It is quite important for several companies to examine the process of choosing a forklift. For instance, would your business select always the same unit for your dock work or warehouse? If this is so, you could be missing out on a more effective forklift. There can be different other models available on the market which provide less fatigue to operators and allow more to get accomplished. You may be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more cost-effective way. By doing some evaluation and research, you can determine if you have the right machinery to meet your requirements. By reducing operator fatigue, you could significantly increase your performance.
Some of the key factors to consider when determining forklift models that deal with specific issues 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 need an expensive forklift to accomplish the tasks. An inexpensive walkie-rider or walkie model will be able to handle the task if: You are not required to stack loads inside the trailer, and a 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is sufficient. Last of all, you should 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 always loading trailers on the other hand, a stand-up end control model could make more sense over a walkie model or a walkie-rider. 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:
Every company has a slightly different system for material handling. In certain circumstances, several forklift operators not only 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. Normally, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their forklifts during their shifts find it less tiring and much quicker to exit a stand-up control model, rather than a sit down kind.