



By N2H

Lift Trucks

December 1st, 2008 by Shenron

Lift trucks are used primarily for industrial and commercial purposes. There are plenty of types of lift trucks available and each lift truck can be configured to meet almost every industrial or commercial need. One of the most important considerations to make when choosing a type of lift truck is what types of loads or materials you will be carrying, how these materials will be stored or packaged and how they will be shipped or received. Having a good understanding of the tasks you require from a lift truck will make it easier to choose a lift truck that will fit your requirements.

Types of Lift Trucks

There are several types of lift trucks, they include the standard forklift, reach truck, motorized pallet truck, order picker and swing masts. Here is some information regarding each type.

Standard Fork Lift Truck
The standard fork lift truck is used for many commercial and industrial tasks. It is also known as a counterbalanced lift truck. The standard fork lift truck can be powered with many types of fuel sources, can lift a variety of weight capacities, can lift items to a variety of heights and can easily be customized with an assortment of attachment options.

For the most part, smaller size fork lift trucks are about 3,000 to 4,000 pounds. They can be found in most warehouses. These vehicles are extremely versatile, so for warehouses that only require one lift truck, this is probably your best choice. Fork lift trucks can come in a variety of width sizes to fit almost any industrial or commercial plant. Usually your aisles will need to be about 10 feet in width for a standard fork lift truck to operate (making K- turns or U- turns). Most fork lift trucks can lift items as high as 20 feet with special attachments. Fork lift trucks are usually sold with many popular attachments including side shifts, fork shifts, slip sheet attachments and hydraulic clamps.

The Reach Lift Truck
The reach lift truck, while not as popular as the fork lift truck is used mainly in warehouses designed specifically for racked pallet storage. Reach lift trucks are commonly called Stand up Reach trucks or Straddle Reach trucks. They are made to fit in narrow aisles and require about 8 to 10 feet of width to operate. Reach lift trucks include an outrigger in the front of the unit that telescopes the fork. The telescoping action uses hydraulics to load and retract items. There are also double reach trucks that have an extended arm that can store items two- deep.

Reach lift trucks are unlike fork lifts in that they don’t move around quickly or easily. While great for racking areas, they shouldn’t be used over long distances. Reach lift trucks generally have lift heights in excess of 30 feet. However the higher the lift, the more complex operating the truck will be. Reach lift trucks require a skilled operator.

Motorized Pallet Lift Trucks
A motorized pallet lift truck is known in the industry under a few names including the Rider, Walkie and Walkie- Rider. Motorized pallet lift trucks are essentially a pallet jack. They come in both Walkie and Rider versions. On the Walkie, the operator walks along with the truck, with the rider models, there is usually a small platform where the operator can stand on the device.

Motorized pallet Lift trucks are extremely quick and maneuverable. They are also easy to learn how to operate and can be controlled in tight spaces. Motorized pallet lift trucks are usually the most affordable lift truck option.

Order Picker Lift Trucks
Order picker lift trucks are also commonly known as Order Selectors. They specifically hold fewer items than a pallet and are manually controlled. Order picker lift trucks are usually used for two specific tasks, loading and unloading from racking, however, they might be helpful in counting inventory. Order picker lift trucks are available in a variety of lift sizes from 20 to 30 feet to over 40 feet in height. Most order picker lift trucks require a small space to operate- usually an aisle with about a 6 foot clearance.

Swing Mast Lift Trucks
Swing masts are lift trucks designed specifically for narrow aisles. They are commonly called turret trucks and pallet handling vehicles. Swing mast lift trucks can maneuver in aisles that are less than 6 feet wide. While a swing mast looks like a fork lift truck lift, it has the additional function of swinging the mast a full 90 degrees. It should be noted that the 90 degree angle is only in one direction.

While the swing mast lift truck can be used to lift pallets high into the air, if you are swinging the mast, make sure your pallet is secure. Most swing mast lift trucks are a little more expensive than your standard fork lift truck; however specialized swing masts that require high lifting can be very expensive exceeding $50K. The upside is that your warehouse can have aisles that don’t require that much width, utilizing more space.

Lift Truck Capacity and Height
The weight and height capacity for your lift truck is extremely important to know before you go out and purchase one. Make sure you research exactly the types of items you will be lifting and to what height they need to be lifted too. This will ensure that you purchase a lift truck that fits your job specifications safely and effectively.

Besides the actual lift truck, attachments that you purchase for your lift truck can also have an affect on the operation, height and weight capacities. It should be noted that many warehouses opt for lift trucks with the maximum weight or height capacity so that they are covered in the case they need to transport a heavy load; however this is always not the best strategy because a fork lift truck designed for extreme weight and height is usually more expensive to purchase, run and requires a maximum amount of space to operate.

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