It is quite key for some businesses to examine the method of selecting a lift truck. For instance, will your company choose always the same model for your dock work or warehouse? If this is so, you might be missing out on a more effective forklift. There could be different other units existing on the market which enable more to get done as they offer less exhaustion to operators. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more effective manner. By doing some evaluation and research, you can determine if you have the right machinery to meet your needs. By reducing operator fatigue, you could drastically increase your performance.
When determining forklift units which address your particular concerns some of the important factors to consider may comprise:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department only loads out a few semi-trailers or box trucks a week, then you probably won't need an expensive lift truck to complete the job. A less expensive walkie-rider or walkie unit will 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 enough. Last of all, you should consider whether or not the transition from the dock floor to the dock leveler and into the trailer is not too jarring for the operator since the small load wheels must travel over the dock plate.
If on the other hand, your shipping facility is always loading trailers, than a stand-up end control will make more sense over a walkie-rider or a walkie model. These battery-powered forklifts fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door without difficulty. Their masts enable in-trailer stacking. These forklifts provide a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
Operator Duties:
Every company has a slightly different system for material handling. In some circumstances, some forklift operators not just load trucks in the shipping department, but replenish the manufacturing line, store inventory on racks, handle the paperwork associated with the cargo, scan and attach bar codes and other tasks. Normally, the forklift operators who are always on and off of their lift trucks during their shifts find it less tiring and a lot faster to exit a stand-up control unit, as opposed to a sit down kind.