Sometimes, it pays to examine the method of selecting a forklift. For instance, does your company always choose the same units for your dock work? If so, you can potentially miss out on a more efficient truck. There could be various other units existing on the market that enable more to get done as they offer less fatigue to operators. You may be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more effective way. By doing some evaluation and research, you could determine if you have the best machinery to suit all of your needs. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can significantly increase your performance.
When determining forklift units that address your specific concerns several of the key factors to consider can comprise:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department only loads out a few semi-trailers or box trucks a week, then you probably won't need a pricey lift truck to complete the job. A less expensive walkie-rider or walkie unit would be able to handle the task if: A 4500 to 6000 pound capacity is enough and you are not required to stack loads in the trailer. 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 consistently loading trailers, than a stand-up end control would make more sense over a walkie model or a walkie-rider. These battery-powered forklifts fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door with no trouble. Their masts allow in-trailer stacking. These kinds of forklifts provide a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 pounds.
Operator Duties:
For material handling needs, each business has a slightly different system. Several forklift operators would usually unload and load goods in the shipping department in addition to storing things on inventory racks, handle the paperwork associated with the loads, replenish the manufacturing line, attach and scan bar codes and other tasks. Normally, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their forklifts in their shifts find it less fatiguing and much faster to exit a stand-up control unit, as opposed to a sit down type.