FAQs
How often do I need to service my forklift?
Depending on the type of truck you have and the application the truck is used in, most manufacturers recommend between every 250 and 500 hours or twice a year.
What equipment do you service?
All makes and models of material handling equipment. We also install and service:
- Construction Equipment
- Carts and Personnel Carriers
- Boom and Scissor Lifts
- Sweepers and Scrubbers
- Docks and doors
- Battery Chargers
- Battery Charging Stations
- Tires
Are your technicians trained?
Our technicians are trained:
- By Black Equipment has full-time technical trainers, which follow a personalized training plan for each technician.
- By Factory, or Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) trainers of the Equipment Black Equipment sells and rents.
- By apprenticeships and mentorships
- In a culture of sharing and information & experience even with different branches
- In a top-down process where operations managers and all service managers participate in a daily morning stand-up meeting across all branches. In these meetings, issues and questions are raised, solved, and communicated across the entire organization. This leverages the experience and knowledge of an individual across all technicians at all Black Equipment locations.
What kind of parts do you use?
We use OEM and aftermarket parts for all makes and models of material handling equipment.
- Black Equipment maintains a parts inventory of over $4 million
- And has next-day access to over ($132 million) in additional OEM and aftermarket parts.
How do I request service?
Click on the Request Service button below or from any of our Service related pages.
- The Request Service form asks you for information that helps us understand the details of your situation and schedule your service as quickly as possible.
- You can provide JPG Photos of your service issue
- Upload PDF documents with any important information about your service issue, or
- Upload short (100mb) MP4 videos that show your problem from multiple angles. You can also explain the problem verbally or point out areas of concern.
- NOTE: we only accept these formats: JPG, PDF, and MP4.
- You can also email us directly at: service@blackequipment.com
- Call us at (812) 477-6481 to schedule a service call for any location. You can also call your nearest location:
- Evansville, IN: (812) 477-6481
- Paducah, KY: (270) 443-8889
- Hopkinsville, KY: (270) 886-3432
- Mt. Vernon, IL: (618) 242-7545
- Louisville, KY: (502) 451-8300
- Lexington, KY: (859) 269-3681
- Bowling Green, KY: (270) 781-5330
- Memphis, TN: (901) 365-1771
- Jackson, TN: (731) 427-3220
- Jonesboro, AR: (870) 972-1619
- For Emergencies, call (812) 477-6481
What if I want to speak to someone direct?
Call our main office at 812-477-6481 and we will be happy to help direct your call to someone that can help you.
Do you guarantee a response time?
Yes, our dispatchers will work with you to schedule a time and will prioritize based on your situation. Emergency calls take priority, and we will be there within 4 hours or less.
How long does it take to get service?
Communication is key. When contacting us for service, please be sure to provide as much information as possible about your need for timely repairs. Our field technicians’ schedules are filled in advance of the start of each day; if you have an emergency, we can dispatch our in-shop technicians, technical trainers, and service supervisors to address emergency repairs. We are committed to giving you the peace of mind that your problem will be solved when you contact us.
Can Preventative Maintenance (PM) technicians do repairs?
No. They’re trained to do PMs. We send a certified technician for any repairs. However, if a PM technician is onsite, let them know so they can help report & describe your problem in detail to the certified technician. This helps us fix your problem faster and with fewer return trips for parts.
Will I get a field service sheet after Preventative Maintenance (PM) or repairs?
Yes, if we have a signature and email address of the person who requested service.
How are service calls prioritized?
Black Equipment puts breakdowns at the head of the line, and then Preventative Maintenance (PMs).
How do I know what was serviced or checked on a PM?
There are two ways.
- First, a field sheet should be sent to you, or you can request it if we don’t have a contact on file.
- Secondly, Black Equipment offers a service called Premier Fleet that provides our customers with 100% transparency on all service we provide to your fleet.
- All service data is entered automatically.
- The data is uploaded each evening to an online portal that you can access with any Wi-Fi connected device.
- Here you can see a description of all the work that’s been done, what was charged, and a great deal more like the history of work on that vehicle. You can sort by all recorded data to gather many insights about your fleet.
- And best of all, because our customers find it so helpful to have all fleet service information at their fingertips, Black Equipment offers Premier Fleet for free to all customers on a service maintenance program.
- Your account manager helps set up Premier Fleet according to your specific needs, trains you on how to use it (don’t worry, it’s quite intuitive), and shows you clever ways to gather insights and information about your fleet whenever you need it.
What if I want to call in and talk to your service manager about a specific problem I’m having?
Communication is key. We welcome any and all feedback you can provide about your problem or your satisfaction or dissatisfaction. We use feedback we get from our customers to fix problems in a timely manner as well as provide positive feedback to our staff or provide additional training when required.
What happens if my truck gives me a code?
Codes help our service technicians diagnose problems. If your equipment is showing a code, please contact our service department as soon as possible so we can start the process of identifying the root cause and avoid potential downtime or premature part failure.
Who do I contact about a service billing question?
At the top of your invoice, you will find the address and phone number of the Black Equipment location that provided your service. Please call the location that provided your service, we are here to help. All our locations are staffed with employees that are qualified and trained to help you with questions about your bill.
What information do I need to have ready if something seems wrong on my invoice?
When you call, we will ask you for your invoice number so we can reference your invoice in our system. The invoice number is in the upper left-hand corner of your invoice. It is helpful if you have a copy of your invoice handy in case we need to reference additional information.
You were just out here working on a truck and now it has a new problem. What do I do now?
Contact our service department immediately, we will prioritize your repair to have our technician return to your facility as soon as possible.
What if I want a technician out here faster than when you scheduled me?
We offer 24-hour service, overtime charges apply to any work done after normal business hours. Black Equipment prioritizes breakdowns, then Planned Maintenance (PMs). If your repair is an emergency, we’ll dispatch one of our in-shop technicians, technical trainers, or service supervisors to address you repair immediately.
How are your Maintenance Agreements structured?
We offer flat rate Planned Maintenance which is an hour usage or fixed time interval frequency. The service provided during these repairs is based on manufacturer guidelines and is designed to help prevent premature failure of major components. Customers are invoiced a flat rate for labor plus any parts used during the service. We also offer a fixed monthly maintenance agreement that covers all repairs due to normal wear and tear for a fixed term. Fixed monthly maintenance helps customers budget their repairs and eliminates the need to process invoices for each repair or planned maintenance occurrence.
What if I only want maintenance once in a while?
We require all customers open an account, even if invoiced as COD.
- You can download an online Account Application at any time here: Account Application.
- If you need assistance, we will email you a credit application or provide you with the link to our online credit application. Please contact any of our branch locations and they will be happy to assist.
- We must have an account established before we can transact any business.
We accept payment by Check, ACH or Credit Card
Customers that do not establish credit terms are required to pay with credit card. Black Equipment reserves the right charge a processing fees for payments made by credit card.
What’s Black Equipment’s overall decision-making process?
This is subjective, we know. But we sincerely try to use our moral compass to help guide our actions.
- We ask ourselves, “How would I want this situation resolved if I were the customer?”
- We try to be objective when we make a mistake and help ensure the customer feels that they are treated fairly.
- We work to prioritize customers in the greatest need.
- We take pride in that we act quickly when our customers are in a pinch. Our organization is flat with few layers of management so we can act quickly when making decisions. Our senior management has many years of field experience and has firsthand knowledge of the problems our customers and field employees face, this helps drive our culture of acting with a sense of urgency and putting the customer experience as our top priority.
Does this mean we’re always perfect? No. It just means we strive to give our customers peace of mind that we care about their business and take it seriously.