Football season is right around the corner, and we here at Darr are jumping on the bandwagon and supporting our local professional athletes by partnering with the Dallas Cowboys. Why would a material handling company sponsor a football team?

Well, simply put, because we want to be a part of all that football fun happening in the fall. Don't let our focus on lift trucks fool you: We here at Darr are always up for a good time, and we want to make sure our fellow Texans feel the same way. 

Besides, the truth is that we feel a little bit of an affinity for the Cowboys. We may not be making exciting passes and exhilarating touchdowns, but we here at Darr are not entirely unlike the sports heroes we all know and love. How, you might ask? Here are a few comparisons for you to consider.

We are committed to building fun into our community.

A cold beer, a warm seat, and a close up view of a great
football game: There aren't many better ways of spending a few hours of
downtime. Add in some great plays and a few incredible wins, and the football
season offers fans the opportunity for a really good time. And we can thank the
Dallas Cowboys for bringing us the opportunity to enjoy that kind of an
afternoon or evening multiple times a year.

Jungheinrich® is now offering a game-changing guarantee on the 3,000 - 4,000 lb. 48-volt three-wheel counterbalance trucks. These lift trucks are guaranteed to run two full shifts without stopping to charge the battery – for five years. If your forklift doesn’t perform to this standard, we’ll cover the cost of a new battery to ensure it does. Check out this latest post, and learn more about our favorite 6 reasons you should buy a Jungheinrich EFG 2 Electric Counterbalanced Forklift.

Contact us today by phone at 1-800-964-LIFT or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get a personalized cost savings assessment for your next 2 shift, one charge forklift.

Learn more about the Jungheinrich EFG 2

Contact us today by phone at 1-800-964-LIFT or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get a personalized cost savings assessment for your next 2 shift, one charge forklift.

It is Darr Equipment Co.’s mission to provide the industry’s best equipment and services. Which is why we're proud to offer you the latest look at great trucks like the EFG 2 Electric Counterbalanced Forklift.

Here at Darr Equipment, we believe in providing the highest level of service to our customers and creating a culture that helps employees (and really anyone we work with) feel like they are part of a family. Part of creating that culture is a commitment to hiring veterans. 

Why do we have this commitment? We’ve found that those who have served in the US Armed Forces consistently demonstrate qualities focused on teamwork, accountability, servant leadership, and an innate understanding of the golden rule, treat other the way that we like to be treated.

When I left the military, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. As a graduate of West Point and a serviceman with many years of experience, I knew I could find a fit. However, transitioning from the military to the civilian life can be tough. Suddenly, you have many choices in front of you. That experience along with our constant search for future team members with the kind of qualities that matched ours, the idea of hiring veterans came to fruition. 

We began searching for partners and found the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program (CFP). This is an innovative, nationwide program of the U.S. Chamber Foundation that provides military service members with professional training and hands-on experience in the civilian workforce. 

It was a great fit for us because we were able to bring in high-quality Fellows who could try out a little bit of everything Darr Equipment has to offer as a job role while also meeting our desire to help and mentor veterans find the best placement for them after their time in the service.

Technology continuously transforms our world, usually for the better. New medical technology saves lives. New marketing technology brings in more business. More personal technology makes access to information faster and
easier. Fortunately for those in the materials handling industry, new technology means safer, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly machines.

Even the forklift, that humble workhorse of the warehouse, is being improved by changes in technology. Here are a few of the latest trends that are turning forklifts into ever more valuable tools.

Forklift technology is going green.

The introduction of fuel cells about a decade ago meant that
forklifts could run longer and cleaner (and charge up faster) than ever before.
Today, environmental friendliness is even more important to most businesses,
and the focus on green forklift technologies continues apace.

For example, fuel cells are now beginning to be replaced with
lithium-ion technology. These packs use 50 percent less energy than lead-acid
batteries and 100 percent less energy than electric forklifts, all without the
environmental hazards of other power sources. For example, these packs do not
let off fumes or present an acid spill hazard.

