Rider Pallet Trucks

Written by: Steven Bryan

Many companies can strongly benefit from purchasing a lift truck, but finding the right one can be difficult. If you aren't sure which model suits your specific business needs, consider adding a versatile rider pallet truck to your fleet of vehicles.

Various uses and applications

In many ways, a rider pallet truck combines the best elements of both the walkies and counterbalanced models. Instead of walking behind it, the operator stands on a platform at the back or middle of the truck. This makes this vehicle a good choice in the following situations:

• Long distances. If your employees have to haul parts or inventory over a large warehouse floor, a rider pallet truck can handle the job. Since the operator rides along instead of walking behind the truck, your staff can get more daily use out of it than a pedestrian model.
• Order filling. A speedy rider truck can zip up and down the aisles of a warehouse and quickly fill customer orders. These trucks are especially handy in home supply stores and businesses that sell groceries to customers in bulk.
• Heavy loads. Although traditional forklifts can handle sizable loads, rider pallet trucks can do their fair share of the heavy lifting. This makes them a more cost-effective alternative to investing in a counterbalanced truck.
• Visibility. Operators need to have a clear view of what they are moving around a storage facility. Like the walk behinds, the riders can give your employees an unobstructed view of the products, the warehouse floor and the other employees. This increases safety and reduces accidents.
• Green business. Rider pallet trucks typically are electrically-powered, which helps reduce your company's carbon footprint.

However, there are downsides to consider. Since the rider pallet truck operator is out in the open, he has no overhead protection, making him vulnerable to injury from falling products. Also, these lift trucks can become unbalanced when hauling extremely large loads.

Making the right choice

When shopping around for a lift truck, ask yourself the following questions:

• How big is your storage facility?
• How much inventory do your employees handle in a day?
• Will your staff need to handle exceptionally large loads and pallets?
• Will you use the lift truck around customers?

The answers to these questions can help you decide if the rider pallet truck or some other kind of equipment is the right one for your business. And BuyerZone's network of qualified dealers can make the decision even easier for you. Submit a free request for price quotes today and let the dealers bring the information directly to you.