Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
The kind of electric truck that is made to function in narrow aisles is called a Narrow Aisle Lift Truck. Typical storage aisles are only 3.6 meters wide, adequate space for a counterbalanced lift truck to pivot within the aisle. Nevertheless, narrow aisles could be around 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow area requires specific kinds of lift trucks which are capable of tight turns, small, could put away loads without pivoting. The common kinds of narrow-aisle trucks are turret trucks, order pickers and reach trucks.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
Reach trucks were the first narrow-aisle lift truck to be developed for warehouse use. These small trucks could easily turn within narrow aisles since their design has eliminated the need for a big counterweight. Instead, stability is provided by outrigger arms which extend in front of the truck. The disadvantage of this particular design is that the outrigger arms could hinder access to the storage rack as the truck cannot get near enough. These trucks truly work well in a warehouse which is well lit, has clean, even floors, enough turning space and good flow of traffic.
Turret trucks
The turret truck design includes forks on the side which turn. The forks turn 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load can face forward while the operator drives down the aisle. When it stops at the designated storage location, the truck's forks pivot to the storage side and raise the load to their full extension, and then easily deposit the load prior to resuming their original position. Turret trucks can come with a wire guidance system that keeps the truck on its path in really narrow aisles. In man-down trucks, operators remain at floor level.