Reach Stackers

摘要

Five years ago, if anyone asked me a question on where the reach stacker market in North America would be today, I would have responded that I expected that reach stackers would be the leading container handling machine in North America. In accomplishing this, I would have predicted that reach stackers would surpass the toplift in total annual sales in both ports and railroad terminals. I didn't believe that the industry would stop purchasing toplifts in making this shift in equipment style, just that ports, railroads, terminal operators and stevedores would buy more reach stackers to take advantage of their capabilities and technology. After all, reach stackers offer so much more than toplifts, including container handling production, efficiency, operator comfort and safety improvements. All of these things add up to economy and that provides a positive impact on the bottom line. Given advanced knowledge of the present economic atmosphere five years ago, I would have expected that operators would stand in line to buy reach stackers. That's what I thought. As it turns out, I was a bit off the mark, however, I don't feel so bad because I think that both U.S. and foreign manufacturers had the same thoughts.