Warehouse vehicles for efficient operations

Warehouse vehicles are essential for most companies that work with goods and products. The use of such vehicles enables the safe transport of products and materials from manufacturing to warehousing, distribution and retail. Proper equipment when handling loads is important to ensure the health and safety of employees. In addition, transport equipment contributes to efficiency and protects items from unnecessary damage.

We take a look at the various Transport equipmentfrom the manual sack truck via the Transport trolley to the powered pallet truck and show how processes and procedures can be handled efficiently and safely with the right warehouse vehicle.

Transporting heavy loads easily with a sack truck

Sack trucks are used to transport goods from one place to another. This can be a stack of heavy boxes or machines or the transport of heavy luggage at airports or railway stations.It is sufficiently well known that hand trucks make lifting and transporting loads much easier. But why? This ingenious invention makes use of two groundbreaking physical discoveries: The wheel and the lever! Thanks to leverage, it would theoretically be possible to lift the world off its hinges, as Archimedes already knew some 250 years before Christ. The principle is actually quite simple: work equals force times distance.

The following applies: the force needed to lift the weight depends on the length of the path between the weight and the point of leverage. A simple illustration: The further out a child sits on the seesaw, the more force must be used to get the seesaw into a horizontal position. In turn, the shorter the distance between the weight and the point of leverage, the easier it is to lift the weight. The weight of an item is thus used and balanced over the wheels of the hand truck so that it can be easily transported.

The lever pivot

On the hand truck, the lever pivot is in the wheel hub. The loading surface (or bucket, platform…) on which the weight rests is in close proximity for optimal use of force. Depending on the material composition of the trolley (for example aluminium, tubular steel, stainless steel or impact-resistant plastic), considerable weights can now be lifted and transported easily. RAJA’s currently “strongest” hand truck has a maximum payload of 350kg – without “physics”, at least two or three people would be needed to lift it! In warehousing and logistics, the hand truck is therefore an indispensable helper: it saves energy and is also easy on the back and joints, as the weights do not have to be lifted from the floor – a decisive contribution to work safety! The hand truck can also be used to “prise open” several boxes at once – a whole stack!

Who invented it?

It is not known who invented the hand truck and when. Early sack trucks probably existed in antiquity. Their heyday was probably in the 18th century, when they were used in ports all over the world. The most common form of container at that time, the sack, filled with bulk goods such as coffee, flour or spices, no longer had to be laboriously shouldered. Especially in the warehouses of the trading houses, the sack trucks, which were initially made entirely of wood, were indispensable because they could be used to transport many sacks at the same time. Today, as a rule, hand trucks are used, as packaging now tends to be done in stackable boxes, cartons or containers. Nevertheless, they are still called sack trucks.

By the way, our Swiss neighbours lovingly call the sack truck Sackrolli and in Austria it is called Sackrodel, Bierrodel or simply Rodel.

Variety of hand trucks

The world of hand trucks is very diverse. In addition to the classic for parcels or beverage crates, there are models for event organisers that can be used to drive half a dozen stacked chairs through the halls. Tyre dealers, for example, use trolleys on which two swivelling grab rails are mounted that can be used to transport several tyres. For barrels and gas cylinders, there are models that are shaped to hold the round bodies.

Depending on the application, there is also a choice of several bucket shapes and sizes. Parcel services, for example, often prefer tubular buckets that resemble gratings because of their light weight. If heavy goods have to be transported, a spade shovel is recommended, which is available in various sizes. The surface of the shovel usually has a profile so that the load cannot slip to the side.

There are also differences in the tyres: Hard solid rubber tyres are best for smooth, flat floors. If steps have to be negotiated frequently, pneumatic tyres absorb the shocks. PU foam tyres, on the other hand, are particularly puncture-proof because they are not sensitive to punctures.

Operating sack trucks correctly

Hand trucks enable a single warehouse worker to move things where otherwise two or three people would have to pitch in!

Some practice is required for proper handling:
Both trucks and wheels should be checked before use to ensure they are not damaged. In addition, the load must not exceed the weight limit of the hand truck. The load must be placed carefully on the tip of the bucket (the flat piece of metal that rests on the ground) so that it can be lifted. Make sure the goods are secured before carefully pulling the top of the hand truck towards you and pushing forward with your foot using the tread.

As hand trucks do not require formal training to operate, it is important to feel confident in handling and know exactly how to use the hand truck. If you have any further questions or concerns, talk to your supervisor or the hand truck manufacturer before operating the hand truck.

The stair truck

Anyone who has ever transported a washing machine to an old building on the 5th floor will appreciate it: the stair truck. Three sturdy rubber castors are arranged in a star shape on a rotating axle and thus make it possible to transport even heavy and bulky goods over many an obstacle. Even steep stairs can be overcome with the stair truck. They are therefore particularly recommended for smaller removal companies or for suppliers of “white” goods such as refrigerators or washing machines. After all, they never know exactly what they will have to face. After all, there are still many old buildings without lifts!

The warehouse helper par excellence: pallet trucks

As the name suggests, pallet trucks are machines for lifting and moving pallets. Like their big brother the forklift truck, they are used to move pallets or palletised goods in the warehouse. There are two main types: manual and electric pallet trucks. Manual pallet trucks are often used in warehouses and retail outlets.

