Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks are electric trucks designed to operate within narrow aisles. Standard storage aisles are just 3.6 meters wide, adequate space for a counterbalanced lift truck to turn in the aisle. Nonetheless, narrow aisles can be about 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow area needs specific types of lift trucks that are small, capable of tight turns, could put away loads without pivoting. The common types of narrow-aisle trucks are order pickers, reach trucks and turret trucks.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
The very first types of narrow-aisle lift trucks manufactured for warehouse applications are the reach trucks. These small trucks can turn without difficulty in narrow aisles as their design has eliminated the need for a big counterweight. Stability is instead provided by outrigger arms that extend in front of the truck. The downside of this design is that the outrigger arms can hinder access to the storage rack as the truck cannot get close enough. These trucks work well inside a warehouse that is well lit, has clean, even floors, good flow of traffic and enough turning space.
Turret trucks
The design of a turret truck consists of forks on the side which pivot. The forks pivot 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load faces forward whilst the operator drives down the aisle. When it stops at the designated storage place, the truck's forks turn to the storage side and lift the load to their full extension, and next smoothly deposit the load prior to resuming their original position. Turret trucks could come with a wire guidance system that keeps the truck on its path in very narrow aisles. Operators remain at floor level in man-down trucks.