The lift truck is a very important machine to help workers raise and move heavy weight supplies and goods with speed and efficiency without straining their bodies. How a business utilizes this machinery could significantly affect its profitability.
A popular storage method is Free Stacking Pallets. This is a way to use your lift truck that is both economical and easy. Free Stacking Pallets involves positioning one pallet over another to create a stack of products. This is a stable storage method and is suggested when dealing with large amounts of similar product, or many pallets of the same height and dimensions. The disadvantage of this specific technique is that it just enables access to the things put last, so it does not allow a First In First Out system.
Pallet Racking is a system which involves the stable storage of various sized pallets. Any pallet can be accessed at any time, which allows a First In First Out or Last In First Out method. It permits the rack to change shape and grow depending upon every day needs. This specific system requires aisles that are wide enough to allow a forklift to maneuver easily and to freely access the racks. The disadvantage is that this particular method means less pallets can be handled in the environment. This might not matter if there is adequate space available.
Like Pallet Racking, the technique referred to as Narrow Aisle Racking enables a First In First Out or Last In First Out system. It varies in that a special narrow forklift is used. This means that smaller spaces are necessary between the aisles of pallets than in the Pallet Racking technique. The benefit is that more product could be stored in the same space. The downside is that you would have to transition to a new truck if you already own a standard lift truck. The cost of obtaining special machinery may be a deterrent to implementing this method of storage.
It is vital to utilize your lift truck to its full capability. It pays to consider your time expenditure in retrieval and storage of pallets. Then you can determine whether there are more efficient means to use your lift truck in order to increase the usable space of your units or to speed up the process. Greater efficiency equals bigger profitability.