A leading materials handling equipment provider partnered with Hydraulics Online to develop a versatile solution that could work across its entire machinery fleet – reducing the need for carrying multiple spare parts.
With a large hire fleet and mobile service technicians operating nationwide, their technical director sought support to redesign hydraulic systems. The goal: ensure compliance with evolving industry regulations while streamlining operations and minimising customer lead times.
Hydraulics Online has a vast knowledge of their technology and of system design.” Chris, Technical Director
This UK-based materials handling equipment specialist, focused on rental and reconditioned forklift trucks, first connected with Hydraulics Online in an unexpected way. Around 2016, Technical Director Chris noticed one of our service vehicles while launching a new technical department. Coincidentally, the driver was none other than Hydraulics Online’s co-founder, Mark Tonks, sparking a conversation that laid the groundwork for future collaboration.
At the time, Chris was supporting forklift dealers in meeting newly introduced EU and UK materials handling regulations – ahead of manufacturer adoption. He needed a way to retrofit hydraulic consent systems to secure forklift attachments and comply with legal standards.
Within two weeks, the Hydraulics Online team delivered a tailored solution that met both compliance and operational needs.
“Hydraulics Online are the only company we’ve come across where we are able to give them these problem scenarios and they come back to us with a solution. They have a vast knowledge of their technology and of system design and, because they are independent and not tied to any one manufacturer, I know they are giving us the best solution and the best products for that solution.”
Profitable Partnership and Long-Term Growth in Materials Handling
Following the initial collaboration, our customer secured an immediate order from a major materials handling equipment and forklift manufacturer to retrofit its newly developed hydraulic consent system. Since then, thousands of units have been deployed across the UK and Europe, establishing a new revenue stream and positioning the solution as an industry standard.
Technical Director Chris shares:
“The solution Hydraulics Online helped us to develop has opened up doors for us with the technical departments of these major manufacturers, strengthening our relationships and generating steadily growing income for us.”
The partnership continues to flourish globally, with our customer now supporting international materials handling manufacturers operating outside Europe – retrofitting systems based on the original design delivered by Hydraulics Online.
Since the initial retrofit success, Hydraulics Online has gone on to collaborate with the business across five additional product lines. Some developments addressed urgent market needs, like the original consent valve, while others were pursued more speculatively -proactively anticipating future demand.
According to Chris:
“With Hydraulics Online’s technical help we are able to react much faster to legislation and other change. As well as ensuring compliance, this enables us to exploit market opportunities with the major suppliers.”
That agility has translated into measurable growth: one major manufacturer has seen a 25% year-on-year increase in service work – powered entirely by products supplied by Hydraulics Online.
A standout innovation from the partnership was the development of a generic and variable hydraulic system – an adaptable solution compatible with virtually any forklift make or model.
Chris explains:
We wanted a system that would suit almost every forklift truck manufacturers product range, rather than having to order in specific parts to suit specific OEMs; something we could keep on the shelf, knowing we could modify it to suit. Hydraulics Online designed a solution that could do this for us and overnight we went from having a six-week lead time – as dictated by the ordering and delivery of parts – to being able to offer a lead time measured in hours.
The benefits were immediate and sweeping:
- Rapid Lead Times: Cut from six weeks to just hours
- On-Vehicle Stocking: Carried on every service vehicle for instant deployment
- Universal Compatibility: Eliminates dependency on OEM-specific components
- Optimised Operations: Enhanced customer service, reduced overheads, leaner inventory
This scalable system has redefined how the business delivers technical support – boosting customer satisfaction and unlocking operational flexibility at every turn.
Trusted Expertise in Materials Handling: A Customer Perspective
One of the key factors in the ongoing success of the partnership is Hydraulics Online’s independence. As Technical Director Chris explains:
“Because they’re not tied to any one manufacturer, I know they’re giving us the best solution and the best products for that solution.”
Their ability to rapidly diagnose technical issues and deliver tailored hydraulic designs has earned deep respect across the materials handling sector:
“Hydraulics Online are very good at quickly understanding the problem and coming back with a solution design – including the products. That’s testament to their vast technical knowledge. Technical support is absolutely crucial for us, and the technical and customer support they offer is fantastic and really valuable. Their knowledge and their independence put them ahead of everyone else.”
This relationship continues to drive innovation and growth, reinforcing Hydraulics Online’s role as a trusted engineering partner within the materials handling industry.
Whether – like Chris – you're creating solutions that go above and beyond new legislation in your industry, or you're simply looking for a reliable partner who feels like part of your team – we're here. How can we help?
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