It is quite key for several businesses to examine the process of choosing a forklift. Like for example, will your business select always the same unit for your dock work or warehouse? If this is so, you might be missing out on a more effective forklift. There could be various other models existing on the market which offer less fatigue to operators and allow more to get done. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more effective way. By doing some evaluation and research, you could determine if you have the right machinery to suit your requirements. By reducing operator fatigue, you could drastically increase your performance.
When determining forklift models which deal with your particular concerns several of the key factors to consider can comprise:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department just 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. A less expensive walkie-rider or walkie unit will be able to deal with the job if: A 4500 to 6000 pound capacity is adequate and you do not need to stack loads in the trailer. Last of all, 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 as the small load wheels should travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is always loading trailers on the other hand, 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 allow in-trailer stacking. These forklifts offer a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 pounds.
Operator Duties:
Every business has a slightly different system for material handling. In certain circumstances, some forklift operators not only load trucks in the shipping department, but replenish the manufacturing line, store inventory on racks, handle the paperwork associated with the loads, scan and attach bar codes and other jobs. Generally, the forklift operators who are always on and off of their lift trucks in their shifts find it much faster and less tiring to exit a stand-up control unit, as opposed to a sit down type.