Frequently Asked Questions

The best way to determine the right forklift, power pallet, reach truck, or other material handling equipment is to speak with one of our specialists. We can assess your operation through a site visit or phone consultation by reviewing:

• Load weights and dimensions
• Aisle widths and warehouse layout
• Lift heights and racking requirements
• Indoor or outdoor use
• Expected usage hours and operating conditions
• Current challenges and productivity goals

Based on this information, we will recommend the best equipment, brand, and condition (whether new or used) to fit your operation and budget. With access to equipment and to industry-leading brands such as Linde, Hangcha, Komatsu, Mariotti, and more, we can provide unbiased recommendations tailored to your specific application.

No two operations are exactly alike. Our goal is to understand your business and recommend the safest, most productive, and most cost-effective solution for your material handling needs.

• Electric – Quiet, zero emissions, and ideal for indoor, warehouse, food-grade, and clean environments. Available with lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries.
• Propane (LPG) – Versatile for both indoor and outdoor use with proper ventilation. Offers fast refueling, consistent performance over long shifts, and is a good choice for operations requiring higher utilization than many electric applications.
• Diesel – Best for heavy-duty outdoor applications, rough terrain, and high-capacity lifting. Provides strong power and torque for demanding jobsites.

Our experienced material handling equipment team here at Ri-Go will help you choose the right forklift based on your facility, operating environment, load requirements, and operating hours.

It depends on the weight, dimensions, and lift height of your loads, as well as any attachments being used. We calculate the required capacity based on your application and recommend a forklift or pallet truck with an appropriate safety margin for safe operation.

For example, a forklift rated for 5,000 lbs at a 24" load center may not be able to safely lift a 5,000 lb load if the load is extra-long, oversized, lifted to a significant height, or handled with an attachment such as a carton clamp or rotator. Our team will review your specific application to ensure the equipment is properly sized and compliant with the manufacturer's capacity requirements.

Yes! We supply and install a wide range of forklift attachments, including sideshifters, clamps, rotators, and more. Attachments can affect a forklift's lifting capacity, depending on the type of attachment and its specifications. We assess the impact, arrange the necessary capacity recalculations, and ensure your forklift's data plate is updated to reflect its new rated capacity.

Power pallet trucks reduce operator fatigue and physical strain while allowing loads to be moved more quickly and efficiently. They are especially beneficial when handling heavier loads, covering longer distances, or completing frequent material-handling tasks. Many models also feature enhanced safety features, such as automatic braking and emergency reverse buttons.

Yes! We offer a wide selection of new forklifts and material handling equipment from leading brands, including Linde, Hangcha, Komatsu, Zoomlion, Skyjack, MiMA, Mariotti, and more. We also supply new batteries, chargers, and forklift attachments from Cascade, Nilfisk Advance, Battelec, Striker and more For customers looking for more cost-effective solutions, we carry a variety of quality used and certified pre-owned forklifts across multiple brands and models. We also offer used and replacement batteries and chargers, along with used and remanufactured Cascade attachments. Our used equipment and components are inspected to help ensure reliability and performance.

We are authorized dealers for a wide range of industry-leading forklift and material handling equipment brands, offering reliable solutions for warehouses, distribution centres, and industrial operations. Our brand offerings include:

• Forklifts & Lift Trucks: Linde, Hangcha, Komatsu, MiMA, Mariotti, Blue Giant and Presto Lifts..
• Aerial Lifts & Access Equipment: Zoomlion, Skyjack, and Hangcha.
• Industrial Cleaning Equipment: Advance and Nilfisk.
• Industrial Batteries & Chargers: Battelec, Crown, and Striker.
• Warehouse Racking & Storage Solutions: Space Aid and other leading racking manufacturers.
• Material Handling & Ergonomic Equipment: Southworth.
• Forklift Attachments & Accessories: Cascade.

In addition to our extensive selection of new equipment, we also offer quality used and refurbished material handling equipment, replacement batteries, chargers, and attachments to meet your operational needs.

Walkie pallet trucks are ideal for shorter travel distances, tight spaces, and applications requiring frequent stops and starts. Ride-on electric pallet trucks are better suited for longer travel distances and high-volume material handling operations, allowing operators to travel more efficiently while reducing fatigue and improving productivity throughout their shifts.

The best option depends on your operational needs, budget, and how frequently you use the equipment.

• Buy: Ideal for businesses with consistent, long-term equipment needs. Purchasing provides full ownership, builds equity in your equipment, and can offer the best long-term value, even if you plan to upgrade or replace your forklift after a few years.
• Lease: A great option for businesses looking to preserve cash flow, maintain predictable monthly payments, and upgrade equipment regularly without the upfront cost of purchasing.
• Rent:Best suited for short-term projects, seasonal demand, unexpected equipment breakdowns, or temporary increases in workload. Long-term rental options are also available for businesses seeking flexibility without the commitment of purchasing.See what equipment you can rent!

