There are times it pays to examine the method of choosing a forklift. For instance, does your business consistently choose the same models for your dock work? If so, you can potentially miss out on a more efficient truck. There could be other units existing on the market which provide less exhaustion to operators and enable more to get done. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more effective manner. By doing some evaluation and research, you could determine if you have the best machine to meet your requirements. By reducing operator fatigue, you could drastically increase your performance.
When determining forklift units that deal with your particular concerns some of the important factors to consider can include:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department just loads out a few box trucks or semi-trailers a week, then you probably won't require an expensive lift truck to complete the tasks. An inexpensive walkie model or walkie-rider would be able to handle the task if: You are not required to stack loads inside 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 need to travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is consistently loading trailers on the other hand, 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 enable in-trailer stacking. These types of forklifts provide a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 pounds.
Operator Duties:
Each company has a slightly different system for material handling. In some circumstances, some forklift operators not just load trucks in the shipping department, but replenish the manufacturing line, store inventory on racks, handle the paperwork associated with the loads, attach and scan bar codes and other tasks. Usually, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their forklifts during their shifts find it much faster and less fatiguing to exit a stand-up control unit, as opposed to a sit down type.