Stand-up forklifts are powerful and reliable machines that offer slightly different attributes to a traditional sit-down forklift. If you are having difficulties deciding between a sit-down or a stand-up forklift, an understanding of the strengths of a stand-up rider and a proper assessment of your operation and the needs required of a forklift should allow you to determine if a stand-up rider is right for your business.
- Ability to operate in narrow aisles
The minimum aisle size for a sit-down forklift is generally around3 12-1′. Stand-up forklifts on the other hand, require a smaller turn radius and can efficiently operate in aisles much smaller than a traditional forklift. With the capability to operate in such narrow aisles you can maximize the space in your warehouse and increase the profits of your business.
- Operators can quickly enter and exit the vehicles
Another useful perk of a stand-up forklift is the short amount of time needed to exit the vehicle. A traditional forklift requires an operator to put the forklift in park, unfasten their seatbelt and then climb out of the seat. While someone operating a stand-up forklift simply has to bring the vehicle to a stop and step out of it. This process is made completely safe by technology known as a “Deadman switch” that the operator stands on while driving. When they wish to turn off the vehicle, they simply step out and when there is no weight on the switch it shuts off the engine. While the 10-15 seconds saved in the exit process may seem miniscule, if your operators are having to enter and exit their forklifts very frequently than that time can add up to a significant amount.
- You don’t have to sacrifice capacity
While stand-up forklifts may be smaller in size than sit-down forklifts, they oftentimes have very similar weight capacities. Due to the center of gravity of the stand-up forklift it can carry up to 5,000 lbs. without needing to increase in size and power. This allows you to receive all of the benefits of a standup forklift while keeping the weight capacity needed for many operations.
So, if your operation requires forklifts to navigate in narrow aisles, requires drivers to frequently exit vehicles, and you need a capacity of 5,000 lbs. or less, then a stand-up forklift may be a great solution. You can request a quote on a new Stand-up rider forklift from Toyota here.