Narrow Aisle Forklifts
Some forklifts are especially made to fit down very narrow aisles in a warehouse. These models are referred to as narrow aisle lift trucks. They can easily negotiate smaller aisles and allow you to enjoy some advantages. Like for instance, the increased amount of space to keep objects can significantly increase a company's overall available inventory.
Narrow aisle forklifts could maneuver easily also. These machines have been specially designed to move without much space. Their different design has eliminated many of the items which are squished up into the main body of the traditional forklift design.
The disadvantage of narrow aisle forklifts is that they are really slow compared to regular forklifts. Narrow aisle lift trucks will not work if you need to transport things across long distances. When it comes to speed they will not be a reliable option. If you also have a regular lift truck, this will not be an issue. You can simply use the narrow aisle lift truck to move the load to a central site and after that hand it off to a regular forklift that can travel the bulk of the distance in an efficient and timely method. Commonly, narrow aisle lift trucks cannot handle as much lifting weight; therefore, outside of smaller loads they will not be really helpful.
Electric Forklifts
For indoor applications like stores or inside warehouses, conventional gas forklifts are not a suitable alternative. They will not be as safe due to their fumes, or as cost-efficient or helpful than an electric powered model. Electric lift trucks are usually engineered to work and look a lot like gas ones, but they depend on electric batteries that must be recharged, instead of gasoline fuel.
Electric forklifts are popular for a variety of reasons. For starters, they will save you lots of money on fuel expenses. At first, electric models might cost more but eventually, they make up for this in the long run. Like for instance, when gas prices go up, you would not be affected and would save a lot of cash. Electric models tend to last quite a bit longer as opposed to gas powered models also. This is partly because of the fact they are mainly used indoors and therefore don't get as dirty or work in as harsh environments as the gas powered units. Electric models are healthier to utilize in poorly ventilated areas like warehouses and indoor operations since they don't emit noxious fumes. It could be very dangerous to utilize gas or diesel forklifts inside.
One of the main downsides to electric lift trucks is the fact they can generally only work for one 8 hour shift before the battery has to be charged for another shift. Many companies get around this condition by buying a spare battery so they can continually cycle them and have less downtime. There are fast charge batteries available on the market that are also reducing the charging time.