It is quite key for several companies to examine the method of choosing a forklift. For instance, will your company select consistently the same unit for your warehouse or dock work? If this is so, you might be missing out on a more effective forklift. There could be different other models existing on the market that enable more to get accomplished as they provide less fatigue to operators. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more cost-effective manner. By doing some evaluation and research, you can determine if you have the best equipment to suit all your needs. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can significantly increase your performance.
When determining forklift units that address your particular concerns several of the important factors to think about can consist of:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department only loads out a few semi-trailers or box trucks per week, then you probably won't need a pricey forklift to complete the job. A less expensive walkie-rider or walkie model would be able to deal with the task if: A 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is adequate and you do not need to stack loads in the trailer. Lastly, you must 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 as the small load wheels must travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is always loading trailers however, a stand-up end control model could make more sense over a walkie-rider or a walkie model. These battery-powered forklifts easily fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door. Their masts allow in-trailer stacking. These types of forklifts offer a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 pounds.
Operator Duties:
For material handling requirements, each company has a slightly different system. Some forklift operators would often unload and load goods in the shipping department along with storing objects on inventory racks, handle the paperwork associated with the loads, replenish the manufacturing line, scan and attach bar codes and other jobs. Usually, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their forklifts in their shifts find it a lot faster and less fatiguing to exit a stand-up control unit, as opposed to a sit down kind.