There are times it pays to examine the method of choosing a forklift. For instance, does your business always select the same units for your dock work? If so, you could potentially miss out on a more efficient truck. There can be different other units available on the market which offer less exhaustion to operators and enable more to get accomplished. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more effective manner. By doing some research and evaluation, you can 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 problems several of the important factors to think about may include:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department only loads out a few box trucks or semi-trailers a week, then you probably won't need a pricey forklift to accomplish the job. An inexpensive walkie unit or walkie-rider will be able to deal with the task if: You are not required to stack loads in the trailer, and a 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is sufficient. Last but not least, you should 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 as the small load wheels have to travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is consistently loading trailers however, a stand-up end control model could 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 kinds of forklifts provide a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
Operator Duties:
For material handling needs, every business has a slightly different system. Some lift truck operators will often load and unload goods in the shipping department in addition to storing objects on inventory racks, replenish the manufacturing line, handle the paperwork associated with the loads, scan and attach bar codes and other jobs. Usually, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their forklifts during their shifts find it less tiring and much quicker to exit a stand-up control unit, rather than a sit down type.