Sometimes, it pays to examine the process of selecting a forklift. For example, does your company consistently choose the same models for your dock work? If so, you can potentially miss out on a more effective truck. There can be other units on the market which enable more to get accomplished as they provide less exhaustion to operators. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more cost-effective manner. By doing some research and evaluation, you can determine if you have the right machinery to suit all of your needs. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can significantly increase your performance.
When determining forklift models that deal with your particular concerns several of the key factors to think about can comprise:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
You probably won't need a pricey lift truck to accomplish jobs if your shipping and receiving department loads only a few semi-trailers or box trucks per week. A cheaper walkie-rider or walkie model will be able to deal with the task if: You do not need to stack loads in the trailer, and a 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is enough. Last of all, you must think about whether or not the transition to the dock leveler from the dock floor and into the trailer is not too jarring for the operator since the small load wheels should travel over the dock plate.
If on the other hand, your shipping facility is always loading trailers, than a stand-up end control would make more sense over a walkie-rider or a walkie model. 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 pounds.
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 replenish the manufacturing line, store inventory on racks, handle the paperwork associated with the cargo, scan and attach bar codes and other jobs. Generally, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their lift trucks during their shifts find it less tiring and a lot faster to exit a stand-up control unit, as opposed to a sit down type.