Bonton Farms, a DFW nonprofit dedicated to providing access to healthy food and jobs for an underprivileged South Dallas community, recently received a refurbished Cushman 1600 UTV, to help keep their farms’ operations moving. The piece of industrial equipment was a gift from Darr Equipment, Co.

Bonton Farms is the dream of Daron Babcock. Since the Bonton community is a food desert, meaning the nearest grocery store is more than a mile away, Daron and his team gives people work; they in turn build résumés and get other jobs or start their own businesses. Daron sells or barters the food to people in the community so they can eat better and get healthier, so they can get and keep jobs. There’s a larger farm extension to the southeast, where more food is grown, which Daron sells to local DFW restaurants to help subsidize the nonprofits’ operations.

“We simply can’t continue to transform South Dallas into a space that helps grow a healthy community, create meaningful work, and ignite hope without the help of our generous partners and donors,” said Daron Babcock, Executive Director of Bonton Farms. 

Scott Toppett, Fleet Accounts Sales Manager at Darr Equipment, coordinated the donation and was on hand for the delivery. Also in attendance was Darr CEO Robert Engstrom and Daron Babcock. 

To read more about the work that Bonton Farms is doing in the community, check out their website at http://bontonfarms.org.

With maintenance and operation costs per year, forklifts are not inexpensive to own. That is one reason that delaying (or avoiding) routine forklift maintenance is so tempting for many businesses. Can't that money be better spent elsewhere?

The reality, however, is that improper forklift maintenance has a financial impact that is far greater than the cost of adopting a comprehensive forklift maintenance plan. Here is a look at the financial consequences that could come from neglecting the proper care of your lift trucks.

Improper forklift maintenance can lead to frequent, expensive repairs.

Small problems caught by routine forklift maintenance can feel annoying. After all, replacing a bent fork or installing a new tire takes time and money. However, the goal of identifying problems early on is to keep them from becoming larger issues that cost more time and money later.

For example, a bent fork might lead to a broken fork, a dropped load, and an injured employee. A leaky tire might lead to a flat tire and a broken axle. A leaking coolant hose can lead to a cracked engine. All of these major problems will have major costs associated with them, costs that will far exceed the much smaller expense of catching and fixing the problem early on.

Today is the fifth annual National Forklift Safety Day sponsored by the Industrial Truck Association (ITA). This event provides the opportunity to educate forklift operators and companies on the value and importance of forklift safety and operator training.

Darr Equipment is always focused on helping you use our equipment safely and properly at your location.   Here's how you and your business can help raise awareness:

• Follow and share National Forklift Safety Day related posts from Darr Equipment's LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter channels

• Download our free daily operator safety checklist

• Email or call us to set up safety training at your location or ours

Proper forklift maintenance might seem like an expensive inconvenience. Taking the time for daily checks, setting up a comprehensive maintenance plan with qualified technicians, and paying to replace hoses, fluids, forks, or tires that have not yet broken might feel like an inefficient use of resources.

The reality, however, is that proper forklift maintenance is critical to preventing costly breakdowns and extending the life of your lift trucks. With the right maintenance schedule, you can catch small problems before they become big issues. 

Here are a few of the major forklift breakdowns that you can avoid with proper maintenance, as well as a look at how avoiding these breakdowns can also prevent larger impacts on your company's productivity and safety.

Brake Failure

Brake failure can be catastrophic and potentially create deadly workplace accidents, in addition to sidelining your lift truck indefinitely. The best way to avoid these kinds of problems is to have forklift maintenance conducted on your machines according to schedule. For example, testing the brakes every day can help you identify soft or leaking brakes early on, while changing rotors and pads when they become worn can prevent more expensive damage.

Broken Forks

Bent or broken forks can also be expensive repairs. Perhaps even more expensive is replacing products that are damaged or broken when the forks fail, and dealing with workplace accidents as a result of fork failure. Forklift maintenance, like checking forks daily, promptly replacing forks and parts that are cracked or weak, and sticking to industry standards when it comes to replacing thinning forks can prevent breaks (and their consequences) before they happen.