In contrast to the forklift truck, the pallet truck does not have its own drive but is controlled by pure physical strength. The loads are also lifted manually: with the help of hydraulics, RAJA pallet trucks lift and move loads of up to 2,500 kilograms payload without any effort. The tare weight of a pallet truck is not necessarily an indication of how much it can lift.The pallet truck with quick lift from our range, for example, weighs 65 kg with a maximum load capacity of 2,500 kg, but the Eco pallet truck also weighs 65 kg but offers a maximum load capacity of 2,000 kg. The decisive factor is the intended use of the pallet truck, i.e. the weight of the goods that need to be transported by the pallet truck. The fork length varies from 800 to 1150mm, following the standard pallet dimensions. With a fork length of 800mm, RAJA’s “smallest” is ideally suited for manoeuvring even in confined spaces – it simply takes on the large Euro pallet crosswise and thus also fits in the passenger lift and on the truck loading area.

As with hand trucks, using a pallet truck does not require formal training. For pallet trucks, training should always be given to inform employees of the function of the equipment and any potential hazards associated with its use.

Step-by-step: How does a pallet truck work?

As with hand trucks, using a pallet truck does not require formal training. For pallet trucks, training should always take place to inform employees of how the equipment works and to show them any potential hazards associated with its use.

-1- Check for damage

Before using the lift truck, check that the body and wheels are in good condition and not damaged.

-2- Observe maximum load

The maximum load of the pallet truck must be known to ensure that the weight of the load to be moved does not exceed it.

-3- Lifting the forks

Use the control lever on the handle to move the forks up and down. When the pallet truck is in position, the lever is set to the “lift” position, which raises the forks.

-4 – Driving

When the forks and load are at the desired height, set the lever to the third position “Drive”. The lift truck can now be moved.

The mechanics of a

pallet truck

Manual pallet trucks are able to lift and move heavy loads hydraulically. When the release lever is pulled, it releases the hydraulic fluid and lowers the fork. The action of pulling the handle repeatedly increases the pressure in the hydraulic fluid and raises the fork and load.

Manual pallet trucks can be pushed as well as pulled, but most people can push significantly more weight than they can pull.

The pallet truck with scales

Especially in export, the weight of the pallet must often be indicated on the consignment note. This means: Before loading, another stop at the scales. Ideally, you will know the weight of your pallet truck and can simply subtract it from the total weight after weighing, otherwise you will have to unload the pallet on the scales first and then load it again. Another option would be to determine the weight of each individual package with the package scale and add up the individual items.

It is easier to work with a pallet truck with scales! Integrated directly on the pallet truck is a digital scale with gross and net weight display. The automatic and manual zero setting of the scales makes it easy to load onto the already “forked” pallet. The weighing pallet truck can also be used to add up several pallets one after the other and thus determine the total load weight in just one step. The purchase of a pallet truck with scales is particularly worthwhile when there is a high turnover of goods.

Why the pallet truck is also called an ant

Colloquially, the pallet truck is also called an ant: the small crawling animal is known for its amazing performance: Although the ant weighs just 10 milligrams, it can carry up to 100 times its body weight! A human being would have to lift a more than full-grown elephant to be able to take on the small insect! Our most powerful lifting truck can carry a payload of 2,500 kilograms, which is about 45 times its body weight. Remarkable!

Incidentally, Wikipedia provides some exculpatory information on the rehabilitation of human performance: If an ant were as big as a human being, it would be able to lift 40 kilograms (thanks to the relationship between mass, length and strength). So we are all ants, so to speak! 🙂

Transport trolleys and transport rollers

Who doesn’t know this from personal experience: You just want to carry a few things from A to B quickly… But before you know it, you’ve got your hands full again and are struggling to shoulder everything somehow and get it to its destination in one piece. This is not only laborious and bumpy, but can also be dangerous under certain circumstances! In everyday life, for example in the supermarket, one would now resort to a shopping trolley. And what about in a professional environment? Here, too, there are practical helpers with wheels that are real all-rounders! Transport trolleys and transport rollers are suitable for many purposes and for different loads and ensure that even heavy or bulky objects can be manoeuvred comfortably and safely.

In-house goods transport

Whether platform trolleys, transport rollers or lattice trolleys, these transport aids move all loads to the desired location without much effort. This applies to boxes, postal packages and shipping goods as well as to tools, machine parts or other equipment. Shelf trucks can also be loaded on several levels, e.g. with order-picking goods. This is particularly practical when goods are to be assembled at the workplace and then transported to dispatch. Everything that needs to be transported within the company becomes mobile and flexibly ready for use with this type of handling accessory. As equipment, the trolleys fit into the most diverse branches of business, because they are not only suitable for industry, production and shipping, but are real all-round talents in the warehouse, workshop or office.

When purchasing a trolley, the following points should be taken into account:

• Depending on the application, you should pay attention to the maximum load capacity: The heavier the objects to be transported, the more robust and resistant the transport equipment must be.
• Non-slip surfaces are an advantage, especially if, for example, liquids in containers or similar are moved with it.
• Easy pushing and steering also enables flexible, manoeuvrable use, especially when, for example, narrow aisles such as those in libraries need to be served.
• Smooth-running, low-noise and abrasion-resistant castors are advantageous to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Implementation instructions for industrial trucks

In order to reduce the risk of injury from lifting vehicles used at work, the DGUV (German Social Accident Insurance) has issued implementation instructions for industrial trucks. There you will find information on:

• Compliance with operating instructions
• Instruction
• Potential hazards