At Ri-Go Lift Truck, our team can help you compare purchasing, leasing, and rental options to find the most cost-effective solution for your business.

Leasing a forklift allows businesses to preserve working capital, benefit from predictable monthly payments, and upgrade equipment as operational needs change. Depending on the lease agreement, maintenance options may also be available.

Purchasing a forklift, on the other hand, provides full ownership, eliminates ongoing lease payments once the equipment is paid off, and offers long-term value through potential resale or trade-in opportunities.

Both options have their advantages, and our team at Ri-Go Lift Truck can help you determine which solution best fits your budget, equipment usage, and long-term business goals.

Yes! Ri-Go Lift Truck offers flexible short-term and long-term forklift rental solutions to accommodate your business needs. With one of Ontario's largest rental fleets of over 1,200 units, we offer daily, weekly, monthly, and multi-year rental options.

Whether you need a forklift for a single day, seasonal demand, temporary equipment replacement, or ongoing operations, we have rental solutions to suit your needs. Long-term rental agreements may also include maintenance options for added convenience and peace of mind. Forklift rentals are especially beneficial for industries such as film and television production, events and entertainment, construction, warehousing and distribution, manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and seasonal operations.

Absolutely! Ri-Go Lift Truck offers discounted rental rates while your equipment is in our shop for service or repairs, helping you maintain productivity and minimize operational downtime.

With one of Ontario's largest rental fleets of over 1,200 units, we can typically provide a replacement forklift within 24 hours to help keep your operations running smoothly.

Renting a forklift is also an excellent temporary solution while our service team works to get your current equipment back up and running, or while our sales team helps you find a suitable new or used forklift to replace your existing unit.

Our team is committed to getting you the equipment you need, when you need it, to keep your business moving.

We offer competitive financing and leasing programs through our partners, with flexible terms. We can structure payments to fit your cash flow.

Trading in your current forklift is a simple and straightforward process with Ri-Go Lift Truck! Our sales team will assess your existing equipment based on factors such as its age, condition, operating hours, and market value to provide a fair and competitive trade-in appraisal.

Once a trade-in value is determined, it can be applied toward the purchase of a new or used forklift, helping reduce your overall investment.

Whether you're looking to upgrade to newer technology, increase lifting capacity, or replace aging equipment, our team will help you find the right solution for your operational needs and budget.

Most manufacturers recommend service every 200–250 hours or every 1–3 months, depending on usage intensity. We strongly recommend a Planned Maintenance (PM) agreement so service is performed on schedule by factory-trained technicians.

Yes. Our PM programs are customized to your fleet and usage. They help prevent unexpected breakdowns and extend equipment life.

Yes. While we are authorized for Linde, Hangcha, Mitsubishi, Komatsu, MiMA and Mariotti, our technicians service virtually all makes and models of forklifts and warehouse equipment.

We prioritize emergency calls. With 27+ road technicians and fully stocked service vans covering Ontario and Quebec, we aim for rapid response, often same-day when possible.

Yes. The majority of our service is performed on-site at your facility. For larger repairs we can bring equipment into our 60,000 sq. ft. shop in Vaughan.

Genuine parts are engineered specifically for your equipment, ensuring proper fit, performance, and longevity. Using will-fit parts can reduce reliability and residual value.

A good rule of thumb is when annual repair costs start approaching or exceeding the remaining market value of the truck. Our service history and fleet management tools help you make that decision with clear data.

Yes. We maintain a large parts inventory (over $1.4 million) and offer same-day shipping across Canada on most items through our online parts store.

Yes. We perform thorough safety inspections and can help keep your fleet compliant with Ontario Ministry of Labour and CSA requirements.

Yes! Under Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and applicable regulations, employers must ensure forklift operators are properly trained and competent to operate equipment safely.

Training should include both classroom instruction and hands-on practical evaluation, covering safe forklift operation, load handling, equipment inspections, and workplace hazards.

Employers are responsible for verifying operator competency and maintaining appropriate training records to demonstrate compliance with Ontario workplace safety requirements.

Forklift operator certification is recognized for three years. Under the CSA B335 safety standard, operators should receive refresher training at intervals not exceeding three years, with a mid-term skills evaluation at approximately 18 months.

Additional training or reassessment may be required sooner if an operator demonstrates unsafe practices, is involved in an incident, changes equipment types, or encounters new workplace hazards.

Keeping operator training up to date helps maintain workplace safety and compliance with industry standards.

