Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
The kind of electric truck which is designed to function in narrow aisles is known as a Narrow Aisle Lift Truck. A counterbalanced lift truck could turn within the aisle as typical storage aisles are 3.6 meters wide and this is adequate space. Nonetheless, narrow aisles could be 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow space needs specialized lift truck models that are small, capable of tight turns, can put away loads without pivoting. The popular kinds of narrow-aisle trucks are turret trucks, order pickers and reach trucks.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
Reach trucks were the first narrow-aisle lift truck to be developed for warehouse use. These small trucks can easily turn within narrow aisles since their design has eliminated the need for a large counterweight. Stability is instead provided by outrigger arms extending in front of the truck. The downside of this design is that the outrigger arms could inhibit access to the storage rack as the truck cannot get close enough. These trucks truly work well within a warehouse which is well lit, has clean, even floors, good flow of traffic and enough turning space.
Turret trucks
The turret truck design consists of forks on the side that turn. The forks turn 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load could face forward while the operator drives down the aisle. Once it stops at the designated storage place, the truck's forks pivot to the storage side and raise the load to their full extension, and then easily deposit the load before resuming their original position. Turret trucks could come with a wire guidance system which keeps the truck on its path in really narrow aisles. Operators remain at floor level in man-down trucks.