Sometimes, it pays to examine the method of choosing a lift truck. For instance, does your business consistently select the same units for your dock work? If so, you could potentially miss out on a more effective truck. There could be other units on the market that offer less exhaustion to operators and allow more to get accomplished. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more effective manner. By doing some evaluation and research, 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 particular problems several of the key factors to think about may consist of:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
You probably won't require a pricey lift truck to complete jobs if your shipping and receiving department loads only a few box trucks or semi-trailers a week. A less expensive walkie-rider or walkie model will be able to handle the job if: A 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is adequate and you do not need to stack loads in the trailer. Lastly, you must 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 since the small load wheels must travel over the dock plate.
If on the other hand, your shipping facility is consistently loading trailers, than a stand-up end control would make more sense over a walkie-rider or a walkie model. These battery-powered forklifts easily fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door. Their masts allow in-trailer stacking. These forklifts provide a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
Operator Duties:
For material handling requirements, every company has a slightly different system. Some forklift operators will often load and unload products in the shipping department along with storing things on inventory racks, handle the paperwork associated with the loads, replenish the manufacturing line, 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 a lot faster and less tiring to exit a stand-up control model, rather than a sit down type.