Yes! Ri-Go Lift Truck offers comprehensive operator safety training at your facility or at our location, with both classroom instruction and hands-on practical training. Our experienced instructors provide new operator certification, recertification, and refresher courses to help ensure workplace safety and compliance with industry standards.

Our training programs include:

• Forklift Operator Training: Theoretical, practical, and mid-term evaluations.
• Aerial Lift Operator Training.
• Overhead Crane Operator Training.
• WHMIS Training.
• Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG).
• Basic Fall Prevention Training.

Whether you're training new employees or updating existing certifications, our team can help you meet your workplace safety and training requirements.

Contact Ri-Go Training at 1-800-263-7580 or 416-213-7277 or Training@rigolift.com to learn more or schedule a training session.

If a forklift operator is observed working unsafely or is involved in a workplace incident, the employer should investigate the situation, identify potential hazards, and reassess the operator's competency.

Depending on the circumstances, additional training, practical evaluation, or corrective instruction may be necessary before the operator resumes operating equipment. These measures help prevent future incidents and maintain a safe working environment.

Ri-Go Lift Truck offers refresher training and operator evaluations to help businesses maintain safe operating practices.
Refer to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development website.

Yes! In addition to traditional counterbalance forklifts, Ri-Go Lift Truck offers operator training for a wide range of material handling equipment, including reach trucks, order pickers, power pallet trucks, aerial lifts (scissor lifts and boom lifts), and overhead cranes.

We also provide workplace safety courses, including WHMIS, Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG), and basic fall prevention training.

Our programs include new operator training, refresher courses, and practical evaluations to help businesses maintain a safe, knowledgeable, and properly trained workforce.

Power pallet trucks offer several advantages over manual pallet jacks, including reduced operator fatigue, improved productivity, and more efficient movement of heavy loads.

By eliminating much of the physical effort required to move pallets manually, electric pallet trucks are especially beneficial for warehouses, distribution centres, and high-volume material handling operations. They also offer better efficiency when transporting heavy loads over longer distances or throughout multiple shifts.

Yes! Ri-Go Lift Truck offers power pallet trucks equipped with advanced lithium-ion battery technology.

Compared to traditional flooded lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries offer faster charging, opportunity charging during breaks, longer battery lifespans, and significantly reduced maintenance requirements.

These benefits make lithium-ion power pallet trucks an excellent choice for businesses looking to reduce downtime, improve productivity, and lower long-term operating costs.

Modern power pallet trucks are equipped with a variety of safety features designed to protect operators, improve load control, and reduce workplace accidents.

Depending on the model, common features include emergency reverse buttons, automatic electromagnetic braking, speed control systems, ergonomic tiller handles, and automatic speed reduction when turning or operating in confined spaces.

Our team can help you select equipment with the appropriate safety features for your workplace and operating conditions.

Yes! Ri-Go Lift Truck offers a wide selection of walk-behind (walkie) and ride-on electric pallet trucks to accommodate different warehouse and material handling applications.

Walk-behind models are ideal for shorter travel distances, tight spaces, and frequent loading and unloading, while ride-on models are designed for longer travel distances and higher-volume operations, helping reduce operator fatigue and improve productivity.

Our team can help you select the right pallet truck based on your facility layout, load capacity requirements, and daily operating needs.

Yes, most power pallet trucks are designed to operate safely on ramps, inclines, and loading docks when properly equipped and operated within the manufacturer's specifications.

Safe operation depends on factors such as the truck's rated gradeability, load capacity, braking system, surface conditions, and ramp incline. Loading dock equipment, including dock plates and levelers, must also be appropriately rated and secured.

Our team can help you select a power pallet truck suited to your facility's loading dock conditions and operational requirements.

Yes. We design, supply, and install selective, double-deep, push-back, drive-in, pallet flow, carton flow, and cantilever racking systems, plus industrial shelving and mezzanines.

Yes. Our team provides CAD layouts, engineering drawings, and project management from design through installation.

Yes. We provide professional rack inspections to help identify damage and maintain compliance and safety.

In addition to lift trucks we supply dock equipment, hand pallet trucks, carts, dollies, industrial cleaning equipment, aerial work platforms, modular offices, and a wide range of warehouse accessories.

We primarily serve Ontario and Quebec, with our head office and main facility in Vaughan (Concord), Ontario, and a branch in St. Laurent (Montreal), Quebec. Our road technicians cover the Greater Toronto Area, surrounding regions, and the Montreal area extensively.

Our main facility in Vaughan is typically open Monday to Friday 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Call us at 1-800-263-7580 or 416-213-7277, email us, or fill out the contact form on our website. One of our specialists will respond quickly and can arrange a free site survey if needed.

We can arrange emergency and after-hours service when required. Contact our service dispatch line for urgent needs Toll-Free at 1-800-263-7580.