Hire boom reflects UK economy confidence says Impact Handling

The company's business development manager Peter Woodhouse (pictured) said: "Companies need forklifts to load and unload goods being manufactured or transported to market, so the increased demand in short term rentals is a good barometer of confidence in the UK economy." Commenting on changes in the short term hire market, he said: "It was historically a way of companies topping up their fleets to meet seasonal peaks or to provide cover during periods of machine downtime. "But it's now an increasingly popular funding method in its own right and some companies see it as an alternative to the industry-standard five year fixed term – particularly those cautious about long term commitments in a recovering market."