BUYING A PALLET TRUCK

If you work in a warehouse, factory or if you are embarking upon work which involves the transportation of pallets or the movement of heavy goods then you will require a pallet truck to make the movement of goods swift and easy. Before you purchase your pallet truck it’s a good idea to have some basic background information so you can make the perfect selection. A pallet truck is essentially a small, simple machine which is used to transport pallets - it can also be called a pallet jack or pump truck. A pallet truck can be manual or powered. A powered pallet truck is used to transport heavier goods or stacks of pallets; they are bulkier than the simple, manual variety and incorporate a platform for the operator to stand on. They are motorised and controlled by a throttle on the handle to move them forwards and backwards, the throttle is swung around to steer the pallet truck in the desired direction.

The first thing you need to consider is the criteria of the jobs your pallet truck will be used for, what the truck will be lifting, where it will be moving the goods and thus the functions it will need to have, this will ensure you get the most suitable machine for the job, you should also shop around online to get the best value product. Before you buy your pallet truck here are a few things you should think about…

Primarily, before buying a pallet truck you should determine whether it will be right for the job by investigating how high your goods will need to be lifted. Pallet trucks are only designed to lift weights a few inches above the ground to a maximum height of about ten inches so ensure that a pallet truck will be adequate for the job and that there won’t be any problems or safety infringements;

You then need to decide whether you will need a manual or powered pallet truck; this should be fairly obvious dependant on what the truck is going to be used for. Once this has been realised you can start looking specifically at examples of manual or powered pallet trucks. Powered pallet trucks are obviously more expensive however the offer many advantages over a manual truck as they are much easier to use and manoeuvre and don’t rely on the operators strength to move the goods so can transport much heavier loads.

Once you have determined the size of your pallet truck you must also decide on the necessary fork size; this will be dependant on the size of the pallets you need to convey so if possible research the dimensions of the goods that will be transported. Generally pallet trucks are 48 x 40” but they do vary so it doesn’t hurt to double check this.

Each pallet truck should have information detailing the degree to which it can turn and so if you know that you will be working within limited space, travelling through narrow isles and moving around tight corners then find a pallet truck with a high degree of turning, if you will be moving goods around in a more open space then a lower degree of turning is acceptable.