HIAB and its customer Pets at Home have been shortlisted as a finalist in the ‘Enterprise in Quiet Logistics’ category of the Noise Abatement Society’s prestigious John Connell Awards.

The accolade recognises how Pets at Home eliminated noise complaints when making out-of-hours deliveries, by switching from a fleet of diesel-powered forklifts to Hiab’s E MOFFETT, the world’s first electrically-powered truck-mounted forklift.

With 80% of Pets at Home’s weekly 1,400 store deliveries being carried out after 8pm, the retailer received a number of noise complaints from residents located close to some of its stores. The complaints largely centred on the noise emitted from the diesel-powered forklift trucks the retailer used to unload goods out-of-hours to its unmanned stores.

Pets at Home subsequently reported that all of the local authorities that had received complaints were satisfied that the noise problem had been addressed and no further action was taken or required.

“It’s been a total game-changer,” says Steve Travis, General Manager for Transport at Pets at Home. “Implementing the electric MOFFETTS has allowed us to return to scheduling our fleet at the most economic time of day, saving money on fuel and reducing our carbon footprint, as well as no longer being a nuisance to the neighbours in our local communities, which meets our CSR aims.”

MOFFETT truck-mounted forklifts have been hard at work at construction sites and depots across the world for over 30 years. The innovative MOFFETT E-Series models offer environmentally responsible technology as well as a significant reduction in total cost of ownership.

The John Connell Awards – named after the founder of the NAS – were established in 2001 to recognise local authorities, industry, individuals and organisations judged to have been outstanding in their efforts to both reduce the impact of noise nuisance, and seek to pioneer practical and innovative solutions to noise pollution.

The ‘Enterprise in Quiet Logistics’ award, sponsored by Freight Transport Association, recognises advances in low-noise technology, equipment and operations to facilitate safe, low-noise and efficient urban distribution services.

“We are delighted our work with Pets at Home has been recognised by the Noise Abatement Society,” says Rogier van der Linde, Hiab UK’s Managing Director. “Its fleet of MOFFETT E-Series trucks helped Pets at Home not only to address the challenges it was facing with complaints, but also reduce its operational costs.”