It is quite key for several companies to examine the process of choosing a lift truck. For instance, will your business select consistently the same unit for your warehouse or dock work? If this is so, you could be missing out on a more efficient forklift. There might be other models on the market that offer less fatigue to operators and allow more to get done. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more cost-effective manner. By doing some evaluation and research, you could determine if you have the best equipment to meet your needs. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can significantly increase your performance.
Several of the key factors to think about when determining forklift units which address particular concerns comprise:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department just loads out a few semi-trailers or box trucks per week, then you probably won't require a pricey forklift to accomplish the tasks. A cheaper walkie model or walkie-rider would be able to deal with the task if: You do not need to stack loads inside the trailer, and a 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is sufficient. Last of all, you must think about whether or not the transition to the dock leveler from the dock floor and into the trailer is not too jarring for the operator as the small load wheels should travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is always loading trailers however, a stand-up end control unit may make more sense over a walkie model or a walkie-rider. These battery-powered forklifts fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door with no trouble. Their masts enable in-trailer stacking. These forklifts offer a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
Operator Duties:
Every business has a slightly different system for material handling. In certain circumstances, some forklift operators not only load trucks in the shipping department, but store inventory on racks, replenish the manufacturing line, handle the paperwork associated with the cargo, attach and scan bar codes and other tasks. Usually, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their forklifts during their shifts find it less fatiguing and much faster to exit a stand-up control unit, as opposed to a sit down kind.