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Should You Have a Reach Truck for Your Warehouse?

March 31, 2022

The way warehouses utilize their space has a direct relationship to how much inventory they can store, and therefore how financially viable their business is. If you have limited warehouse space with narrow aisles and wanting to make the most of your space, you’ll need a reach truck. A reach truck is like a forklift but with a smaller lighter, more nimble, agile design, therefore helping you to move inventory around narrow or congested aisles. In this blog, we'll go over how and where a reach truck can be used, as well as all the reasons why you should have a reach truck as opposed to a forklift in your warehouse, distribution center, or storage facility.

To make sure that your business is operating at the highest efficiency and maximizing ROI it’s important to have up-to-date warehouse solutions. In this blog we’ll identify when it’s appropriate to address updating a warehouses storage and conveyor systems. Here are some reasons why it may be worth contemplating investing in a brand-new warehouse storage and conveyor system.

How And Where a Reach Truck is Used

A reach truck has a narrower turn radius than most other warehouse vehicle equipment, so it can easily move in tight aisle. This means it can be used in warehouses that have less floor space and want to optimize it for maximum storage capacity. Having a narrow aisle reach truck can be a storage capacity enhancer, as well as make your warehouse function more efficiently. You can utilize a warehouses vertical space allowing one to house more inventory.

A reach truck is great for accessing inventory at a higher level, which allows warehouse managers and owners to build up, instead of out. This makes use of the height of a warehouse facility, without damaging the inventory.

Reach trucks make it possible for warehouses to utilize a multi-pallet racking system, meaning that instead of one pallet you can pack two or even four pallets together, giving you double the storage space without any harm to the stored inventory.

Reach Trucks vs. Forklifts

Reach Trucks Are Electric

While forklifts can be electric, they're often propane or diesel. Reach trucks are entirely powered by electric batteries, which is better for the environment as well as the safety of your warehouse employees. Electric reach trucks help to create a warehouse environment that has clean breathable air for workers. This will also help to save your business money on oil, propane, or gas in the process.

Reach Trucks Have Multiple Functions with Better Capabilities

Reach trucks can also be used as forklifts, but overall have better capabilities. While a Forklift can only reach 25ft, a reach truck can reach 36ft, allowing you to build pallet racks higher and keep more inventory. As previously mentioned, they can move through narrower aisles, which saves around 35% of your aisle width while still giving you access to pallets and inventory. This gives warehouses the opportunity to implement a storage racking system that utilizes the vertical height while still allowing quick access to all stored materials. Reach trucks don’t have the counterbalanced weight that forklifts do, so they are easier to place inside your warehouse and are overall much lighter.

The Final Say

When comparing reach trucks to forklifts, the advantages speak for themselves especially for facilities trying to maximize storage in limited space. If you need a reach truck to help increasing your warehouses storage capacity call us now at (800) 876-3736. For over 30 years, American Surplus Inc. has been helping warehouses and distribution centers create a layout for their facility that allows their operations to run smoothly and efficiently. Save at ASI with discounts of 40% - 60% off the price of buying new reach trucks and warehouse equipment. Our experienced and knowledgeable sales associates will make sure you get the best price for all your material handling needs.