It is quite important for some businesses to examine the method of choosing a lift truck. Like for instance, will your business select always the same model for your warehouse or dock work? If this is so, you could be missing out on a more efficient forklift. There might be different other models existing on the market that enable more to get accomplished since they provide less fatigue to operators. You may be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more cost-effective manner. By doing some research and evaluation, you could determine if you have the best equipment to suit your requirements. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can drastically increase your performance.
Some of the key factors to consider when determining forklift units that address specific concerns consist of:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
You probably won't require an expensive lift truck to complete tasks if your shipping and receiving department loads just a few semi-trailers or box trucks a week. A cheaper walkie-rider or walkie unit would be able to handle the job if: A 4500 to 6000 pound capacity is adequate and you are not required to stack loads in the trailer. Last but not least, you need to consider 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 have to travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is consistently loading trailers however, a stand-up end control unit could make more sense over a walkie model or a walkie-rider. These battery-powered forklifts easily fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door. Their masts allow in-trailer stacking. These types of forklifts offer a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
Operator Duties:
Every company has a slightly different system for material handling. In certain circumstances, several forklift operators not just load trucks in the shipping department, but replenish the manufacturing line, store inventory on racks, handle the paperwork connected with the loads, attach and scan bar codes and other jobs. Generally, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their lift trucks during their shifts find it less fatiguing and much quicker to exit a stand-up control model, rather than a sit down type.