What are the uses and benefits of ride on pallet trucks?
There are many different types of material handling equipment and machinery that are designed to help you in the smooth running of your businesses. Sometimes it can be a little confusing and somewhat overwhelming to know exactly what the right type of equipment is needed to be able to lift, move and store boxes and goods safely.
Below we explore exactly what a pallet truck is, where it can be used, the benefits of using a ride-on and we take a closer look on EP range.
The pallet truck and the ride-on truck
The pallet truck is also known as the pallet jack, pallet stacker and pallet lifter. The pallets are lifted via a long tapered fork that is placed below the pallet, enabling it to be easily moved, lifted and transported to where it is needed to be. This is achieved by user operation.
The electric ride-on pallet truck is operated by someone standing on a platform at the rear of the truck. This allows you to drive it to where it needs to be via a steering wheel, buttons or lever.
This is because the operator can easily move and navigate the pallet truck across a large floor space. The ride-on model is also the best type to load pallets into an HGV. Ride on pallet trucks often come with folding platforms that enable them to operate as a narrow walkie pallet truck when needed.
Pallet trucks are mainly used in the warehouse environment to move pallets from one area to another. They can move pallets from the storage area or warehouse to a waiting lorry with ease. They are able to lift pallets to a certain height and can lift multiple pallets at any one time.
They are particularly useful in the warehouse as they are smaller than a forklift truck, meaning that they are able to access smaller and narrow spaces, unlike a forklift. The electric ride-on pallet is also safe to use in the indoor warehouse environment as no harmful emissions are produced.
What are the benefits of a ride-on pallet truck over a manual one?
The manual pallet truck is operated via a handle that lifts and lowers the fork. This type of pallet truck is usually used for lifting small amounts of pallets, or in a small warehouse.
The ride-on pallet truck is far superior as it can cover a greater distance, lift heavier weights, so many more pallets can be lifted at any one time, and it can reach higher levels than a manual pallet truck. Therefore if you need to move and stack large amounts of pallets in a large warehouse environment, then you really need a ride-on pallet truck to do this job for you.
Training requirements
Any employee who operates a ride-on pallet truck will need the training to do so safely. This training needs to comply with the safety standards set by PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) plus following the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) L117, that is aimed at those who are involved in any type of lift truck operation, including site operators of rice on pellet trucks.
The EP ranges of ride on pallet trucks
EP Equipment is a well established and leading manufacturer of electric pallet trucks and ride-on pallet trucks.
The RPL Series
The RPL-201 and RPL- 201H from EP are ride-on pallet trucks that both have a Li-Ion battery. These machines have electric power steering and are quick to charge and use.
High speed manoeuvrability
The RPL-201 range has been built for speed and efficiency. These high-speed ride-on trucks can reach a speed of up to 5.5km/hr, helping to increase productivity.
Tough and durable
These machines are heavy duty and designed to lift and move heavy loads safely. The RPL-201 is able to lift a maximum of 2000kg.
The EP li-ion battery technology
The RPL-201 ride-on pallet truck comes with li-ion battery technology. The battery will fully charge in around two and a half hours. When using the pallet truck all the time and wanting to minimize downtime, this becomes a big advantage.
Benefits of the ride on pallet truck
Improves productivity
These electric ride-on pallet trucks are high speed, are able to quickly charge and are versatile because they can be used in narrow spaces. This ability to work anywhere in the warehouse space alongside the fact that they can be quickly charged, while moving at speed can only help to improve productivity.
Greater visibility
These EP ride-on pallet trucks offer the user greater visibility while operating the machine. This increased visibility allows the operator to manoeuvre down narrow aisles with ease and to travel across a vast warehouse floor safely, as all obstacles can be clearly seen. It also means that lifting and lowering loads is also much safer.
They can pick up large and heavy loads
These EP ride on lift trucks are incredibly robust and durable. They are able to lift and relocate heavy loads, which many other types of ride-on pallet trucks simply cannot do. So, if you have a particularly heavy workload then the EP ride-on pallet truck will help you.
Can replace a forklift in some cases
Finally, many warehouses opt to use an EP ride-on pallet truck instead of a forklift truck. This is because they are more affordable, are quicker to achieve a full charge, come in high-speed options and can be adapted for use in confined spaces.
We are able to offer you a wide range of ride-on pallet trucks by EP to help you with your everyday warehouse tasks.