Forklifts, like any type of industrial equipment, require regular inspection and maintenance to remain in good working order. And one of the most important areas of the forklift to keep an eye on is the forks. 

Because the forks take the brunt of the load, come into contact with loads first, and do not always show wear and tear when they begin to weaken, it is vital that you inspect them regularly and replace them as soon as any problems arise. In fact, legally, you must conduct an in-depth inspection of the forklift forks every year and replace them under specific circumstances. 

To help you better understand when to replace your forklift forks as part of your regular forklift maintenance and repair efforts, here are 5 situations that require new forks.  

1. Replace forks in the event of obvious gouges and cracks.

One of the most easily spotted problems with forklift forks is the presence of gouges and cracks along the shank, heel, or blade of the fork. These problems indicate that the forks are weakened and, therefore, more likely to break. An in-depth inspection of the machine by a forklift service provider may also occasionally identify cracks that are difficult to see with the naked eye. 

When it comes to industrial equipment rental or purchase, you typically have many factors to consider before choosing a particular piece of machinery. For example, should you rent or buy? Should you obtain a new or used piece of equipment? What kind of technology should you look for? 

One important factor to consider is the type of engine the equipment possesses. In particular, you will need to decide between an internal combustion engine, or an electric engine. To help you make your decision before you buy a forklift  (or rent one), what follows is a look at each engine and some of the major pros and cons of each. 

Internal Combustion Forklifts

An internal combustion (IC) engine on a forklift works much like the engine on your personal car or truck, and uses fuel to run. In the case of a forklift for sale or rent, this fuel is usually gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas, or compressed natural gas. The internal combustion engine is one of the most common type of engine in industrial equipment such as forklifts, and with good reason. Here are a few of their advantages: 

IC forklifts have a lower upfront cost.

When it comes to upfront cost, IC forklifts tend to be less expensive than electric forklifts, by up to 20 percent. For businesses that need a forklift but do not have the capital to purchase an electric forklift, the lower cost of an IC forklift can be appealing.

IC forklifts are versatile.

This type of forklift can be used both indoors and outdoors, and tends to have a higher load capacity, allowing these machines to be applied to a wide range of jobs and environments without compromising their ability to operate safely.

A family-owned company for more than six decades, Darr Equipment Co. provides customized industrial equipment solutions to our customers. We believe in providing excellent customer service and always putting our customers first. In addition to these core values, we’re proud supporters of the local communities in which we operate. 

That’s why, for 14 years, we’ve been honored to sponsor the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Houston’s rodeo is more than a community tradition -- it’s an event held in high-esteem throughout the state of Texas and beyond.

We’ve loved our 14 years of sponsorship, and this year, we’ve put together five of our favorite reasons for connecting with our community and being a part of this amazing event year after year. 

1. One reason we love supporting the Houston rodeo is getting to see how our equipment can make an impact. Through our partnership with Cat Lift TrucksTM more than one hundred of our machines work hard to make the rodeo happen. From arena preparations to getting ready for the big show every night, our lift trucks are always up to ensuring it’s a job well done.
2. We love taking part in special events like Rodeo Acts of Kindness™ (RAK) and Armed Forces Appreciation Day. Watch for us this year in the stands on RAK day. And, if you’re an actively-serving service member in uniform with a current military ID or the spouse of one, you’ll get free admission to NRG Park on Armed Forces Appreciation Day (February 28). We appreciate your service!
3. The World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest (February 22-24)! We can’t wait to taste what’s cooking from more than 250 teams, led by some of Texas’ finest barbecue aficionados. Plus, the carnival is open for wild rides and fun games.
4. Mutton bustin: 5 and 6 year olds hold on tight for a wild ride...on the back of sheep (mutton)! Who’d want to miss that?
5. Hanging out with you -- our customers and community! This year, we have a couple of exciting ways you can participate as a part of the Darr family. 

