Pallet Trucks

Types of hand pallet truck

Most buyers start from a standard truck and move to a specialist type when the pallet, the height of the work or the environment calls for one.

Standard hand pallet trucks and pump trucks

A standard hand pallet truck raises the pallet hydraulically as the handle is pumped, which is why the trade also calls it a pump truck. The heavy duty hand pallet truck comes in standard, short fork and hydraulic versions, and the 2500kg manual pallet truck is built for heavy, intensive handling. The hand pallet truck with nylon or Vulkollan wheels comes in several fork lengths, and the tandem wheel pallet truck adds a manual control brake.

Long fork pallet trucks

When a load overhangs a standard pallet, or two pallets need to travel end to end, a long fork pallet truck carries it in one move. Long forks need more room to turn, so they work best on open floors and yards.

Mini and printers pallet trucks

Short forks handle small pallets in stores and shops where a full-length truck cannot turn. The mini pallet truck is the compact choice for general goods, and the printers pallet truck is built for the small pallets used for paper and print stock.

Low profile pallet trucks

Low profile forks get under pallets with a low entry that a standard truck cannot reach. The low profile pallet truck suits fragile goods and pallets where access is restricted, and the heavy duty low profile pallet truck handles USA and Japanese pallets as well as Euro and UK types.

High lift and scissor lift pallet trucks

A high lift truck raises the pallet to working height, so goods are unloaded or picked without repeated bending to the floor. The scissor lift pallet truck doubles as a raised workbench and is certified to BS EN and ISO standards, and the electric scissor lift pallet truck adjusts its fork height automatically as the pallet empties. The high lift pallet truck has front and rear stabilisers, and the heavy duty high lift pallet truck is the manual scissor model for raising goods at height.

Weigh scale pallet trucks

A weigh scale pallet truck weighs the pallet on the forks, so the load is checked before it moves and does not make a separate trip to a platform scale. Where each dispatch needs a weight ticket, the pallet truck with scales and printer prints the reading at the pallet.

Galvanised and stainless steel pallet trucks

A galvanised pallet truck has a hot dip galvanised frame that resists corrosion in damp conditions. The stainless steel pallet truck is for clean, humid and hygienic environments.

Quiet pallet trucks

The quiet pallet truck runs on rollers chosen to keep noise down, for shops, public areas and early or late deliveries where handling has to stay quiet.

Pallet trucks for warehouses, building sites and loading bays

Warehouses and distribution centres

Aisle width and travel distance decide the truck, so measure the narrowest aisle a loaded truck must turn in and the longest regular run from goods in to storage. Floors are usually smooth concrete or resin. Nylon rollers roll easily on them, while polyurethane and Vulkollan wheels run quieter and are gentler on sealed and finished floors.

Building sites and builders' yards

On site, a pallet truck takes palletised blocks, bagged materials and fixings from the delivery lorry to the compound, and moves stock held in pallets and pallet boxes around the stores. Hard standing, concrete and tarmac carry debris, joints and small steps, and the rubber wheeled manual pallet truck is built to cope with uneven surfaces and obstacles. Where trucks stand outside between deliveries, a galvanised frame holds up in the wet. Soft ground and loose stone are work for a forklift or telehandler.

Lorry, trailer and van loading

Inside a vehicle, the truck must turn with a pallet on the forks within the width of the bed, and fit on the tail lift together with its load. A compact electric truck turns inside a lorry or trailer, and a short fork truck sits on a tail lift platform with its pallet.