It is quite key for some businesses to examine the process of selecting a lift truck. Like for instance, would your company choose consistently the same model for your dock work or warehouse? If this is so, you might be missing out on a more efficient forklift. There can be other models existing on the market that allow more to get accomplished because they offer less fatigue to operators. You may 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 machine to meet your needs. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can significantly increase your performance.
When determining forklift units which address your particular issues some of the important factors to think about can consist of:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
You probably won't need an expensive forklift to accomplish tasks if your shipping and receiving department loads only a few semi-trailers or box trucks a week. A cheaper walkie unit or walkie-rider will be able to handle the task if: A 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is enough and you do not need 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 as 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 with no trouble. Their masts enable in-trailer stacking. These types of 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, 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, scan and attach bar codes and other tasks. Generally, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their forklifts during their shifts find it less tiring and a lot quicker to exit a stand-up control model, rather than a sit down kind.