Sometimes, it pays to examine the process of selecting a forklift. For instance, does your company always select the same units for your dock work? If so, you can potentially miss out on a more effective truck. There may be other models existing on the market which provide less fatigue to operators and allow more to get done. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more cost-effective manner. By doing some research and evaluation, you could determine if you have the best machine to meet your requirements. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can drastically increase your performance.
Several of the key factors to consider when determining forklift models that address specific problems comprise:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department only loads out a few semi-trailers or box trucks per week, then you probably won't require an expensive lift truck to complete the tasks. A less expensive walkie unit or walkie-rider would be able to deal with the task if: You are not required to stack loads inside the trailer, and a 4500 to 6000 pound capacity is adequate. Last but not least, 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 as the small load wheels must travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is always loading trailers on the other hand, a stand-up end control model may make more sense over a walkie model or a walkie-rider. These battery-powered forklifts fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door easily. Their masts enable in-trailer stacking. These forklifts provide a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
Operator Duties:
For material handling requirements, every company has a slightly different system. Some forklift operators would often load and unload products in the shipping department in addition to storing objects on inventory racks, handle the paperwork associated with the loads, replenish the manufacturing line, attach and scan bar codes and other jobs. Usually, the forklift operators who are always on and off of their forklifts during their shifts find it less tiring and much faster to exit a stand-up control model, as opposed to a sit down kind.