Choosing a Warehouse Forklift

The selection of forklifts for warehouse facilities is phenomenal, so when you need one which do you need? Warehouses move thousands of products a day that range in size and weight from several thousand pounds to light items that require assembly. Warehouse facilities utilize automated guided vehicle systems (AGVS) that range from simple manual controlled vehicles like forklifts to sophisticated computer integrated systems.


One type of automated vehicle is the forklifts. There are several determining factors to consider when choosing a forklift.

Will it be for indoor or outdoor use and the type of combustion process are you interested in using. For instance, are you interested in going the “green” route by purchasing an electric forklift that is clean burning and typically quieter. The other option is a gas or diesel burning vehicle, which is less expensive.


Another consideration is the type of product that you will be moving. Weight and height requirements are very important. Will the product weight several hundred or several thousand pounds? Will the item or pallet be five feet or twenty feet tall? Center of gravity will also be a determining factor, which will affect the load capacity of the vehicle.

Think about the aisle space you have and maneuverability that will be required by the vehicle. A stock picker is designed for both pallet handling and picking product at tall heights. A rider pallet truck and tow truck is for low-level order picking, high-speed transport, or dock work. A turret truck is used for very narrow aisle and is designed for pallet handling and case picking.

First step first: Determine what is the main purpose or job for which the forklift is needed?

Source:
Forklift Comparisons
MHIA.org Automatic Guided Vehicle Systems