BY TOBY GOOLEY, SENIOR EDITOR
LIFT TRUCKS
Material Handling
WALK INTO ANY WAREHOUSE, DISTRIBUTION CENTER, RETAIL STOCKROOM, GROCERY
store, or transportation operation and you’re sure to see pallet jacks and pallet trucks. These ubiquitous
pieces of equipment are typically used for moving pallets over long distances as well as into and out of
trailers and low-level storage. They include manual versions—essentially a pull handle and forks on
wheels—and electric-powered walk-behind trucks (“walkies”) and operator-aboard walkie/riders.
These warehouse stalwarts have been undergoing a transformation. While manual pallet jacks haven’t
changed significantly, powered pallet trucks—the primary focus of this article—have far more capabilities than they did just a few years ago. (Although the terms are often used interchangeably and with many
variants, this article generally uses “pallet jack” for those that are driven manually and “pallet trucks” for
powered types.) According to the manufacturers we polled, there are many more improvements to come.
Here’s an overview of how they’ve changed and what they might be like in the future.
NEW DESIGNS FOR NEW PLACES
As pallet truck applications and demands change, so must the equipment’s design and capabilities. For
example, because a grocery operation nowadays may run 20 hours a day, seven days a week, pallet trucks
and jacks must be designed to reliably work longer in harsh environments such as cold storage, says
Susan Rice, product manager, pallet trucks and stackers, for The Raymond Corp. With more customers
using this type of equipment on delivery trucks, Raymond has moved to the IP65 standard of ingress
protection against dust and water. “This allows [end users] to take the equipment on the street and work
in rain or snow—that was unheard of 10 years ago,” she says.
Pallet trucks overall have been getting smaller and lighter, with lower capacities, says Bill Pedriana,
director of sales and marketing at Big Lift LLC, maker of Big Joe forklifts. In large part, that’s because the
growth of e-commerce, just-in-time delivery, and direct-to-store delivery (DSD) requires more drivers
to maneuver pallets through commercial doorways, in retail backrooms, and in truck trailers. Those
changing needs prompted his company five years ago to introduce a 3,000-pound-capacity electric pallet
truck with the same size and shape as a manual pallet jack. According to Pedriana, the E30 was the first
This humble piece of material
handling equipment is getting more
sophisticated in terms of design,
technology, and applications.
What will they do next?
Pallet trucks look to the future
