Sometimes, it pays to examine the process of choosing a forklift. Like for example, does your company always choose the same models for your dock work? If so, you can potentially miss out on a more effective truck. There could be other models available on the market which 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 manner. By doing some research and evaluation, you could determine if you have the best machinery to meet all your needs. By reducing operator exhaustion, you can significantly increase your performance.
When determining forklift models which deal with your particular problems several of the important factors to consider can comprise:
Trailer Loading Frequency:
You probably won't need an expensive forklift to complete tasks if your shipping and receiving department loads only a few semi-trailers or box trucks per week. A cheaper walkie-rider or walkie model would be able to deal with the job if: A 4500 to 6000 pound capacity is enough and you are not required to stack loads inside the trailer. Last of all, you must 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 need to travel over the dock plate.
If your shipping facility is always loading trailers however, a stand-up end control model could make more sense over a walkie-rider or a walkie model. These battery-powered forklifts fit into a standard 108 inch trailer door with no trouble. Their masts enable in-trailer stacking. These forklifts offer a model capacity range from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
Operator Duties:
Every business has a slightly different system for material handling. In some circumstances, some forklift operators not just load trucks in the shipping department, but replenish the manufacturing line, store inventory on racks, handle the paperwork associated with the cargo, attach and scan bar codes and other tasks. Usually, the forklift operators who are always on and off of their forklifts in their shifts find it less fatiguing and a lot quicker to exit a stand-up control unit, rather than a sit down kind.