How to Reduce Forklift Downtime: 8 Ways to Improve Connector and Charging Reliability

By Joe Ferris, Market Segment Manager at Anderson Power 

• Causes of Downtime
• Costs of Downtime
• Methods to Reduce Downtime
• Impact of Connectors and Cables
• Design Features that Reduce Downtime
• Impact of Temperature Sensing

Material handling operations prioritize uptime for a reason. Across U.S. manufacturing, unplanned downtime costs around $50 billion per year. The average manufacturer loses about $260,000 for every hour of downtime, though costs vary widely by industry and size. 

42% of downtime hours stem from equipment failures. For material handling operations that rely on battery-powered systems, adopting quality equipment, connectors, and cables—and keeping them maintained—is crucial to preserving warehouse productivity.  

Key methods to reduce the cost of downtime include: 

1. Operator Safety and Usage Training 
2. Organized Charging Setups 
3. Proactive Inspection and Maintenance Cycles 
4. Pre-Crimped Cable Assemblies with Strain Relief 
5. IP-Rated Sealing for Connectors 
6. Connector Durability and Rating Compliance 
7. Connector Latching Handles  
8. Contact Temperature Sensing 

This article examines the true cost of downtime and explains how operators can adopt solutions that reduce the likelihood of unexpected equipment failures.

What are the Causes of Equipment Downtime?

Downtime occurs when a piece of equipment becomes unable to perform its required tasks. Unplanned breakdowns often necessitate expensive maintenance and cause lost production time, idle labor, missed shipments, and more.

Unexpected equipment downtime can be caused by a variety of factors depending on the technology used.  

• For internal combustion-powered equipment, issues like motor failure, clogged fuel filters, and hydraulic leaks might occur.  
• Lead-acid batteries can fail if the battery is not watered, sulfation occurs, or terminals corrode.  
• Lithium-ion batteries are growing in popularity because they offer improved charging control, but their increased complexity also introduces opportunities for battery management system (BMS) faults and communication errors.  

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) also introduce new points of potential technological failure. They rely on sensors, software, and smart collision avoidance systems for movement rather than a human operator.

In 2025, lithium-ion systems powered the majority of electric forklift purchases. Li-ion is expected to continue to gain share compared to older lead-acid batteries in future years. Source: Mordor Intelligence

Investigating how to reduce forklift downtime in electric and AGV fleets is especially important because electrification is the future of the industry. Over 71% of new North American forklift sales in 2025 were electric models.

Electric forklifts provide better sustainability, noise reduction, and long-term savings. While their up-front costs are often higher than internal combustion (IC) models, a forklift’s initial purchase price typically represents only 20-30% of its total cost of ownership (TCO). According to the Institute of Supply Chain Management, electric forklifts deliver long-term maintenance savings of 35-50% compared to IC equipment because engines involve more moving parts that wear and tear over time.

What are the Costs of Equipment Downtime?

For material handling equipment like forklifts, conveyors, pallet jacks, and AGVs, the costs of downtime quickly add up. Operator wages, emergency equipment rentals, maintenance and repair costs, and lost productivity all compound hour by hour.

To provide one scenario, imagine that you run a mid-sized warehouse with two shifts. Your forklift operators earn $20/hour with overtime paid at $30/hour. During peak shipping hours, one of your primary electric forklifts goes down unexpectedly due to a battery connector that was accidentally knocked loose, causing the contacts to overheat and damage the connector and charging port.

The issue cannot be repaired immediately and requires the forklift to be taken out of service for 24 hours. To meet your shipment deadlines, you decide to hire an emergency rental forklift. This arrives 8 hours later, and you schedule overtime labor to catch up on lost productivity. You also call in a service technician to repair the original forklift.

In this scenario, total costs can exceed $2,600:

How to Reduce Unexpected Downtime with Electric Forklifts

Material handling operators can reduce the risk of unplanned downtime by adopting simple practices. Operator training, proper charging setup, and proactive maintenance all help facilitate improvements in equipment and charging reliability over time.

• Operator Training: Equipment handlers should receive regular training on safe handling practices and proper equipment usage (e.g., OSHA guidelines in the U.S.). Operator error can lead to accidents and crashes, while aggressive mishandling places undue stress on equipment. Both situations accelerate equipment wear and can lead to costly downtime. For example, operators should be trained to avoid “bulldozing,” or using a forklift truck to push, drag, or slide loads rather than lifting them. Bulldozing not only introduces safety risks due to reduced visibility and unstable loads, but it also places excessive strain on electrical systems. Pushing equipment to operate beyond the intended application it was rated for requires more current, which can lead to dangerous overheating.

