Like most things in life, business operations can be a lot simpler with some assistance. All industries utilise machinery and equipment to make operations run as smoothly as possible, and also to protect their workers and avoid breaching health and safety protocol. For businesses that rely on moving stock around in warehouses, from stock rooms or in large retail environments, several trucks are available to make this task simpler. Using this specialist equipment doesn’t only prevent injury, it can also help to maximise production. Regardless of the sector that your business caters to, if any of your day to day operations involve transporting stock from one area to another, then it is likely that you could benefit from using sack trucks, pallet trucks, or drum handling equipment. Drum handling equipment is ideal for any business that handles drum containers, whether these contain food, oil or liquids, or hazardous chemicals. This guide will help you to decide what type of equipment is most suitable for your business and give you an overview of how this type of equipment can be beneficial.
What are sack trucks?
A sack truck is a trolley-like piece of equipment that was primarily designed for the transportation of goods in sacks between short, walkable distances. This includes loading sacks from a warehouse into a lorry or moving them from one area of the warehouse to another. They are also very useful for moving stock from deliveries into stock rooms or warehouses. However, the name “sack truck” is more of a general term for a type of trolley or caddy that is designed in a certain way, so this doesn’t mean that they are only used to transport goods in sacks. There are many types of sack trucks available now to be useful in a variety of industries or that have been specifically designed to be able to transport certain goods such as large boxes of beer. Many businesses use sack trucks to transport goods around their warehouses or retail premises. As such, there are now several models on the market that are designed to meet specific needs such as moving deliveries that are packaged in large boxes, or transporting goods up and down stairs or steps.
Where can sack trucks be useful?
Sack trucks are incredibly versatile and can be useful in a range of environments. For example, in the retail industry, they can be a great solution for moving stock from the stock room at the back of a store to the shop floor where goods can then be unloaded onto shelves. The construction industry is another that can benefit from the use of sack trucks and allow workers to transport bags of sand, cement, stones and other materials more effectively across a site. With the number of people that are shopping online on the rise, distribution is an important sector that can benefit greatly from the use of sack trucks. They allow workers to quickly move customer orders around distribution centres and load them into vehicles more efficiently. In environments where businesses are looking to maximise output and production and also require staff to move large loads of goods by hand, sack trucks provide an excellent solution.
Different types of sack truck
Appliance trucks
As mentioned above, there are many types of sack truck available to suit a range of uses. These include the transportation of appliances, with sack trucks specially designed to make moving items such as washing machines, fridges, dishwashers or other large white goods much simpler. This type of sack truck can be ideal for any business that delivers appliances to customers or regularly moves them around distribution centres or showrooms.
Beverage trolleys
Beverage trolleys are a form of sack truck that can be useful in a range of industries. These provide an easy solution to those working in the catering industry, bars and nightclubs, supermarkets or off-licenses, breweries or distributors.
Stair climbers
Stairclimber sack trucks provide a solution for those that regularly need to move stock between areas where there are stairs or steps. They look like regular sack trucks but have three wheels on each side, arranged in a way that allows the operator to move the truck easily up and down steps. The three wheels rotate so there is always stability when the truck is used to move goods on staired areas.
Heavy-duty
Heavy-duty models are often used in commercial areas that require equipment that is sturdy enough to move fairly large loads on a regular basis. This means that they are often used in warehouse and industrial environments.
Light-duty
Light-duty sack trucks are more suited to areas that require a sack truck to move small loads on an occasional basis. For example, these are a good choice for environments such as small shops that require a sack truck only to move deliveries of stock to their stockroom.
Folding models
Folding sack trucks can be great for any business that requires a sturdy truck but doesn’t have a lot of space to store a standard sack truck. These are also great for storing in vans or vehicles to use for deliveries.
Powered trucks
Powered trucks allow the transportation of larger loads without putting a strain on the operator. With other sack trucks, although they make moving goods easier, they also rely on the operator to use a fair amount of their own physical strength. A powered truck means that the operator doesn’t need to be physically strong to be able to move a large load.
What is drum handling equipment?
Like sack trucks, drum handling equipment allows for easier transportation of goods but focuses on goods that are contained in drums. There are various types of equipment that come under this category including drum dollies (essentially sack trucks for drums), tongs and lifters. These can make operations run much smoother in environments that regularly deal with the movement or transportation and distribution of any product that is packaged in drums.
Where can drum handling equipment be useful?
There is a range of uses for drum handling equipment, and it isn’t only useful for transporting or moving goods packaged in traditional drums. For example, the beer, wine, and spirit industry can benefit greatly from this type of assistance. Moving valuable drinks in barrels and kegs can be difficult without the right equipment. Additionally, any business that deals in transportation or oils can benefit from using this specialist equipment to speed up processes and avoid damaging any stock or causing injury to staff. The pharmaceutical and chemical industry also relies on workers to safely transport potentially hazardous materials around warehouses and through stages of distribution or production. This means that specialist equipment that allows workers to do this safely to protect themselves and others around them is paramount.
Examples of drum handling equipment
Drum dollies
Much like sack trucks, drum dollies are a type of trolley that is optimised for moving certain goods. This means that they are designed to easily transport anything that is stored in a drum, keg, or barrel. They have circular bases to provide additional support and allow workers to easily push drums around warehouses.
Lifters
Lifters allow workers to easily lift drums safely and avoid any accidental injury or damage to the drum. These come in various forms and can be used for numerous different tasks. Some lifters are freestanding and allow drums to be lifted to a certain level for loading onto drum dollies or pallets, others are on wheels and allow the operator to both lift and move the drum. There are also attachments available for forklifts that are designed to assist in the lifting of drums.
Tongs
Drum tongs are designed to make moving drums using lifting equipment such as forklifts easier. The tongs grip the top or sides of the drum and are adjustable to suit differently sized drums. They allow the operator to move the drum more freely than using lifters or trucks.
What are pallet trucks?
Pallet trucks are a valuable tool that are used in various industries. Any industry that holds or moves goods using pallets requires a pallet truck in some form. They allow individuals to move large loads that have been loaded onto pallets through warehouses or onto delivery vehicles with ease. They are designed to prevent any injury from occurring during the movement of pallets from one area to another.
Where can pallet trucks be useful?
This type of truck is a vital piece of equipment for many businesses that operate in warehouses or have stockrooms. This means they are often used in supermarkets to move large quantities of stock onto the shop floor, and also in distribution centres and warehouses that hold a large spectrum of goods. Essentially, any business that packs or delivers goods using pallets can benefit from them.
Types of pallet trucks
Low profile
Low profile models are designed to be less intrusive but are able to move large pallet loads. They are controlled by the fingertips of the operator and are simple to operate.
Long reach
These trucks have longer forks which means they are a more versatile solution that allows the operator to move pallets of varying sizes without needing any additional equipment. They are also capable of transporting larger loads than more compact designs.
Weighing
Weighing trucks work similarly to other pallet trucks but feature built-in scales for weighing goods. This allows the operator to weigh and move a pallet in one motion rather than having to move the pallet to an industrial scale.
Rough terrain
This type of truck is great for environments with uneven flooring or moving pallets outdoors. Unlike other pallet trucks that are designed to work best on smooth concrete floors, these allow the user more flexibility to move pallets in places that would not be possible with other types of truck.
Whatever your needs for your warehouse, we’ve got the right equipment for you. Get in touch today and we can talk through what we can do to help your business.