You would like to improve your productivity and facilitate your daily operations? Did you think about acquiring a pallet truck to help you with your activities?
Pretty popular, this piece of equipment can be found in many warehouses to ease operators’ actions and faster everyday processes.
But what is a pallet truck and how can it help you? Which model should you get? We will intend to answer all of these questions through this article in order to help you decide which one would be most useful for your operations.
What is a pallet truck?
First of all, let’s define what is a pallet truck. It is one of the most basic types of forklift and is used in warehouses to transport and lift heavy and light loads. It is a wheeled trolley with two forks that can be manually operated or that can be powered and that can move several pallets at the same time.
Its mission is to make transportation easier for operators, allowing them to access narrow areas, to travel long distances and to carry out heavy pallets.
How can it help you?
Pallet trucks are usually used to load and unload trucks but can also be useful for order-picking. If you have several pallets that you need to move, either for short or long distances, using a pallet truck is the most effective solution as it will help you save a lot of time. The pallet truck will highly facilitate your operations, especially the electric model as it allows you to travel long distances with heavy pallets. Thus, you will be able to increase your productivity significantly.
Which model to choose?
Depending on your facility needs, you might opt for different types of pallet truck. In fact, there are various models available, each of them having different characteristics. Thus, you need to consider in which conditions, where and how you want to use your pallet truck. Will you use it for outdoor or indoor activities? Which distances will it have to travel? How high do you want it to lift your pallets? How heavy will they be?
All of these factors have to be considered in order to know the size and the features you want your pallet truck to have. You might also want to add some accessories to adapt your pallet truck to your different activities.
Manual vs Powered Industrial Pallet Truck
You will have to decide if you prefer to go with a manual or a powered model. This will depend on your budget, on your operators and on the kind of actions you would like to do with your pallet truck.
The manual pallet truck. The manual model is usually used to lift between 1000kg and 2500kg. The operator will use the handle to pump the forks and thus, lift the pallets. This model is used in many facilities as it is the less expensive type of pallet truck. It doesn’t require much maintenance as it has no electrical components. It can transport heavy pallets and manage them smoothly.
The powered industrial pallet truck. These models are electric versions of the classic manual pallet truck. It is usually larger than the manual model and it has room for the operator who can manage the order-picking. These models can be used for light, medium as well as heavy loads. Therefore, you will be able to find a model that will fit your facility needs. Also, it doesn’t require a lot of physical efforts from your operator and will avoid injuries. The electric motor also allows the worker to travel longer distances with the pallets.
However, as you might expect it, its cost is much higher than the manual pallet truck. It will also require more maintenance as some of its electrical pieces might need to be replaced, which can be costly and time-consuming. You might also have to train your workers before they will be able to operate it.