Sometimes, it pays to examine the process of selecting a forklift. For instance, does your business consistently choose the same models for your dock work? If so, you could potentially miss out on a more effective truck. There can be various other units on the market which offer less exhaustion to operators and enable more to get done. You might be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more cost-effective way. By doing some evaluation and research, you could determine if you have the right machine to suit all your requirements. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can significantly increase your performance.
Several of the key factors to think about when determining forklift units that deal with particular issues comprise:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department just loads out a few semi-trailers or box trucks a week, then you probably won't require an expensive forklift to accomplish the job. An inexpensive walkie model or walkie-rider will 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 sufficient. Last but not least, you need to consider whether or not the transition to the dock leveler from the dock floor and into the trailer is not too jarring for the operator because the small load wheels should travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is consistently loading trailers however, a stand-up end control model could make more sense over a walkie model or a walkie-rider. These battery-powered forklifts easily fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door. Their masts enable in-trailer stacking. These kinds of forklifts provide a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 pounds.
Operator Duties:
Each business has a slightly different system for material handling. In certain circumstances, some forklift operators not just load trucks in the shipping department, but replenish the manufacturing line, store inventory on racks, handle the paperwork connected with the loads, attach and scan bar codes and other tasks. Normally, the forklift operators who are always on and off of their forklifts in their shifts find it less fatiguing and much faster to exit a stand-up control unit, rather than a sit down type.