It is quite key for several businesses to examine the process of selecting a forklift. For example, would your business select always the same model for your warehouse or dock work? If this is so, you could be missing out on a more effective forklift. There can be various other models on the market that provide less fatigue to operators and enable more to get done. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more cost-effective manner. By doing some evaluation and research, you can determine if you have the right machine to suit all of your requirements. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can significantly increase your performance.
Some of the key factors to consider when determining forklift models that address particular problems include:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department just loads out a few semi-trailers or box trucks a week, then you probably won't require an expensive forklift to accomplish the job. A less expensive walkie model or walkie-rider will be able to deal with the task if: A 4500 to 6000 pound capacity is enough and you do not need to stack loads in the trailer. Lastly, 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 because the small load wheels should travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is always loading trailers however, a stand-up end control unit may make more sense over a walkie-rider or a walkie model. These battery-powered forklifts fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door easily. Their masts enable in-trailer stacking. These types of forklifts provide a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
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 store inventory on racks, replenish the manufacturing line, handle the paperwork connected with the cargo, attach and scan bar codes and other jobs. Generally, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their lift trucks during their shifts find it less tiring and much faster to exit a stand-up control unit, as opposed to a sit down type.