Regardless of power source, all forklifts have some level of planned and unplanned maintenance. Depending on the application, a lift truck may need maintenance on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. However, some power sources have higher maintenance requirements than others. In fact, 80 percent of a forklift’s total cost is after the initial capital equipment investment. What is your tolerance for maintenance costs and related downtime? Determine if you can afford to have a forklift down for regular service (such as wearable parts replacements, oil changes, balancing and cleaning), or if you need to keep your trucks running all day at the lowest possible operating cost.