The Benefits of Partnering with a Turnkey Equipment Rentals Supplier

From keeping a facility running smoothly and efficiently — often on a 24/7 schedule — and ensuring a safe work environment to overseeing routine maintenance assessments and planning for excess inventory storage, a warehouse facility manager’s to-do list is never-ending.

That’s why warehouse facility managers should look for equipment rental partners who go beyond simply delivering equipment to provide comprehensive rental solutions and support that streamline processes and save money in the long term. 

What Questions Should Warehouse Facility Managers Ask When Thinking About Equipment Needs?

While the immediate need might be spot cooling to combat summer temperature spikes or more forklifts to accommodate a seasonal inventory surge, consider the daily, monthly, quarterly, and yearly rhythms of your business. You might just find unexpected inefficiencies.

Use This List of Questions as a Starting Point When Thinking About Warehouse Equipment:

Taking a broad-based approach might uncover untapped equipment rental solutions. 

Why Rent Maintenance Equipment Rather Than Own It? 

Purchasing equipment requires a large capital investment that depreciates each year while adding ongoing expenses for repairs and maintenance. 

Renting Equipment Opens Up New Possibilities, Including:

• Flexibility: Not sure what height scissor lift you need? Start with a 20-foot model — you can easily swap it out for a 30- to 33-foot model if your maintenance team needs to reach higher. Increase the number of forklifts needed during seasonal inventory surges. Avoid the hassle of selling equipment if a location ceases operation.
• Built-in service and repair: Most rental contracts include regular inspection, service, and repair so warehouse staff can focus on more important tasks.
• Ability to test the latest technology: Explore eco-friendly lifts that can provide a safer option than ladders for low-level work, or see how autonomous floor scrubbers work alongside workers. 

Sunbelt Rentals Takes a Comprehensive Approach to Warehouse Equipment Solutions.

When a warehouse facility manager asks for help with a specific problem, the Sunbelt Rentals team will take a proactive, problem-solving approach to their response. It’s all about asking the right questions about the business, how it functions, its budget, and its labor constraints and challenges.

A request for portable cooling in 24 warehouses — many over 1 million square feet — operated by a national online retailer illustrates this holistic approach. 

In the summer of 2020, with employees working masked, the retailer’s HVAC program manager and delivery director recognized a need for supplemental cooling to keep the warehouses under 90 degrees Fahrenheit. 

• Sunbelt Rentals team members visited each site to gather information on square footage, cubic footage, how often loading doors are open, and historical weather data to calculate the size and type of portable cooling equipment and supplemental power needed. 
• The project proposal also included containment berms under each fuel cell and generator to prevent damage from fuel spills, as well as protective barriers around the cooling equipment to make the equipment highly visible. 
• Aerial drawings showed recommended equipment placement.
• A safety plan laid out protocols the team would follow during installation.
• Each Sunbelt Rentals location provided servicing technicians and coordinated with fuel suppliers to keep the generators running.

While fulfilling the need for temporary, portable cooling could have stopped there, the Sunbelt Rentals team saw a need to prevent disruptions and respond quickly if something went wrong. That’s why they included Sunbelt Air Monitoring Systems in the plan. 

SAMS units provide 24/7 remote monitoring of temperature and humidity. The retailer and Sunbelt Rentals kept eyes on these readouts. If they fell out of range, a Sunbelt Rentals technician could be dispatched if needed. 

The data proved to be so valuable that the retailer added SAMS units to 39 other locations to monitor newly upgraded HVAC systems. 

How Can Sunbelt Rentals Keep Your Warehouse Running Smoothly?

From keeping workers cool to lighting excess storage areas, Sunbelt Rentals has a comprehensive product offering backed by expert service and support. And we are here to help as the situation changes throughout the year. Our experts can provide planning assistance so you’re prepared for demand surges or to keep operations going during unexpected weather events.

Our Comprehensive Product Offering Includes:

• Air conditioners
• Air handlers
• Autonomous floor scrubbers
• Battery energy storage systems
• Chillers
• Cooling fans
• Electric scissor lifts
• Forklifts
• Generators
• Indoor air quality equipment
• Mobile elevating work platforms
• Safety equipment
• Solar light towers
• Temporary structures

Contact Sunbelt Rentals to learn more about our partnership approach.