A hand pallet truck is a crucial piece of equipment for many businesses whether it involves lifting pallets of inventory in warehouses, loading transport vehicles or receiving goods and moving pallets. Investing in the correct pallet truck will not only increase your company's productivity but improve the health and safety of your employees.
In this blog, we want to provide you with some advice when choosing the right pallet truck that will help you make the right decisions taking into account safety, productivity and lifetime cost.
Which hand pallet truck do I need?
There are a number of key considerations when choosing a manual pallet truck, however, its principal function, size and weight of loads to be moved and any special requirements should be taken into account first.
Pallet trucks come in a variety of specifications, to accommodate various pallet sizes and operating environments:
• Weighing
The Toyota range of BT Lifter hand pallet trucks have been a cost-effective, innovative and reliable material handling solution for over 60 years, suitable for handling loads in all types of applications, including low-noise operations, corrosive and semi-wet environments.
Consider the value
With so much choice of pallet trucks on the market its often easy to fall into the trap of purchasing the cheapest option. However, it is also worth considering the cost and inconvenience of frequent replacement, expensive repairs and large service bills.
Therefore, the lifetime cost should also be taken into account to ensure you are choosing a unit which delivers a long working life with low maintenance costs. If you are an environmentally conscious business, ensuring you are purchasing robust and quality trucks is a must to avoid unnecessary waste by replacing trucks frequently.
Toyota’s BT range of ergonomic pump trucks offer a 5 year guarantee on the pump unit and a 99 year functional guarantee on the fork frame. Proven to be the most durable on the market – tests have shown they last up to five times longer than competitor models.
Now more than ever it is important to consider the durability of your equipment and look out for unique features which will extend the unit’s operating life including a robust, welded tiller and chassis points to enhance unit strength.
Employee health and safety
Ergonomics and manoeuvrability should also be a key consideration when choosing a hand pallet truck. For operators working long shifts, it is essential to make sure they are safe and comfortable and to avoid any injuries. With this in mind, it may be worth considering quick lift or assisted handling models which dramatically reduce the effort needed to move goods. Toyota’s BT Pro lifter reduces manual handling effort by up to 67% while the BT Quick lifter elevates the load in just two strokes reducing potential strains and fatigue.
Stay safe and legal
One of the main ways to protect employees and minimise downtime is by setting in place a regular maintenance plan which extends the life of your equipment. It is also important to conform to legal requirements (PUWER 98) which state that equipment should be regularly inspected for employee safety.
Toyota has a dedicated team of hand pallet truck specialists who can service all makes of hand pallet trucks keeping your fleet safe, operational and in performing well.
Financial flexibility
Another consideration may be whether to buy the pallet truck outright or enter into a rental and service agreement. Toyota’s Pallet Truck Plus offers hand pallet trucks to suit every type of application and operating environment, with added piece of mind that service, maintenance, and breakdown is included in your low monthly payment.
For more information on Toyota’s hand pallet truck solutions or to buy online click here.
Taking a step up from manual pallet handling?
If you need a step up from manual handling, why not take a look at our electric pallet trucks. Our entry level range of powered pallet trucks includes the BT Tyro, giving you the flexibility of a hand pallet truck but with that extra boost in productivity.