When the time comes to choose the appropriate warehouse truck, it is a good idea to figure out how high you plan to lift your cargo, how much you need to lift, how much space you need to work in and how far you would like to travel. These factors will really affect your buying decision and help decipher which type of forklift truck is the best one out there to suit all your needs and meet your whole expectations.
Normal Aisles
Pedestrian stackers are the most cost-effective since these equipment are best utilized in normal width aisles and could finish ordinary warehouse stacking jobs. They are capable of easily lifting cargo of less than 750kg and can stack them to heights of around 4.5 metres. One more type called rider stackers could successfully lift cargo to about 6 metres.
Yet another choice to think about are reach trucks because they provide much greater lift and load capacities, whilst several models complete with telescopic forks. This feature enables you the ability to stack pallets two deep. For added flexibility in goods handling, there is a 4-way and a multi-way reach truck which as the name implies, can be driven in four directions. These models are specifically suitable for handling bulky and long objects like for example boards, piping and planks.
The counterbalance line of trucks is best for traveling longer distances. They are a great choice for stacking jobs, particularly block stacking. They are also an ideal option for free stacking and stacking loads which weigh more than 2 tonnes.
A Tight Squeeze
If you are working in a high-density storage operation, the aisle space would normally be much narrower and the heights you will want to reach to would likely be much higher. Man-up telescopic lift trucks work great in high-bay, narrow aisle stores. They offer the driver or operator a good view of the stacking process. There are other types called man-up combi trucks. These are fairly versatile in that they could be used for both stacking and order-picking tasks. They can be driven all around the warehouse or used in narrow aisles.