FORKLIFTS
Five common types of warehouse pickers & forklifts
Whether you need to move heavy pallets at an industrial warehouse or pick individual parcels at a small storage facility, warehouse pickers and forklifts can help you move material more efficiently. Forklifts and other lift trucks are used in a range of settings, from picking materials for a manufacturing production line to delivering orders to a packing line at a large distribution centre. Depending on the setup of your facility and the volume of inventory you handle, you may need to supplement your human workforce with specialized picking equipment. Learn about five common types of lift trucks and how they can be used to improve the order picking process at your indoor facility. Warehouse Pickers & Forklifts for Indoor Material Handling Buying or renting forklifts—and other order picking equipment— can be challenging because there are so many types and models to choose from. Explore the benefits, capacity, reach height and training requirements of these five common types of warehouse equipment to help you choose the right lift truck for your needs. Warehouse Forklift Quick Facts • Often used in large facilities to move high volumes of inventory. 14
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• Handles 2,5 tons (5,000 lb) on average, with some models handling up to 10 tons (20,000 lb). • Side loaders and counterbalance forklifts are subtypes within this category. • Forklift licenses are required by OSHA for all operators. How They’re Used When you think of a small forklift for indoor use, you’re likely thinking of this machine type, which goes by many names from cherry picker forklift to order picker forklift. This kind of highly manoeuvrable lift truck is often used in large facilities to move high volumes of inventory over short distances. They also may be used on loading docks to unload items from delivery trucks. Side loaders and counterbalance forklifts are subtypes within this category of warehouse equipment. These specialized forklifts offer options for warehouses that need to move items through compact, narrow aisles. Load Size & Type Because they’re designed to move
pallets of materials and goods, warehouse forklifts allow facilities to load and unload balanced inventory more efficiently than they would through the efforts of the human workforce alone. The most widely used warehouse forklifts carry up to 2.5 tons (5,000 lb), but some heavy-duty models can handle more than 10 tons (20,000 lb) of weight. Required Training By law, all forklift operators are required to be forklift certified. This certification signifies that they’ve gone through the proper training to comply with OSHA regulations. The goal of this training is to reduce the chance of workplace injuries due to unsafe operation. Pallet Jack Quick Facts • Used to transport palletized loads over long distances. • Fits into tight spaces more easily than other types of lift equipment. • Handles 2.5 tons (5,000 lb) on average, with some models able to lift to 4 tons (8,000 lb). • Training is required by OSHA for
