The forklift has become a vital piece of machine that can raise and transport things and heavy supplies with both efficiency and speed. The way a business makes use of this machinery could significantly affect its profitability.
A common storage technique is Free Stacking Pallets. This is a way to use your lift truck which is economical and easy. Free Stacking Pallets is positioning one pallet over another to create a stack of products. This is a stable storage system and is recommended when handling huge amounts of the same goods, or many pallets of the same dimensions and height. The disadvantage of this system is that it just allows access to the objects placed last, so it does not allow a First In First Out system.
Pallet Racking is a technique which involves the stable storage of different sized pallets. Any pallet could be accessed at any time, that 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 requirements. This technique requires aisles that are adequately wide to allow a forklift to freely access the racks and easily maneuver. The downside is that this method means less pallets could be handled within the setting. This might not make a difference if there is sufficient space available.
Narrow aisle racking is similar to pallet racking in that it enables for a First In First Out or Last In First Out system. The difference in the technique is how the special narrow lift truck is used. This means that smaller areas are necessary between the aisles of pallets than in the Pallet Racking technique. The advantage is that more goods could be stored in the same space. The downside is that you will have to transition to a different type of truck if you already own a regular lift truck. The cost of obtaining special equipment may be a deterrent to implementing this technique of storage.
It is important to utilize your forklift truck to its full capability. It pays to analyze your time expenditure in retrieval and storage of pallets. Then you could find out whether there are more efficient means to use your lift truck to increase the usable space of your units or to speed up the process. Greater effectiveness means greater profitability.