people a year are involved in forklift related accidents. Several are fatal. Failure to maintain a safe working environment can have dire legal consequences for a business and its directors, so getting the best value from a truck in terms of safety is now widely seen as absolutely essential.
for the task and equipped with critical safety equipment will be of primary concern. Sealed disc brakes, automatic parking brakes, speed beacons, reversing alarms and ‘pedestrian awareness’ projected blue light systems are all course. This trend is set to develop further in 2026 with the introduction of further advanced safety features from a number of OEMs. Vehicle design and safety features go
across makes. So, selecting well- engineered, intrinsically safe warehouse and counterbalance trucks suited to each individual task is becoming more complex and and access to multiple-brands a growing trend. Comprehensive operator training
programmes and thorough vehicle maintenance regimes will also play a goods and equipment in 2026. Many organisations will be seeking to go beyond mere legal compliance in order to build a strong culture of safety in the workplace.
2. SUSTAINABILITY AS A COMPETITIVE EDGE Sustainability is now a major agent of change investments into rooftop solar initiatives for on-site power generation, smart HVAC heating and cooling systems, and critically, a continuation of a major shift to electric forklift trucks. Demand from consumers and regulators for greener business practices, along with increasing supply chain compliance measures to reduce carbon-emissions, have created a sea-change in the way energy and resources are used within the warehouse. As many organisations have realised, the adoption of green power has the potential to create a competitive edge for winning new business.
3. ELECTRIC FORKLIFTS TO GAIN MOMENTUM The long established 60-40 market split between IC and Electric counterbalance forklift trucks, once in favour of diesel, is now seeing a dramatic shift, and it’s set to continue apace in 2026. Electric models are fast becoming the preferred choice as purchasers seek to improve their environmental performance in the wake of societal demands for sustainability and tightening EU regulations on carbon, nitrogen oxide and particle emissions. Importantly, established and fast-developing
battery technology supports the move. Electric counterbalance trucks are now fully capable of working outside, eight hours a day, in dirty and dusty environments such as builder’s yards
SEVEN KEY TRENDS SET TO IMPACT MATERIAL HANDLING IN 2026
By Craig Davenport, Sales Director, Rushlift
Warehouses, transport hubs and fulfilment centres will be under immense pressure to perform in 2026. But what are the key trends and influences driving change? Craig Davenport, Sales Director at Rushlift sets the scene
and industrial sites. And heavy lifting is no longer the sole domain of IC engine vehicles, as electric models with capacities up to 8,000kg and above are now in wide use. Electric trucks are cleaner, quieter and
16 NOVEMBER 2025 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
cheaper to maintain, however, there are choices to be made over battery type and charging options. Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly seen in fast-moving, multi-shift operations but it’s essential to have adequate
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