Sometimes, it pays to examine the method of choosing a forklift. For instance, does your company always select the same units for your dock work? If so, you can potentially miss out on a more effective truck. There might be other models on the market that provide less exhaustion to operators and allow more to get done. You may be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more effective manner. By doing some research and evaluation, you could determine if you have the best equipment to suit all of your needs. By reducing operator exhaustion, you could drastically increase your performance.
Some of the key factors to think about when determining forklift units which address specific problems comprise:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department just loads out a few semi-trailers or box trucks per week, then you probably won't need a pricey forklift to accomplish the job. A less expensive walkie model or walkie-rider would be able to handle the job if: You do not need to stack loads in the trailer, and a 4500 to 6000 pound capacity is sufficient. Lastly, you have 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 because the small load wheels should travel over the dock plate.
If on the other hand, your shipping facility is always loading trailers, than a stand-up end control would make more sense over a walkie model or a walkie-rider. These battery-powered forklifts fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door without difficulty. Their masts allow in-trailer stacking. These forklifts provide a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 pounds.
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 store inventory on racks, replenish the manufacturing line, handle the paperwork connected with the loads, attach and scan bar codes and other jobs. Normally, the forklift operators who are always on and off of their lift trucks during their shifts find it less fatiguing and a lot faster to exit a stand-up control unit, rather than a sit down type.