Sometimes, it pays to examine the process of choosing a forklift. Like for instance, does your business consistently choose the same units for your dock work? If so, you can potentially miss out on a more efficient truck. There may be other units available on the market that offer 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 way. By doing some research and evaluation, you could determine if you have the right equipment to suit your needs. By reducing operator fatigue, you can drastically increase your performance.
Several of the important factors to consider when determining forklift models which deal with specific concerns include:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department only loads out a few box trucks or semi-trailers per week, then you probably won't require an expensive forklift to complete the tasks. A cheaper walkie model or walkie-rider will be able to deal with the task if: You are not required to stack loads in the trailer, and a 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is sufficient. Lastly, you should 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 because the small load wheels have to travel over the dock plate.
If on the other hand, your shipping facility is always loading trailers, than a stand-up end control would make more sense over a walkie-rider or a walkie model. These battery-powered forklifts easily fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door. Their masts allow in-trailer stacking. These forklifts offer 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 will usually unload and load products in the shipping department along with storing items on inventory racks, replenish the manufacturing line, handle the paperwork associated with the loads, scan and attach bar codes and other jobs. Generally, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their lift trucks during their shifts find it much faster and less fatiguing to exit a stand-up control model, as opposed to a sit down type.