Submitted by: Charlie O’Brien

Industrial forklifts are essential for businesses that use pallet racking as its primary storage system. Forklifts, also commonly referred to as lift trucks, provide the ability to quickly load and unload goods, making them crucial to maintaining an efficient operation. There are many different types of industrial forklifts available, which could make it tough for some business owners to really have a good idea of which type would be best for their specific operation. The following is a look at some of the most common types of industrial lift trucks that are prevalent in facilities throughout the United States utilizing a pallet rack system.

Counterbalance Forklifts

Counterbalance forklifts are staples in indoor facilities that have a pallet rack system, and they are the most common types of industrial lift trucks available on the market today. Counterbalance forklifts also are the type most people often picture in their minds when they hear the term forklift. These forklifts provide straightforward operation, with forks that stick out from the front of the vehicle for securing and transporting loads on pallets. There are several different models of counterbalance forklifts, including liquid propane-powered, electric-powered, and diesel-powered options. There are also four-wheel and three-wheel designs, the latter of which provide better maneuverability and are ideal for facilities with narrow aisles between rows of pallet racking. While counterbalance forklifts are generally used in indoor facilities, they also can be used in outdoor industrial operations as well.

Reach Trucks

Reach trucks offer exceptional lift height and have the ability to reach into a pallet racking system to safely load and retrieve pallets. There are several models for reach trucks, including stand-up, double-deep, straddle. A stand-up reach truck works as the trucks forks slide under the pallet to transport goods to a desired location. This model is ideal for use with pallet rack systems that have one palletized load stored per bay. Double-deep reach trucks operate in the same manner as stand-up models, but have longer forks. These models are ideal for use with pallet rack systems that allow for more than one pallet to be stored per bay; the forks are generally long enough to slide the pallet to the back of the storage unit. Meanwhile, straddle reach trucks offer a more flexibility when it comes to loading and retrieving pallets because they not only slide under pallets but they can also grip the sides of the pallet as well. Having a straddle reach truck can be especially helpful if your pallet racking system is accessible from more than one direction and incorporates numerous pallets per storage bay, because with this type of reach truck you would be able to grab a palletized load that may be third or fourth in line from the front of the storage bay.

Hand Pallet Trucks

Hand pallet trucks are used in warehouses to transport palletized goods from one location to another. The hand pallet trucks forks slide under the pallet and a hydraulic jack is used to raise the palletized load off the floor. While hand pallet trucks are available in a wide variety of designs and some are capably of transporting loads in excess of 5,000 pounds, the reach of these types of trucks can be extremely limited.

About the Author: Charlie O’Brien is a professional writer specializing in the material handling industry. His writing focuses on new and

used pallet rack

, cantilever rack, and other industrial shelving, and his work has been featured on multiple material handling industry websites.

Source:

isnare.com

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