You can't attend the Livestock Show and Rodeo without seeing our equipment or the fruits of its labor. We hope you'll play #FindAForklift on social media with us by tagging us in your pictures on Facebook or Twitter.  You can also swing by our booth at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to say hi! We’d love to meet you. Both options will give you the opportunity to enter to win an official RodeoHouston® RTIC cooler.

---

Acquiring lift equipment is a major decision that requires careful consideration, in part because there are multiple good options for doing so. For example, equipment rental is a viable and low-cost option for many businesses looking to add to their job capabilities. However, for other businesses, or for certain types of equipment, buying the machinery outright makes the most sense. While the pros and cons of each option must be considered before a business commits to a course of action, here are a few reasons for buying lift equipment instead of pursuing equipment rental.

Consider buying lift equipment if your usage ratio exceeds 60 percent.

Often, equipment rental makes the most sense if businesses are using the equipment less than 60 percent of the time. It is at that level of usage that the costs of renting are less than the costs of ownership of a piece of equipment. If your usage ratio exceeds 60 percent (and especially if it exceeds 65 percent), you may want to consider purchasing construction equipment.

Though the costs of ownership will include long-term expenses (i.e. Maintenance, repairs, transportation, and storage), at that high rate of usage, you will still likely pay less over the long term than if you rented the same piece of equipment. Just make sure that your usage will remain at or above 60 percent long term, rather than being a response to a temporary spike in certain types of jobs. That way, you will avoid any lulls in usage that would make owning a piece of equipment too expensive to justify.

Invest in the purchase of versatile lift equipment.  

Certain types of lift equipment can be used across many different types of jobs, unlike more specialized pieces of machinery that only do one or two specific tasks. Examples of versatile machinery include excavators, forklifts, and loaders. These pieces of equipment often make smart investments because they can be used in many different capacities in many different types of projects. 

Purchasing lift equipment is a big commitment that can come with a big price tag. Saving money by investing in lower-priced used machinery can be a wise move by some businesses. In particular, start up companies, and businesses looking for lift equipment to use on an intermittent or short-term basis can often benefit from the purchase of used forklifts and other equipment.

However, used lift equipment is not always reliable, or in good condition. These tips should help you to find pre-owned lift equipment that you can use inexpensively and safely for years to come.

Buy pre-owned lift equipment through a reputable dealer.

When you go looking for used forklifts for sale or other types of used lift equipment, you have several options. For example, you can go on Craigslist, scour the Internet for private sellers, or attend an auction. However, if you want to ensure the purchase of a reliable machine, you should go through a reputable dealer (like Darr). 

There are many reasons that dealers (and manufacturers) are the best (and lowest risk) choice for purchasing pre-owned lift equipment. Probably the most important is that they typically know the history of the machinery they sell you. These machines have either been leased or pre-owned through the dealer or they have undergone a mandatory reconditioning and recertifying process so you receive a comprehensive look at the machine’s history and current operational state.

In addition, dealers offer comprehensive maintenance and repair services and even a warranty on their used forklifts for sale and other pre-owned lift equipment. As a result, you receive access to all of the information you need to make a purchasing decision now and all the support you need to keep the machine in top working order after the purchase is complete.

Having the right equipment on hand for the right job is critical to success in industries as varied as distribution and warehousing . Businesses needing new warehouse equipment (such as lift equipment), however, sometimes do not realize that they have options when it comes to obtaining these items.

For example, for companies that are struggling to find the money for such a large purchase, who are facing short-term needs for certain equipment, who do not want to be burdened with compliance concerns, and/or who wish to reduce their overall expenses, equipment rental can offer a number of advantages. Here are just a few of them. 

1. Equipment rental provides access to new opportunities for businesses.

Say you are bidding on a contract for distributing a new product. Unless you can guarantee access to turret trucks, reach trucks or order pickers, you could lose the contract. Maybe you won’t even consider bidding on the job at all. And that means missed opportunities, missed revenue, and limits placed on your business. All because you could not access the right piece of equipment.