The frequency of predictive maintenance should be determined based on the equipment’s environment and application. Harsh conditions tend to accelerate wear and tear, and equipment in such environments would benefit from shorter maintenance cycles. For example, operation in high-heat desert climates will stress electrical components more quickly, while colder environments will cause a faster drop in battery capacity. Application is another factor to consider. The transport of consistently heavy loads accelerates mast and chain wear, while multi-shift or 24/7 operations will wear equipment more quickly than single-shift operations.

Together, consistent operator training, thoughtful organization of charging components, and proactive maintenance cycles can help reduce the likelihood of unexpected equipment downtime.

How Forklift Connectors and Cables Impact Equipment Downtime

Electric forklifts also introduce charging components that are no less important to equipment uptime. If an electric forklift is unable to charge (or charges improperly), the forklift’s productivity, reliability, and even safety is immediately impacted. Cables and connectors are two such components that can impact productivity.

Cables connect a forklift’s battery to the charging terminal, and cable damage can lead to costly downtime. Cuts or nicks in cable insulation can lead to current leakage or short circuits. Improperly crimped cable terminations can increase resistance and lead to overheating. Cables allowed to hang freely without strain relief can put additional pressure on the conductors within, and over time cause intermittent or total power loss.

Connectors can also experience damage in a variety of ways. If mated connectors become loose while charging and are improperly seated, heat buildup will occur as electrical resistance increases. Eventually, heat buildup will damage the connector and could even melt it.

Moisture and dust intrusion are additional concerns. Exposing the interior of a connector to moisture can cause short circuits and other safety hazards. Dust accumulation increases wear on a connector’s power contacts, which can remove plating, expose copper to air, and cause conductivity issues. Connectors used to charge equipment outdoors are particularly at risk, as they are more exposed to moisture through rain and dust through blowing wind.

What Connector and Cable Features Reduce Downtime in Electric Equipment?

Material handling operators can adopt cables and connectors designed to reduce the risk of such faults. These interconnect solutions help improve electrical reliability and reduce the potential for unexpected, costly downtime.

Cable designs that integrate strain relief, for example, can help prevent contact misalignment. Pre-crimping cables to connectors using the manufacturer’s certified tooling and instructions is another method to improve cable reliability.

Connector designs are also important to evaluate for optimal reliability. Environmental sealing, standards compliance, and latching mechanisms are some quality features that can reduce the risk of downtime.

• Connector Standards, Ratings, and Durability: Connector standards are an important indicator of their compatibility, safety, and performance over time. In material handling applications in Europe, DIN battery connectors (e.g. DIN 43589 connectors) indicate a connector meets DIN dimensions that ensure compatibility. Other standards such as EN 1175:2025 specify key safety and performance requirements like the thickness of silver plating on a connector’s contacts. Connector durability can also be measured through manufacturer specs like mating cycles, which indicates how many times a connector can be mated (connected) and unmated (disconnected) before performance begins to degrade. The Industrial Battery Connector is DIN-compliant, meets EN 1175:2020 standards, and is rated for 5,000 mating cycles—all factors that speak to the quality of this forklift battery connector.

• Latching Handles: The charging security of connectors can also be improved through mechanical latches. Latching handles feature a pin that is released from the receptacle socket only when the handle is physically and intentionally depressed. This greatly reduces the risk of partial connections that can lead to heat buildup and connector damage.

How Temperature Sensing Reduces Risk of Downtime

Another connector feature that can reduce the risk of downtime involves built-in contact temperature sensing. The IBC battery connector includes a Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) sensor that enables operators to monitor contact temperatures over time. This data provides an early indicator of potential issues such as loose, worn out, or damaged connections that would be reflected by a spike in contact temperatures. A Temperature Sensing Application Guide can help material handling operators understand best practices to follow on implementation.

Temperature sensing is particularly advantageous for modern equipment with lithium-ion batteries. In contrast to lead-acid systems, Li-ion batteries can be quickly ‘topped off’ with charge throughout the day (opportunity charging). However, fast charging increases current flow through the connector, which could potentially heat up the contacts more.

To err on the side of caution, many material handling operators intentionally limit Li-ion equipment charging speed to reduce risk. This conservative approach does not take full advantage of fast charging.

How to Reduce Downtime and Increase Productivity

Equipment downtime can be costly for material handling operations. To reduce the risk, operators can proactively schedule maintenance, ensure operator training, and establish organized charging setups. Cable reliability can be improved by selecting assemblies with strain relief and pre-crimped connections. Connector reliability can be enhanced through design features like temperature sensing, latching handles, rating compliance, and IP68 sealing.