It is quite important for some businesses to examine the method of selecting a lift truck. For example, would your business choose always the same model for your warehouse or dock work? If this is so, you might be missing out on a more effective forklift. There may be other models on the market that enable more to get done as they provide 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 suit your requirements. By reducing operator fatigue, you can drastically increase your performance.
When determining forklift units that address your specific concerns several of the key factors to consider can include:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
You probably won't require an expensive lift truck to accomplish jobs if your shipping and receiving department loads only a few semi-trailers or box trucks per week. An inexpensive walkie-rider or walkie unit will be able to handle the task if: A 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is adequate and you are not required to stack loads inside the trailer. Lastly, you should 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 need to 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 easily fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door. Their masts enable in-trailer stacking. These forklifts offer a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
Operator Duties:
For material handling requirements, each company has a slightly different system. Several forklift operators would often load and unload products in the shipping department in addition to storing items on inventory racks, handle the paperwork associated with the loads, replenish the manufacturing line, attach and scan bar codes and other tasks. Normally, the forklift operators who are always on and off of their lift trucks in their shifts find it less tiring and much quicker to exit a stand-up control unit, rather than a sit down type.