It is quite key for several companies to examine the process of choosing a forklift. Like for example, would your business choose consistently 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 available on the market that provide less fatigue to operators and enable more to get accomplished. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more cost-effective way. By doing some research and evaluation, you can 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 that address your specific concerns several of the important factors to think about could 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 require a pricey forklift to accomplish the job. An inexpensive walkie unit or walkie-rider will be able to deal with the job if: A 4500 to 6000 pound capacity is enough and you are not required to stack loads inside the trailer. Last but not least, you should think about whether or not the transition from the dock floor to the dock leveler 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 consistently loading trailers however, 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 enable in-trailer stacking. These kinds of forklifts offer a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 pounds.
Operator Duties:
Each business has a slightly different system for material handling. In certain circumstances, several 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. Usually, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their forklifts during their shifts find it much quicker and less tiring to exit a stand-up control model, rather than a sit down type.