Pallet trucks are used to move heavy items quickly and easily. There are two types: hand pallet trucks for ground-level use and powered pallet trucks for high pallet racks. Pallet trucks are similar to forklifts but are built for indoor use.
Often used in manufacturing plants, warehouses, and some large storage facilities to move pallets of goods quickly and easily, pallet trucks provide a simple and easy method of moving heavy items from one location to another. Simple to use and effective with pallets designed to support large amounts of weight, pallet trucks are typically constructed with blades that slide under the pallet and are gently lifted with the use of a hydraulic motor.
There are two different types of pallet trucks in common use today. The most simplistic is the hand pallet truck. Ideal for use in warehouses where pallets are primarily stored at ground level, the hand jack resembles a trolley with forks at the front end. The operator walks behind the manual jack, controlling the direction of the jack with a simple steering mechanism. The forks are slid under a pallet and the operator uses a lever to gently operate the lifting mechanism on the device. The hand jacks are then used to move the elevated pallet to a new location in the warehouse or plant.
For storage situations where pallets are crammed into high pallet racks or stacked in layers of two or more, powered pallet trucks are a better solution. These types of jacks contain the use of a small platform that the operator can stand on. A motor provides extra power to lift pallets from a pallet rack and stabilize the load so the pallet can be transported to another location. A butterfly valve allows the operator to move the jack back and forth, as well as control the angle of the pallet loaded on the forks or blades.
Power pallet trucks are also often built with a seating area for the operator. When this configuration is used, the device is usually referred to as a pallet truck. Pallet trucks are very similar to forklifts and provide much of the same type of maneuverability. Unlike forklifts, pallet trucks tend to be built for use in an indoor facility, rather than being built for both indoor and outdoor use.
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