TOYOTA LIFT TRUCKS RANKED SAFEST IN MATERIAL HANDLING SURVEY

June 1st, 2012 - Toyota Leads in All Categories: Safety, Fewest Safety Related Incidents and Most Affordable to Maintain in Terms of Safety

For the second consecutive year Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU), the nation’s leading forklift supplier, took top billing as the lift truck customers consider safest in a recent study conducted by Peerless Research Group on Lift Truck Safety.* Toyota also ranked highest in an evaluation of what specific brand prospective lift truck purchasers consider to:

• Have the fewest safety-related incidents; and
• Be the most affordable to maintain in terms of safety

"At Toyota, our top priorities are the safety of our customers and the quality of products we deliver," said Jeff Rufener, president of TMHU. "We are honored to be recognized by customers. This important study also confirms the value that customers place on safety when determining what brand of forklifts to purchase."

The study was conducted with qualified readers of Modern Materials Handling magazine to better understand and track which lift truck safety issues are most important and which companies are regarded as manufacturers of the safest lift trucks. Those surveyed were selected from subscribers who are involved in the use, evaluation and purchase of lift trucks and lift truck accessories.

Comments received from the respondents included:

• "We feel Toyota is the safest because of Toyota’s SAS stability system."
• "We run our trucks hard, and I believe the Toyota keeps our operators safe with the systems they have onboard of their forklifts."
• "They have some of the most innovative features out there."
• "We have purchased assorted brands and Toyota is currently our vendor of choice."

About Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc.

Celebrating 45 years of established operations, TMHU is the supplier for the No. 1 selling lift truck in North America since 2002. In addition to the full line of high-quality lift trucks sold under the Toyota brand, the company’s extended industrial equipment solutions include Automated Guided Vehicles and tow tractors.

Quality is the hallmark of the Toyota Production System practiced at all Toyota manufacturing facilities, including Toyota Industrial Equipment Mfg., Inc. (TIEM), a zero-landfill facility in Columbus, Ind. TIEM, named a 2011 North American Best Plant by IndustryWeek magazine, is a member of the National Safety Council, complies with the ISO 14001 standard from the International Organization for Standardization and has produced more than 400,000 Toyota lift trucks since its opening in 1990.

Toyota's commitment to excellence in customer service extends throughout the U.S. and Canada. With more than 70 authorized Toyota Industrial Equipment dealers and more than 220 dealership locations throughout North America, Toyota dealers offer comprehensive customer service and support, including one-stop shopping for both new and used lift trucks, rentals, parts and service, fleet servicing and financing. For more information on TMHU, please visit www.toyotaforklift.com, www.facebook.com/ToyotaForklift or twitter.com/ToyotaForklift or call 1-800-226-0009.