It is quite important for some companies to examine the method of selecting a forklift. Like for instance, will your business select consistently the same model for your warehouse or dock work? If this is so, you could be missing out on a more effective forklift. There can be various other units on the market which offer less exhaustion to operators and enable more to get done. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more effective way. By doing some research and evaluation, you can determine if you have the right machine to meet your requirements. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can drastically increase your performance.
When determining forklift models which deal with your specific problems several of the key factors to consider could include:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
You probably won't require an expensive forklift to accomplish jobs if your shipping and receiving department loads only a few semi-trailers or box trucks a week. A less expensive walkie-rider or walkie model will be able to deal with the task if: You are not required to stack loads inside the trailer, and a 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is adequate. Last but not least, 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 because the small load wheels should travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is always 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 easily fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door. Their masts allow in-trailer stacking. These types of forklifts provide a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
Operator Duties:
Every business has a slightly different system for material handling. In certain circumstances, some 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, scan and attach bar codes and other jobs. Normally, the forklift operators who are always on and off of their lift trucks during their shifts find it much faster and less fatiguing to exit a stand-up control unit, rather than a sit down type.