Yeo Valley
Yeo Valley is an organic farming and dairy company based in the South West. The distribution centre in Highbridge holds Yeo Valley organic products, which are then shipped to retailers around the UK.
PBPL provides 24-hour power
Mitsubishi electric PBPL hand pallet trucks with lithium-ion make light work of heavy loads for organic farming and dairy company
What was the challenge?
Operators pull heavy pallets within Yeo Valley's three yogurt cold stores and required a less labour-intensive alternative to manual pallet trucks.
Why this product(s)?
The Mitsubishi PBPL electric hand pallet truck with lithium-ion batteries makes work much easier for operators and can be recharged quickly and safely.
What was the outcome?
Operators reported much lower levels of fatigue and the opportunity charging ensures high availability during 24-hour operations.
1.4 million pots a day
Operators at the Yeo Valley distribution site in Highbridge, Somerset are feeling less strain and more gain thanks to the arrival of a fleet of Mitsubishi PBPL hand pallet trucks. Yeo Valley was previously using manual hand pallet trucks in its three yogurt cold stores, but switched to electric after trialling a model from the local Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks distributor.
We use hand pallet trucks 24 hours a day to move up to 1.4 million pots of yogurt a day. Pallets can weigh 600-700kg, so the work is quite labour intensive, and we were interested in finding ways to make that easier. We had worked with our local distributor on some other kit a while ago and they loaned us an electric pallet truck to try out. We had really good feedback from the team about it, so we decided to swap out our whole fleet.
Fast, easy charging
Yeo Valley ordered 24 Mitsubishi PBPL12 1.2-tonne electric hand pallet trucks, which are powered by 48-volt Li-ion batteries. An additional 12 batteries were ordered to support the fleet in the long term. The fast-charging capability has proven to be extremely beneficial to Yeo Valley, as the trucks are in high demand. Operators can plug the trucks in during breaks, lunch, or at the end of a shift, confident that the kit will be ready when required.
The PBPL truck offers electric driving and lifting so tasks are not as much of a strain for operators. It is durable, lightweight, and compact, which is ideal for Yeo Valley because the team operates in tight picking aisles of racking. Li-ion batteries can be charged quickly and safely, and are very low maintenance. You just plug them in as and when you need to, and the charge lasts for hours.
Less fatigue, more energy
The PBPL hand pallet truck features an ergonomic spring-loaded steering handle for comfortable grip during long shifts. It has already made a significant impact for operators at Yeo Valley, with many reporting less fatigue at the end of a shift. At Yeo Valley, downtime isn't an option, and the PBPL has the flexibility, performance and high availability to ensure that operations keep going 24 hours a day. To support, the local distributor was on hand from order to delivery and beyond, with engineers making site visits when required.
The team and engineers were great to work with. They were really responsive and looked after us well. The PBPL trucks have made a big difference for our operators and their physical wellbeing. Anything that makes the job easier is always a bonus.
Award-winning warehouse range
Engineered to deliver maximum performance, while keeping energy consumption to a minimum.
