It is vital to figure out what type of requirements you have before selecting the warehouse truck. Consider things like how high you intend to lift your loads, how much you need to raise, how much space you have to work in and how far you would like to travel. These considerations would influence your purchasing decision and help decipher which kind of forklift truck is truly the ideal one out there to meet all your requirements and meet your overall expectations.
Normal Aisles
Pedestrian stackers are the most cost-effective because these machines are best utilized in normal width aisles and can complete ordinary warehouse stacking jobs. They are capable of easily raising cargo of less than 750kg and could stack them to heights of around 4.5 metres. A different model called rider stackers could successfully lift cargo to about 6 metres.
Reach trucks are yet a different choice to think about. They give you much greater lift and load capacities and some models come complete with telescopic forks. This feature allows you the ability to stack pallets two deep. For extra flexibility in goods handling, there is a 4-way and a multi-way reach truck which as the name implies, could be driven in four directions. These models are particularly suitable for handling long and bulky things such as piping, planks and boards.
The counterbalance line of trucks is best for traveling longer distances. They are a great option for stacking jobs, specially block stacking. They are also an excellent alternative for free stacking and stacking cargo that weigh more than 2 tonnes.
A Tight Squeeze
If you are working in a high-density storage operation, the aisle space will usually be a lot narrower and the heights you would want to reach to will possibly be much higher. Man-up telescopic lift trucks function great in high-bay, narrow aisle stores. They provide the operator or driver a good view of the stacking process. There are also types known as man-up combi trucks. These are quite versatile in that they can be used for both stacking and order-picking jobs. They can be driven all around the warehouse or used in narrow aisles.