How Reach Trucks Can Benefit Your Business

There are numerous sectors and industries out there who require a vast amount of warehouse storage space. Although, as the rise of online shopping continues to be exponential, more companies than ever before are looking to acquire distribution and fulfillment centres to be able to deal with such a high demand.

But as warehouse owners look to expand their premises in order to store an increased amount of stock, it can become more difficult to be able to access those items quickly and efficiently. This is where having the right material handling equipment at the helm of your operations is absolutely essential.

Where an entire fleet of forklifts provide just the right amount of help when it comes to lifting and transporting goods, there’ll come a point where your racking could be too high for even a forklift to get to and this is where you’ll need a reach truck, or a collection of them depending on the size of your facility.

But what exactly is a reach truck, what capabilities do they have and how can they benefit your business like no other warehouse machine?

What is a reach truck?

A reach truck has been specifically designed to reach items that are stored on high shelves and, often, in narrow aisles and spaces. Essentially, reach trucks can access places that even the most state-of-the-art forklifts won’t be able to get to.

Generally, reach trucks offer a far more compact and slim-lined chassis in comparison to a conventional forklift, making it ideal for use in small premises if you can’t afford to move to a larger one. This also makes the reach truck a very cost-effective option for many warehouse owners out there, regardless of the industry you’re in.

What does a reach truck have to offer?

A reach truck is able to do and offer far more than a traditional forklift. Where a reach truck appears to be unbalanced when compared to a forklift, they’ve actually been constructed in such a way that the vehicle is able to balance the load it carries. This is because it boasts two legs, a set of wheels on the back legs and underneath where the operator is located.

It has an impressively compact chassis, enabling it to turn and navigate its way safely around tight corners and through narrow aisles. Despite being smaller than a forklift, its power and reach heights shouldn’t be underestimated. The machine can be operated, even whilst carrying a heavy load, without knocking any stock off the shelves or damaging any part of the reach truck itself, when operated to a trained standard.

Most reach trucks can turn at a right angle to the shelving in order to get as close as possible to the stock it’s wanting to get access to. Some have a scissor mechanism included, which is also called a pantograph, allowing the forks to effortlessly move the load backwards and forwards with absolute ease.

What types of reach trucks are there?

Despite popular belief, there’s actually more than one type of reach truck available to warehouse owners these days. This makes it even easier for managers to purchase the equipment that’s tailored more to the operations and tasks at hand, regardless of the budget you have or how big your facility might be.

Some of the most common reach truck models available to you include:

Stand up trucks

• Often used where there will only be one load expected for each bay
• Have two forks located at the front of the machine
• Forks will slide under the pallets in order to lift and transport them

Double-reach trucks

• Similar to stand up trucks
• The forks are generally longer
• Can operate effectively in places storing loads on multiple pallets
• Have the ability to reach right to the back of the bay

Straddles trucks

• Have long forks
• Built specifically to grip the edges of the load
• Allows for improved stability and increased ease of access
• Ideal for areas holding numerous loads in each bay
• Can reach stock from multiple angles
• Can access loads that are set far back

Can reach trucks be used outside?

Reach trucks have been thoroughly designed with the warehouse in mind and so they aren’t always suitable for use outdoors, unless the manufacturer says otherwise. Usually, if exterior use isn’t recommended, this will be detailed in the manual.

There are numerous reasons for why reach trucks shouldn’t really be used outside, and they include:

• They have a low under-carriage clearance
• The chassis in general is relatively low
• Electrical components can be easily knocked around due to a compact vehicle design and a generally low chassis
• There isn’t really much of a need for a reach truck to have to access items that are located extremely high up when outside

How can a reach truck benefit your business?

There are multiple different ways in which a reach truck can benefit your business and improve the productivity and efficiency of your warehouse overall. Those advantages include the following:

They can reach high places

Aptly named, reach trucks are able access loads that are located higher up, specifically on warehouse racking. The fork carriage can be stretched far beyond its chassis, usually up to around nine metres. Some reach trucks are even able to reach higher than that, if this is something you need.

They allow for additional storage options

Because of its small chassis and impressive reaching capabilities, even in the tightest of spaces, reach trucks will allow for warehouse owners to implement additional storage options, including extra racking and even the construction of mezzanine floors.

By stacking items upwards, you’ll find that you’ll be able to store more than if they were spread across the warehouse. Reach trucks will mean that items on high shelves can be accessed in a quick and efficient manner every single time, no matter where they are in your facility.

Efficiency overall will increase

Goods can be accessed, picked up and transported as quickly and as productively as possible. This makes them absolutely essential for anyone looking to improve efficiency in and around their warehouse, no matter what industry you work in.

They’re cost-effective to run

Most reach trucks these days don’t require any fuel in order to run normally. They’ve been meticulously designed to have low operating and maintenance costs which means, aside from the initial outlay of buying the machine in the first place, it’s a budget-friendly option for any warehouse owner looking to keep costs to a minimum.

They’re simple to operate

If your reach truck operators have been fully-trained to drive the vehicle, then they’ll have absolutely no problem navigating their way around on one of our reach trucks. A side-seat position gives the operator a wide, clear and unobstructed view at all times, which also helps to keep everyone on the ground safe.

Some reach trucks also have a tilted cab mechanism which aids in providing such a clear view to the driver. There are a few models that also have an open overhead guard fitted as another simple safety solution.

They’re quiet when in operation

Warehouses can be extremely noisy by nature and too much of it can disrupt the general workflow. That’s why specialist equipment is required, to protect their employees from the noise associated with such operations. Although when you choose to implement a reach truck, you won’t have to worry about excess noise as they’re extremely quiet when in operation.

How can Multy Lift help you?

Here at Multy Lift, we’re able to provide our customers with new reach trucks and used reach trucks, enabling us to effortlessly meet both your needs and your budget. If you require additional storage, then we’re also able to supply warehouse racking and mezzanine floors for your absolute convenience.

Whether you need a reach truck, a new or used forklift, a tow truck, an order picker or another piece of high-quality warehouse equipment, our knowledgeable, expert team will ensure you’re provided with the ultimate solution to ensure your warehouse operations continue to run as smoothly and as efficiently as possible.

If you’d like more information about the warehouse equipment we have available, whether new or used, get in touch with a member of our skilled, professional team today – we’re always on hand to help our customers wherever possible.