Forklift hire means renting a lift truck to load, unload and move palletised materials, either for a day or two or on a longer contract. Published hire rates put a counterbalance forklift at about £100 to £160 a day on short-term hire, and long-term contracts of 6 months or more start from about £50 to £70 a week. On a building site with unmade ground you need a rough terrain forklift, and most forklift hire is self-drive, so you supply a trained operator. For long loads such as timber and steel there are sideloaders and multi-directional forklifts, and for offloading deliveries where there's no forklift on site, a truck-mounted forklift, often called a Moffett.
Types of forklift: which one do you need?
Rough terrain forklift
A masted forklift with large pneumatic tyres, high ground clearance and usually four-wheel drive, built for hardcore, mud and uneven site roads. Hire fleets typically offer them with about 2.5 to 4 tonne capacity.
The usual choice for unloading block and brick deliveries on site.
Counterbalance forklift
The standard forklift, with a weight at the back to balance the load on the forks. Electric trucks suit indoor work; diesel and LPG (gas) trucks suit yards and outdoor work on hard surfaces.
Not built for soft or rough ground.
Reach truck
A warehouse truck whose mast reaches forward to place pallets high in racking. It needs smooth, level floors.
Rarely suitable for construction sites.
Pallet truck
A powered or hand pallet truck lifts a pallet just clear of the floor so it can be moved around a warehouse, shop or level slab.
It can't lift loads up onto scaffolds or vehicles.
Truck-mounted forklift (Moffett)
A compact forklift carried on the back of a lorry and unhooked at the delivery point, so pallets of blocks, bricks, roofing materials or drainage supplies can be offloaded where there is no forklift. Moffett is Hiab's brand, and its range lifts about 2 to 3.5 tonnes.
Usually hired with the lorry, either with a driver or self-drive.
Sideloader
Carries the load along the side of the truck, parallel to the direction of travel, so long materials can be moved lengthways through aisles and doorways that a front-loading forklift couldn't manage.
Suits timber, metal, plastics and sheet materials.
Multi-directional forklift
Its wheels turn so it can drive forwards, backwards and sideways, carrying long loads or pallets through narrow aisles. The small wheels need smooth, even surfaces.
Not for rough or unmade ground.
Pedestrian stacker
A walk-behind truck that lifts pallets higher than a pallet truck, onto low racking. One typical hire model lifts 1 tonne to 3 metres.
Needs a smooth, level floor.
Warehouses with very high racking also use narrow aisle trucks and order pickers. They need smooth, level warehouse floors and are rarely hired for building work.
Need to lift higher, reach over a trench or place loads onto a scaffold? That is a telescopic handler (telehandler), which is covered in our plant hire guide.
Forklift hire prices
These ranges come from hire firms' published price lists. Prices vary with capacity, lift height, fuel type, hire length and where you are, and most exclude VAT.
| Truck | Typical capacity | Published rates |
|---|---|---|
| Electric or gas counterbalance | 1.5–2.5 tonnes | about £100–£120 a day, or £105–£245 a week |
| Diesel counterbalance | 2.5–5 tonnes | about £160 a day |
| Rough terrain forklift | 2.6–4 tonnes | about £95–£115 a day including VAT, 7-day minimum |
| Powered pallet truck | Pallet loads | from about £150 a week |
| Electric pedestrian stacker | 1–1.2 tonnes | about £179 a day, or about £43 a day on weekly hire, at one hire firm |
| Sideloader | Long loads | advertised from about £177 a week at one hire firm |
| Multi-directional forklift | Long loads | advertised from about £177 a week at one hire firm |
| Truck-mounted forklift (Moffett) | 2–3.5 tonnes | usually quoted per job with the lorry and driver |
| Heavy electric forklift | 10–16 tonnes | from about £800–£1,000 a week |
| Long-term contract (6 months or more) | Varies | from about £50–£70 a week |
- Hire lengthTransport is a big part of a short hire, so a one-day hire can cost closer to a week's hire than you might expect. Some firms set a minimum hire of a week.
- Capacity and lift heightBigger capacities and taller masts cost more. Check the heaviest load and the highest lift before you ask for quotes.
- Fuel or chargingDiesel, LPG gas bottles and battery charging are handled differently by each firm, so ask who pays.
- Delivery and collectionSome firms include transport in the hire price; others charge for delivery and collection separately.
