Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks are electric trucks made to function within narrow aisles. Typical storage aisles are only 3.6 meters wide, adequate space for a counterbalanced lift truck to pivot within the aisle. Nevertheless, narrow aisles can be 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow area needs specific kinds of lift trucks which are small, capable of tight turns, could put away loads without pivoting. The popular kinds of narrow-aisle trucks are reach trucks, turret trucks and orderpickers.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
Reach trucks were the first narrow-aisle lift truck to be manufactured for warehouse use. These small trucks could easily turn in narrow aisles as their design has eliminated the requirement for a large counterweight. Instead, stability is provided by outrigger arms which extend in front of the truck. The downside of this particular design is that the outrigger arms can hinder access to the storage rack because the truck cannot get near enough. These types of trucks work well in a warehouse that is well lit, has clean, even floors, enough space for turning and good flow of traffic.
Turret trucks
The design of a turret truck has turning forks on side of the truck. The forks turn 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load can face forward whilst the operator drives down the aisle. When stopped at the designated storage location, the truck's forks pivot to the storage side and lift the load to their full extension, and then easily deposit the load prior to resuming their original position. Turret trucks could come with a wire guidance system that keeps the truck on its path in really narrow aisles. In man-down trucks, operators remain at floor level.