At the same time, it may not be possible to purchase a piece of equipment for a new job. If you lack the significant capital required to obtain this equipment right away, buying outright is simply not an option. If you want the equipment and the contract, you need an alternative.

Equipment rental offers this alternative. You can obtain the equipment, such as forklifts, that you need for the job with rentaland that can enable you to say yes to opportunities that would otherwise have been out of your reach.

Regular forklift maintenance and servicing is imperative to keep machines running correctly. A well-maintained machine will provide you with years of reliable and safe service. A neglected machine will break down more frequently, require replacement sooner and, most importantly, put your operators at risk. If you want get the most out of your investment and help reduce forklift accidents, preventative maintenance is a must. Here are 6 of the most important steps you should take to ensure your machines run properly.

1. Inspect your machine daily as part of a comprehensive forklift maintenance plan.

Inspecting your forklift daily before it is used is not only a good way to identify potential problems early (such as leaky hoses and faltering brakes), but it is also an OSHA requirement. These checks will ensure that the forklift is safe to use before every shift and save you time and money over waiting to repair problems until they interfere with the operation of the machine. 

The best way to implement these checks is to use a standardized checklist (such as one provided by OSHA) in order to ensure that all areas of concern are addressed before the forklift is put to use. Some recommended elements of this checklist are the following:

  - Hoses

  - Tire pressure and conditions

Currently, all of our locations in Houston, Beaumont and Lake Charles are up and running. Despite damage at
several of our facilities in the region, we were able to reopen and continue to serve our customers and our community. If Harvey left you with a need for parts, service, rental or new and used equipment, please contact us here at Darr Equipment. We are ready and have the resources to get you back up and running as well.

Thanks to our great team, our vendors and partners for the help throughout this unprecedented storm.

Sincerely,

Darr Equipment

Update as of 9/1/17 - Our Beaumont and Lake Charles branches are closed today but all other branches are open for business.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by Hurricane Harvey.  We are here to help.

From the Dallas Business Journal: www.bizjournals.com/dallas/new...

This 9-figure DFW company's ambitious growth plan — double in 5 years

Aug 9, 2017, 2:33pm CDT

When you're a kid, heavy machinery is pretty awesome.

That's part of the reason why Robert Engstrom, president of Darr Equipment, knew he wanted to work in the family business from a young age. His great grandfather founded the company in 1954 and Engstrom, 40, is the fourth generation to lead the firm.

Darr Equipment helps unveil Great Texas Balloon Race statue

LONGVIEW, TX (KLTV) -

The Great Texas Balloon Race weekend officially kicked off on Thursday night with a dinner, and a statue unveiling.

The pilots' dinner was held on the grounds of East Texas Regional Airport. The event included the unveiling of a statue that will eventually find a home in a Longview park. 
The-ten foot-tall steel balloon was painted by artist Carmen Gadt. The statue is a joint project between the balloon race board and the City of Longview's Art From the Heart program.

The statue will be moved to a park under construction at the corner of Highway 31 and Spur 63 called "The Green." 
The first competition flight for the Great Texas Balloon Race starts bright and early Friday at 6:30 a.m.

CHICAGO – September 2016 – UniCarriers Americas Corporation (UCA) announced the winners of its President’s Club Awards, formerly known as The Nissan Nine Awards.

The President’s Club Awards recognize the top ten UCA dealers throughout the Americas. The President’s Club winners set the standard to which all dealers representing UCA brand products aspire. They create a culture of reliability and professionalism within their organizations, and reflect UCA’s core values.

To attain status as an award winner, each organization accepted UCA’s challenge, surpassing difficult goals and ranking among the OEM’s leading dealerships. All UCA dealers were evaluated based on new equipment sales, market penetration, aftermarket parts sales, service expertise, overall performance and professionalism.

The following 10 dealers excelled in these critical areas and earned the prestigious status as a UniCarriers President’s Club winner:

CFE Equipment Corporation