One of the first things to check when you are loading or unloading a truck is to make sure that the difference between the loading dock and truck is at a minimum – this will mean that you can move the pallet truck in and out quicker, helping to cut down the time of the task.

Top Tip:
Get a dock leveler to help with the job; a good cog wheel will also prevent the pallet truck from unintentionally moving away.

Suspended castors

Moving a pallet truck can be a difficult task with uneven ground and carrying heavy weights, so make sure you get one with suspended castors. These will help absorb shocks and vibrations. Drive wheels work just as effectively and also provide a valuable safety feature ensuring that you can move around more freely.

Top Tip:
Make sure the suspended castor wheels are linked. This will add further stability.

Work with the space

When loading or unloading a truck, space can be very limited. It's important that you operate your pallet truck effectively. Maneuvering and handling are two key aspects that you will want to test to ensure that you can get in and out of tight spaces easily.

Top Tip:
There are many different types of pallet truck such as long reach or high lift – make sure you choose the one that will suit your needs.

Traffic light system

Using a traffic light system can help avoid any nasty incidents and can be used both inside and outside of the truck. Just as it does when driving on the roads, a green light signifies it's safe to enter the truck whilst a red light means stop. A system such as this can work wonders if you have multiple pallet trucks loading and unloading the same truck.

Common sense

Ultimately it is the operator of a pallet truck who has a large influence on whether on the safety during use. A reckless or negligent operator can lead to accidents, which is why it is important to ensure that thorough training is carried out for all uses of, and people who work around, pallet trucks. Through training and educating the people you work with you will cut down on accidents and boost your productivity.

Top tip:
Make sure that you have procedures in place to run training sessions for new members of the team and update existing employees every year.

Source: SHS Handling Solutions www.shshandlingsolutions.com; United Kingdom; Phone: 01280 825740; Email: sales@shs-handling.com