It is quite important for several businesses to examine the process of choosing a forklift. For example, would your company choose always the same unit for your warehouse or dock work? If this is so, you could be missing out on a more efficient forklift. There can be different other models available on the market that provide less exhaustion 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 research and evaluation, you could determine if you have the best equipment to suit your requirements. By reducing operator fatigue, you can significantly increase your performance.
When determining forklift units that deal with your particular concerns several of the important factors to consider could include:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
You probably won't require a pricey forklift to complete tasks if your shipping and receiving department loads only a few box trucks or semi-trailers per week. An inexpensive walkie-rider or walkie unit would be able to deal with the task if: A 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is sufficient and you do not need to stack loads in the trailer. Lastly, you must 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 as 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 model or a walkie-rider. These battery-powered forklifts fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door easily. Their masts allow in-trailer stacking. These forklifts provide a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
Operator Duties:
For material handling needs, every company has a slightly different system. Some lift truck operators will normally load and unload goods in the shipping department in addition to storing things on inventory racks, replenish the manufacturing line, handle the paperwork associated with the loads, attach and scan bar codes and other jobs. Usually, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their forklifts in their shifts find it much quicker and less fatiguing to exit a stand-up control model, as opposed to a sit down type.