- AttachmentsSide shift, fork extensions and other attachments can add to the cost, and some must be examined separately.
Check whether each quote includes delivery and collection, damage waiver, fuel or charging, breakdown cover, the current thorough examination and VAT, and whether there is a minimum hire period. A low weekly rate on a long contract is not comparable with a short-term day rate.
Forklift licence, training and cards
The Health and Safety Executive says there is no such thing as a lift-truck licence. Operators should be trained to the standards in HSE's Approved Code of Practice L117, which covers basic training, specific job training and familiarisation on the site and truck they will use. Training is accredited voluntarily, mostly through the five members of the Accrediting Bodies Association for Workplace Transport: RTITB, AITT, ITSSAR, NPORS and Lantra. The certificate should show the accrediting body and the truck types covered.
The two construction card schemes have separate categories for each truck type, so check the card covers the truck you're hiring. CPCS doesn't list a separate category for every truck, so the table shows where only NPORS has one.
| Truck | CPCS category | NPORS category |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial counterbalance forklift | A16 | N001 |
| Rough terrain masted forklift | A14 | N009 |
| Reach truck | A18 | N003 |
| Sideloader | A15 | N006 |
| Multi-directional forklift | Not listed | N135 |
| Truck-mounted (lorry-mounted) forklift | Not listed | N004 |
| Pallet or stacker truck | Not listed | N008 |
| Telescopic handler | A17 | N010 |
- Construction sites. Some sites ask plant operators for a CPCS or NPORS card rather than an industrial training certificate, so check the site rules before the truck arrives.
- Refresher training. HSE sets no fixed interval, but says even trained and experienced operators need to be reassessed from time to time. It notes that some employers refresh automatically every 3 to 5 years.
- Age. HSE says lift-truck operators should be over the minimum school leaving age, except in ports, where they must be at least 18.
What to check before you hire a forklift
Thorough examination report At least every 12 months
Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), lifting equipment must be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least every 12 months, and every 6 months for lifting accessories and equipment used to lift people, unless a written examination scheme sets different intervals. HSE says a lift truck's thorough examination also covers safety items such as brakes, steering and tyres under PUWER. Ask the hire firm for the current report.
Operator training Right truck type
Self-drive hire firms usually ask to see training records. Check your operator is trained on the type of truck you're hiring, such as a rough terrain forklift rather than only a warehouse counterbalance.
Seat belt
HSE says that since 2002, counterbalance, rough terrain and single-sided side-loading trucks must be fitted with an operator restraint, such as a seat belt, and that it should be used where fitted.
Ground, access and headroom
Tell the hire firm about slopes, soft ground, gateways, doorways and headroom. Counterbalance trucks need hard, level surfaces; rough ground needs a rough terrain truck.
Insurance and damage cover
Ask whether the hire includes damage waiver, or whether your own hired-in plant insurance must cover the truck.
Forklift safety on the day
- Pre-shift checks. HSE says operators should carry out a pre-shift check of the truck. Use the hire firm's or manufacturer's checklist, report defects and don't use a faulty truck.
- Keep people apart. Plan routes so pedestrians and forklifts are kept apart, and use a banksman where visibility is poor.
- Never lift people on the forks. HSE says never lift a person on the forks or on a pallet balanced on them, and that non-integrated working platforms must not be used for planned work. Use a cherry picker or scissor lift instead.
- Stay within the rated capacity. Check the truck's capacity plate, which shows how the safe load falls as the lift height and load centre increase.
- Travel with the forks low. HSE says travel with the forks lowered but clear of the ground. On a slope, keep the forks facing uphill when loaded and downhill when empty, and never turn on or drive across a slope.
- Park safely. Park on level ground, never on a slope, with the forks fully lowered and the mast tilted forwards. Apply the parking brake, select neutral, switch off and remove the key.
Questions to ask a forklift hire firm
- Which truck do you recommend for my loads, lift height and ground?
- What is the minimum hire period, and is delivery and collection included?
- Does the price include damage waiver, breakdown cover, fuel or charging, and VAT?
- Can I see the truck's current thorough examination report?
- What training records do you need to see for my operator?
- Can you supply the truck with an operator if I don't have one?
- How quickly will you replace the truck if it breaks down?
Prices in this guide are typical ranges from suppliers' published price lists and cost guides. They change and vary by area, so always confirm the price with the supplier before you book. Rules, fees and tax rates are checked against official sources.