It is quite important for several businesses to examine the method of selecting a forklift. For instance, would your company choose consistently the same unit for your dock work or warehouse? If this is so, you might be missing out on a more effective forklift. There may be different other models on the market that offer less exhaustion to operators and allow more to get done. You may be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more cost-effective way. By doing some evaluation and research, you could determine if you have the best equipment to suit all of your requirements. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can drastically increase your performance.
When determining forklift models which deal with your particular problems several of the important factors to think about could comprise:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
You probably won't require a pricey forklift to complete tasks if your shipping and receiving department loads just a few semi-trailers or box trucks per week. A cheaper walkie model or walkie-rider will be able to deal with the job if: A 4500 to 6000 pound capacity is sufficient and you do not need to stack loads in the trailer. Last of all, you should 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 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 may 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 kinds of forklifts offer a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
Operator Duties:
Each company has a slightly different system for material handling. In some circumstances, some forklift operators not only load trucks in the shipping department, but replenish the manufacturing line, store inventory on racks, handle the paperwork associated with the cargo, attach and scan bar codes and other jobs. Usually, the forklift operators who are always on and off of their lift trucks during their shifts find it less fatiguing and a lot quicker to exit a stand-up control unit, as opposed to a sit down type.