Sometimes, it pays to examine the method of choosing a forklift. Like for instance, does your company consistently choose the same models for your dock work? If so, you can potentially miss out on a more efficient truck. There could be other units existing on the market which provide less fatigue to operators and allow more to get done. You may be able to take advantage of loading trailers in a more effective manner. By doing some research and evaluation, you could determine if you have the right equipment to suit your requirements. By reducing operator fatigue, you could significantly increase your performance.
When determining forklift models which deal with your particular problems several of the important factors to think about may consist of:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
If your shipping department just loads out a few semi-trailers or box trucks per week, then you probably won't require a pricey lift truck to accomplish the job. An inexpensive walkie model or walkie-rider will be able to handle the job if: A 4500 to 6000 lb. capacity is adequate and you do not need to stack loads in the trailer. Lastly, you must consider whether or not the transition from the dock floor to the dock leveler and into the trailer is not too jarring for the operator as the small load wheels need 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 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 types of forklifts provide a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 pounds.
Operator Duties:
For material handling requirements, each business has a slightly different system. Some forklift operators would often unload and load products in the shipping department along with storing objects on inventory racks, handle the paperwork associated with the loads, replenish the manufacturing line, attach and scan bar codes and other tasks. Generally, the forklift operators who are constantly on and off of their lift trucks in their shifts find it less tiring and a lot quicker to exit a stand-up control unit, rather than a sit down kind.