It is quite key for some companies to examine the method of selecting a lift truck. For instance, will your company choose always 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 other models available on the market which allow more to get done as they offer less exhaustion to operators. You may be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more effective manner. By doing some evaluation and research, you can determine if you have the best machine to suit your needs. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can significantly increase your performance.
When determining forklift models which address your specific problems several of the important factors to think about can include:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
You probably won't require a pricey lift truck to complete tasks if your shipping and receiving department loads only a few semi-trailers or box trucks per week. A less expensive walkie-rider or walkie model would be able to deal with the task if: A 4500 to 6000 pound capacity is sufficient and you are not required to stack loads inside the trailer. Last of all, you must consider 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 should travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is always loading trailers however, a stand-up end control unit could make more sense over a walkie model or a walkie-rider. These battery-powered forklifts fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door without difficulty. Their masts allow in-trailer stacking. These kinds of forklifts offer a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 pounds.
Operator Duties:
Each company has a slightly different system for material handling. In certain circumstances, several forklift operators not just 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 tasks. Normally, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their forklifts in their shifts find it much faster and less fatiguing to exit a stand-up control model, as opposed to a sit down type.