It is quite key for several companies to examine the method of choosing a forklift. Like for instance, will your business select consistently the same unit for your dock work or warehouse? If this is so, you might be missing out on a more efficient forklift. There can be various other units existing on the market that enable more to get done since they provide less fatigue to operators. You may be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more effective way. By doing some research and evaluation, you can determine if you have the best machinery to suit all of your requirements. By reducing operator exhaustion, you could drastically increase your performance.
Some of the key factors to think about when determining forklift units that address particular concerns 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. An inexpensive walkie unit or walkie-rider will be able to handle the task if: A 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is enough and you do not need to stack loads in the trailer. Last of all, you have to 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 because the small load wheels have to travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is consistently loading trailers however, a stand-up end control model could make more sense over a walkie-rider or a walkie model. These battery-powered forklifts fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door with no trouble. Their masts enable in-trailer stacking. These kinds of forklifts offer a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 pounds.
Operator Duties:
Every business 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, attach and scan bar codes and other tasks. Usually, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their lift trucks in their shifts find it much quicker and less fatiguing to exit a stand-up control model, rather than a sit down kind.