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 forklift equipment. 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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Loading Ramp Rental – Why Being An Owner May Not Be The Right Fit

We’ve all heard it before; renting is a waste of time and money. If you’re not making an investment into something that will last you for years and years to come, why are you throwing your money away? It’s important to understand that although these words are true in some aspects, for the occasional renter it’s crucial that items are available in such a way. For construction companies or laborers, you can save a lot of money by renting or leasing out equipment when necessary. A loading ramp, although a worthwhile investment if it is used frequently, can be found at a great bargain for those occasional users.

How Rentals Work For Labor Businesses

If you’re able to find a rental company that will provide tax deductions for using their equipment, great. If you’re able to find companies that will provide you with a discounted rate if you return the equipment by a specific time, even better. If you’re not planning on using a loading ramp for every job you do, then renting will save you money in the long run. Why invest in something you may only use occasionally on the job?

Individuals Can Reap These Rewards Too

It’s just like if you’re moving from one house to another; you wouldn’t go out and buy a large truck to move your items only once. Renting is a cost-effective way to get things done, and a loading ramp is no different than any other rental.

Ramps Can Be Costly

Contrastingly to the viewpoint of ownership, buying a loading ramp with the intention to use it frequently is all well and good. But after you’ve unloaded that equipment once or twice and suddenly find yourself not needing the ramp anymore, you’ll have it sitting in a dark and damp place until you’ve remembered it months later. Renting for packing up equipment or doing yard-work is the ideal choice, considering the cost-saving benefits that companies may be able to provide you with. Compare rentals online or go to several different locations where these rentals are made and compare the prices by yourself. These companies will compete for your business and offer pricing that will reflect that.

Investing In A Smart Way Can Be Cost-Effective

Let’s say you’ve got a cottage or large piece of land, or again if you’re a business owner who will utilize a loading ramp for it’s practicality and safety features. If you plan on using these ramps more than five times a year, it is definitely a wise investment. Considering the options you have before you, it all depends on your personal preference. If you honestly believe that owning a ramp as apposed to renting it will better suit your needs, go for it. There are often deals you can find online with other people who have made the mistake of buying a loading ramp rental and shortly after realizing they had no need for it.

We’ve all heard it before; renting is a waste of time and money. If you’re not making an investment into something that will last you for years and years to come, why are you throwing your money away? It’s important to understand that although these words are true in some aspects, for the occasional renter it’s crucial that items are available in such a way. For construction companies or laborers, you can save a lot of money by renting or leasing out equipment when necessary. If you are planning to rent a yard ramps it will be wise decision. Yard ramp Guy-rents yard ramps offer wide rang of yard ramp rental.

Article Source :- http://ezinearticles.com/?Loading-Ramp-Rental—Why-Being-An-Owner-May-Not-Be-The-Right-Fit&id=8461675

The Case for Portable Loading Docks

A portable loading dock is really a modern marvel when you consider what it can do and replace. You may also want to consider how difficult certain tasks would be without one available. Thanks to portable loading docks, everything from large machinery to basic products can be loaded into a trailer truck with relative ease. The main benefits of these docks can be broken down as:

•Financial
•Functional
•Mobile

Before we get to those, however, let’s take a look at what portable loading docks actually are.

What is a Portable Loading Dock?

All loading docks serve one basic purpose. They are the launching point from where the inventory is to where it will end up, the truck. Conversely, if the truck is unloading, then a loading dock serves as the point that makes this transition as efficient as possible.

Usually, loading docks refer to actual concrete structures that are permanently installed into a warehouse or other facility. However, there is also the portable kind. These essentially function as a ramp, allowing equipment to be move from the ground to the back of a truck.

Financial

One of the main benefits of using a portable loading dock is that it saves companies so much money. As you can imagine, installing a loading dock isn’t cheap. It takes a lot of materials and labor. Plus, after it’s installed, it still needs to be maintained.

Compared to that costly process, purchasing a loading dock is quite affordable. In fact, you can even rent one to save far more money if this temporary solution is an option.

These loading docks can often help save money other ways, as well. If you only have so many loading docks, you may be paying for trucks and workers to sit idle. By having a portable loading dock handy, though, you can continue to unload, ensuring none of your company’s funds go to waste.

Functional

Another issue conventional loading docks face is that they are permanent, like we mentioned before. This means that there may be many trucks that don’t line up to it perfectly. Ideally, you want the floor of the truck’s trailer to seamlessly transfer over to the floor of your loading dock. With so many different trucks out there, though, this just isn’t always the case.

This isn’t a concern when you’re using a portable loading dock, though. That’s because its height is adjustable. So go ahead and alter it as need be so there are no issues with loading or unloading due to height.

Mobile

Finally, as the name makes clear, portable loading docks can be moved wherever you need them. So no matter where the truck is in your lot, you can load or unload it just fine. You can also allow a forklift access to it or even to your permanent loading dock from the ground level.

There are so many ways a portable loading dock can make your company a more efficient and profitable one, but the above three are perhaps the best examples. Still, those three alone should prove why a portable loading dock makes a great investment.

Article Source:http://www.streetarticles.com/tools-and-equipment/the-case-for-portable-loading-docks