Sidetracker Engineering

Name

Sidetracker Engineering

Legal name

Sidetracker Engineering Limited

Website

https://sidetracker.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Material Handling Equipment

NAICS

Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing (333924), Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392)

SIC

Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537)

akta.pro primary industry

Forklifts & Industrial Trucks (IC & Electric) (IMAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Material Handling & Industrial Lift Vehicle Manufacturing (Forklifts/Telehandlers/Reach Stackers) (IMACAFAD), Lifting Attachments & Material Handling Accessories (Fork Attachments, Slings, Rigging) (IMAHABAJ)

Keywords

• Multi-directional forklifts
• Side loader forklifts
• Narrow aisle forklifts
• Material handling equipment
• Custom forklift manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Chesterfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. New Forklift Sales: Custom-built multi-directional forklift trucks manufactured to customer specifications. Each unit is made to order based on detailed site surveys and customer requirements.
2. Used/Reconditioned Forklift Sales: Reconditioned forklifts sold with 1-year/1000-hour warranty and 5-year battery cover. Units undergo a 10-step rebuild process.
3. Forklift Hire: Short-term and long-term rental options for both new and used forklifts. Flexible durations available for weeks, months, or longer. Long-term hire trucks are often built to order.
4. Servicing and Maintenance: Comprehensive maintenance packages, scheduled service contracts, and preventative maintenance. First-time fix rate of 98% with 94% of breakdowns resolved within 4 hours.
5. Spare Parts: Comprehensive stock of spare parts with overnight delivery. Rapid repair services and nationwide breakdown support.
6. Customization and Bespoke Solutions: Specialized custom-built material handling solutions for unique operational demands including custom attachments and specialized configurations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sidetracker Engineering designs and manufactures custom-built, multi-directional forklift trucks and material handling equipment for businesses that need to move long, heavy, and awkward loads in narrow aisles. Each unit is built to order following a site survey and is configured for the customer's exact facility dimensions, load sizes, mast heights, and operating conditions. The company also sells reconditioned used forklifts, offers short- and long-term forklift hire, and provides servicing, spare parts, and bespoke customisation.

Product overview

Sidetracker Engineering is a UK-based manufacturer of specialized material handling equipment, primarily multi-directional forklift trucks. Their core product line includes Side Loader Forklifts, Multi-Directional Forklifts, 4-Way Reach Trucks, Order Picker Forklifts, Custom Forklifts, Electric Transfer Carts, Single Deck Side Loading Forklifts, and Electric Lift Platforms. The company also offers specific branded models such as the SuperTracker 320C and MegaTracker. These products are complemented by related services including the sale of new custom-built forklifts, a range of reconditioned used forklifts (rebuilt through a 10-step process), flexible forklift hire options (both short-term and long-term), and comprehensive support and servicing packages. All products are characterized by their ability to handle long and awkward loads, operate in narrow aisles with 360-degree maneuverability, and work both indoors and outdoors in various conditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Side Loader Forklift Trucks
• Multi-Directional Forklifts
• 4-Way Reach Trucks
• Order Picker Forklifts
• Custom Forklifts
• Electric Transfer Carts
• Single Deck Side Loading Forklift
• Electric Lift Platforms
• SuperTracker 320C Side Loader Forklift Model
• MegaTracker Heavy-Duty Forklift Model
• Reconditioned Used Forklifts
• Forklift Hire
• Support & Servicing

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% first-time fix rate for maintenance and servicing
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Manitou Group: Manitou is a global manufacturer of handling equipment including telehandlers and rough-terrain forklifts. Its MegaTracker-style rough-terrain offering overlaps with Sidetracker's outdoor/construction-oriented multi-directional applications, though it primarily serves construction rather than indoor warehouse customers.
• Toyota Material Handling: Toyota Material Handling is one of the largest global forklift manufacturers, offering a full range of counterbalance, reach, and electric trucks across European and UK markets. Its scale and service network make it a default alternative for buyers evaluating Sidetracker, even though it does not specialize in long-load multi-directional designs.
• Hyster-Yale Materials Handling: Hyster-Yale is a major global OEM of lift trucks including counterbalance, reach, and pallet trucks with a broad dealer network. While not specializing in Sidetracker's long-load niche, it supplies adjacent warehouse customers and is frequently benchmarked on procurement frameworks.
• Jungheinrich: Jungheinrich is a leading European intralogistics provider with a full forklift and warehouse equipment portfolio, including narrow-aisle and reach trucks. Its broader product range and pan-European service footprint position it as a strategic incumbent competitor in the warehouse density segment where Sidetracker also competes.
• Crown Equipment: Crown Equipment is a global manufacturer of forklifts, reach trucks, and order pickers with strong presence in narrow-aisle warehouse applications. It competes with Sidetracker for high-density storage customers and brings substantially larger R&D and dealer resources to the market.

Direct peers

• Combilift: Combilift is the closest direct competitor, designing and manufacturing multi-directional forklifts, side loaders, and articulated forklifts for long-load and narrow-aisle applications across global markets. It competes head-to-head with Sidetracker in steel stockholding, timber, and extrusion handling segments, but at significantly larger scale with a global dealer network.
• Hubtex: Hubtex is a German manufacturer of multidirectional side loaders, counterbalance trucks, and order pickers for long-load handling in narrow aisles. It targets the same European long-and-awkward-load use cases as Sidetracker and is a frequent alternative considered by buyers in the fenestration, steel, and timber sectors.
• Aisle-Master: Aisle-Master produces articulated narrow-aisle forklifts designed to operate in VNA racking systems as a replacement for reach trucks. It competes with Sidetracker for warehouse density and long-load handling applications, particularly in distribution centers and stockholding environments.
• Flexi Narrow Aisle (Bendi): Flexi manufactures articulated and four-way reach forklifts optimized for very narrow aisle warehouse operations, with overlapping demand from distributors and manufacturers needing high-density storage. Its articulated design competes with Sidetracker's multi-directional approach on warehouse-space optimization use cases.
• Blue Giant Equipment: Blue Giant designs material handling solutions including specialized forklifts and loading dock equipment for warehouse and industrial operations. Its portfolio of custom-engineered handling equipment intersects with Sidetracker's bespoke multi-directional offerings in niche long-load applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sidetrackerengineering
• Facebookfacebook.com/SidetrackerEngineering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sidetracker-engineering

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sidetracker Engineering