Know the available range of forklift equipment to make sure you are prepared

Being efficient in your operations is about making sure that your team has what they need to perform their work safely and quickly. A forklift is a necessity in any yard or loading area, and making sure you have the right forklift equipment will save you time and trouble in the end. A base forklift cannot do it all; trying to use a base model for everything can put your safety record at risk and slow down operations. Here is an overview of the types of equipment available for your site.

Order pickers
Order pickers are a necessity, even if the height of your stock isn’t exceeding average shoulder reach. These are chain driven extended fork systems that are integrated into an attached rack. It is better to use an order picker than plain forks as they are constructed to take into account the effect of weight at height, reducing safety concerns.

Lifting cages
Lifting cages are a must-have for dealing with small items. While they may come boxed and wrapped, the packaging usually falls apart. These wire style cages have a solid bottom with receiving slots for the forks so you can lift items easily. It can also be a good choice if you need to lift up working material. You can fill the cage, or just use it as a safety cage for lifting individual items. Lifting cages are not designed to be used as work platforms. Work platforms are specific to their intended use.

Work platforms
Work platforms are available for forklifts. These platforms are designed to meet current safety standards and regulations to allow workers to use the forklift as a scaffold platform. Make sure you are aware of all the additional requirements for use, such as fall equipment and training. Check with both state and local safety offices for which regulations apply to their use, and what activities are permitted from the work platform.

Roll Carriers
Roll carriers can work for anything from pipes to carpets. They allow you to safely load and transport long rolls. There are also specially designed roll carries for lifts with higher reach extensions. These can be essential to speeding up your operations. While just about every forklift operator has devised their own way of carrying rolls, the time spend jerry-rigging regular forks to carry the load safely means time lost in operations. Better to invest in the equipment designed to do the job right so you don’t lose time on the floor just getting things to work.

Extensions and more
Fork extensions are one of the most common types of forklift equipment to have on hand. Even if you don’t think that you need them, having an extended fork pair is something you will be glad you invested in. Other common accessories that should be in your tool box include tool boxes, safety nets and cargo strapping devices. There are also some chain fall cages designed for use with forklifts that can come in handy. You should also invest in some safety posters and books to make sure your personnel stay up to date on safe operations and maintenance protocols.

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Staging and Moving Portable Loading Docks

When buying portable loading docks, you need to plan for how you are going to get them from their storage point to their staging area. If you don’t think this through, you will wind up leaving the docks staged. This not only can interfere with the staging process for phase work, but it can reduce the turn radius in yards. More importantly, portable docks aren’t meant to be left in place as, this shortens their lifespan. Take the time to consider how you will move the docks from place to place, and how you will perform their needed maintenance. Sit down and look at your access and egress paths, and consider the schedule of your equipment when making your plans.

Planning out the access

You may know where you have space for the portable loading docks, and how they will be used, but you also have to consider the space around them too. Staging should take into account the approach of trucks and loaders so that adequate turn radius is allowed. Just because a driver can turn in a tight space doesn’t mean you should leave it to them to do all of that work. The easier it is for them to get in and out, the better your service and efficiency will be.

Knowing when to move the staging areas

Projects lose money when even an hour delay occurs. A part of planning your staging areas is knowing when you need to move them. It is never as simple as just planning to move a dock when a phase has ended. You have to accommodate the staging-in plans of other contractors. If you are using the docks in a permanent yard, you need to make sure that you accommodate the loading schedule as docks will have to be moved to create viable turn radius.

Making sure you have the portable loading docks you need

When planning for your loading docks, take into account everything they can be used for. The most common mistake made is to buy a dock that is dedicated for one use, and not to take into account where the dock could be located to expand its potential. If you have a dock with a load bearing capacity and width to handle a pallet jack, chances are you will want to use it for a forklift as well. It is always best to look at your staging plan so you can really determine what activities will occur around the portable dock so you choose one that is flexible.

After the project is over

The old story goes that when it came time to take the portable loading docks away …  the company didn’t have a loading dock to load the loading docks. Believe it or not, this is a very real problem. Just as you planned the offloading of the docks in the beginning of the project, you need to plan out how you are going to get them off site. The easiest way is to use a lift and flat-bed, but if that is not an option for you make sure that your loading truck has the equipment it needs to lift and load the docks when they are collapsed or dismantled. Advanced planning will save you time and money.

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