A pallet truck is a wheeled trolley that has two forks that slide under pallets and allows employees to shift and move products across horizontal surfaces with less effort than carrying things manually. These vital components of material handling are used in distribution centers, stockrooms of retail stores, construction sites, factories, loading docks, and other places where there is a need for efficient movement of palletised goods.
A regular pallet truck is made of fork arms that are attached to wheels, plus a hydraulic pump system that is activated by a handle that lifts the forks a little over 200mm to allow the pallet to slide underneath. The operator walks behind or beside the truck and steers it with the handle that also controls the height of the forks. These trucks are also known as pallet jacks or pump trucks.
Manual and Powered Options
When it comes to pallet trucks there are two main types. Manual pallet trucks are the most basic option and require the operator to use their own physical strength to pump the hydraulics and push or pull the loaded truck. While they are economical and require less upkeep, they are more labor intensive. These manual models usually only handle loads of 2,500 kg and are designed for occasional use or for short distances on smooth floors.
Powered pallet trucks have a built in electric motor that moves the wheels and works the lift, significantly reducing the physical work required of the operators. Powered trucks are essential in high volume work where loads are constantly needing to be moved. They lower operator fatigue and can increase productivity by 30% or more.
Proper Operation Techniques
While operating pallet trucks, there are certain rules one must follow, both to ensure everyone’s safety and to prolong the life of the equipment. Before using the truck, the first thing you do is check if the wheels spin, if there are any leaks in the hydraulic systems, and if the forks are bent or broken. If the forks are bent, it will be impossible to properly engage with the pallet, while a broken or leaking hydraulic system will indicate broken seals that will eventually fail the entire lift mechanism.
When you are about to engage with a pallet, you place the forks in the center of the pallet. Make sure they slide completely into the pallet openings and that they are not obstructed by the pallet deck boards and are not stuck. After the forks are completely underneath the pallet, you use the handle to raise the pallet a little bit off the surface. This is usually about 5 to 10 pumps, depending on how heavy the load is. The load should never be raised higher than what is necessary, because the pallet trucks are made to do horizontal movements, not to raise the load to a high height.
You should always take special care to control your speed and adjust it to the conditions around you, especially when going through doorways, around corners, or when using ramps and inclines. You should always pull the truck instead of pushing it. Pulling the truck give you better control over it and allows you to stay away from the load in case something happens. A load can be extremely dangerous when it is out of balance or too high. It can topple over and crush feet, block walkways, or damage goods worth thousands of pounds.
Load Stability and Maintenance
When using a pallet jack, a load’s center of gravity is extremely important. Always make sure to check if loads are evenly distributed across the pallet before moving a load. Dse loads can be very dangerous and difficult to steer especially if there is an unbalanced load and weight is concentrated on one side. It can cause the load to shift or fall during transport. Moving loads which are top stacked also increases the hazard and risk of top load loads swaying unexpectedly during transport.
A little maintenance goes a long way with a manual pallet truck. Your hydraulic fluid should be checked every so often and topped off if needed. Wheels should be inspected to check for damage and to make sure they aren’t worn down to the point that the truck gets sluggish or uncontrollably veers to one side. Polyurethane wheels are typical and they usually hold up, but if you leave a truck sitting with a heavy load for a while, the wheels can get flat spots.
Trucks are still one of the most important tools for moving around palletized goods and are a staple of material handling operations.