It is quite important for several companies to examine the process of choosing a lift truck. Like for instance, will your business choose always the same unit for your dock work or warehouse? If this is so, you might be missing out on a more efficient forklift. There may be various other models on the market that provide less exhaustion to operators and enable more to get accomplished. You may be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more cost-effective manner. By doing some evaluation and research, you can determine if you have the right machinery to meet all your needs. By reducing operator fatigue, you could drastically increase your performance.
When determining forklift models that deal with your specific issues several of the important factors to consider may include:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department just loads out a few box trucks or semi-trailers per week, then you probably won't need a pricey forklift to complete the job. A less expensive walkie-rider or walkie model would be able to deal with the job if: A 4500 to 6000 pound capacity is sufficient and you are not required to stack loads inside the trailer. Lastly, 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 since the small load wheels have to travel over the dock plate.
If on the other hand, your shipping facility is consistently 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 with no trouble. Their masts allow in-trailer stacking. These forklifts offer a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 pounds.
Operator Duties:
Every company has a slightly different system for material handling. In certain circumstances, several forklift operators not only load trucks in the shipping department, but store inventory on racks, replenish the manufacturing line, handle the paperwork connected with the loads, scan and attach bar codes and other tasks. Generally, the forklift operators who are always on and off of their lift trucks during their shifts find it a lot faster and less fatiguing to exit a stand-up control unit, as opposed to a sit down kind.