Sometimes, it pays to examine the process of selecting a forklift. Like for instance, does your business always select the same models for your dock work? If so, you can potentially miss out on a more efficient truck. There can be other units on the market which allow more to get accomplished as they provide less exhaustion to operators. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more effective manner. By doing some research and evaluation, you could determine if you have the right machine to suit your requirements. By reducing operator fatigue, you can drastically increase your performance.
Several of the important factors to consider when determining forklift models which deal with particular concerns include:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
You probably won't need a pricey lift truck to accomplish jobs if your shipping and receiving department loads just a few box trucks or semi-trailers a week. An inexpensive walkie-rider or walkie unit would be able to handle the job if: You do not need to stack loads inside the trailer, and a 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is sufficient. Last but not least, you must consider whether or not the transition from the dock floor to the dock leveler and into the trailer is not too jarring for the operator since the small load wheels must travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is consistently loading trailers however, a stand-up end control unit could 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 kinds of forklifts offer a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 pounds.
Operator Duties:
For material handling needs, every business has a slightly different system. Several lift truck operators would normally load and unload products in the shipping department as well as storing items on inventory racks, handle the paperwork associated with the loads, replenish the manufacturing line, scan and attach bar codes and other jobs. Usually, the forklift operators who are always on and off of their lift trucks in their shifts find it less fatiguing and a lot quicker to exit a stand-up control model, rather than a sit down type.