The term ‘heavy duty material-handling carts’ (or trucks) has become something of a generic term that’s used to represent a wide selection of wheeled devices. All such devices tend to have one thing specifically in common – they have the main purpose of transporting supplies, freight or other ‘cumbersome’ or unwieldy materials within a company’s facility or premises.
Material-Handling Carts: Not What You Thought They Were
Some carts are motorized, while others are maneuvered and propelled by human effort. Note that motorized material-handling carts do not usually extend to the type of vehicle you may see on the road. Most carts (motorized or non-motorized) usually require some type of finished surface upon which they can run, such as laminate or asphalt. The wheels of heavy-duty material-handling carts are not usually designed with rough or uneven terrain in mind.
Material-handling carts may be referred to as trolleys, wagons or pushcarts. Equipment such as forklifts or tractors do not usually qualify as material-handling carts.
Heavy-Duty Material-Handling Carts Make Your Business More Efficient
The main benefit of material-handling carts is that they make your employees work more efficiently, and therefore make your business run with more efficiency. Manual handling is backbreaking work, so anything that eases the physical burden placed upon your employees has to be seen as a good thing.
Not only that, a cart is much better at moving items than an unaided worker, and of course in greater numbers. Everything will flow more readily throughout your production floor, with no bottlenecks holding up production. The more items that can be transported in one trip, the faster your processes will become.
The time may come when you feel that a ‘normal’ material-handling cart may not be enough for your business. The majority of material-handling carts are typically built for light-to-medium work, as those are the types of cart that generate the most sales. If your fleet of material-handling carts becomes insufficient for your needs, then you will need to buy more specialized equipment – such as heavy-duty material-handling carts.
So, what types of heavy-duty material-handling carts are available? Allow the team at Douglas Equipment to give you a tour of the different types of heavy-duty equipment we can supply to you.
Platform Trucks, Carts and Dollies
What sets a heavy-duty material-handling cart apart from a ‘normal’ material-handling cart? The main difference is the size of the plate – the ‘shelf’ at the bottom of the truck upon which items are placed, or by which the plate acts as leverage for small pallets or stacks of material.
Typically, this plate forms part of the main frame of the cart – either fixed or fold-up. The wheels are attached to the base of the frame.
With a heavy-duty material-handling cart, things are arranged a bit differently, as the cart is expected to bear much heavier loads. The plate on the bottom of the cart is not so much a plate, but more of a platform. Usually, this plate has casters attached, rather than the wheels being attached to the frame – which with a heavy-duty truck is more of a handle than a frame. As a result of this construction, the load borne by the platform is much better supported, usually with a caster at each corner. This makes the load much easier to transport as the weight is split four ways across the platform itself.
Additionally, when transporting small items via a ‘normal’ hand truck, a certain amount of balance is required to provide traction. Of course with heavier loads maintaining balance is a great deal more difficult. This is why heavy-duty trucks tend to have a larger, better-supported platform.
Great for Storage
Naturally, space is one definite consideration when it comes to the storage of heavy-duty material-handling carts. As such carts tend to be larger than lighter use carts, it is more difficult for companies to find sufficient space to store them. If this is a potential issue with your business, then you may want to spend a little more and purchase a folding heavy-duty material-handling truck. Such items do tend to be expensive, and they may not be suitable for the transporting of excessive loads, but the trade-off for storage is worth it if space is at a premium.
Your Other Options When it Comes to Heavy Duty Material-handling Carts
A panel cart is a very good option when it comes to moving sheeted materials such as wood or metal. These types of carts have vertical slots so you can ‘file’ your items and move them in bulk. Such carts can have a load capacity of over four thousand pounds.
Heavy-duty material handling is not all about moving large items. Moving a small number of large items is just the same as moving a large number of small items. If this describes your heavy-duty material-handling needs, then a wired cage platform truck should be just what you are looking for. Standard wired cage platform trucks usually have a maximum load capacity of around six hundred pounds, but heavy-duty trucks can virtually double that capacity. If you load and transport a high number of smaller items, then this is your ideal solution.
If you are more interested in maintaining and moving equipment, then you might want to invest in a service cart. Such carts are typically rugged and durable, with space for essential items and drawers for permanent storage. Versatility is the name of the game when it comes to service carts.
Whatever Your Needs — Douglas Equipment Is Here to Help!
If you are in the market for heavy duty material-handling equipment, then our team here at Douglas Equipment would very much like to speak with you. We guarantee we will do all that we can to supply you with exactly what you need in terms of heavy-duty material-handling equipment. If you’d like to reach out to us, feel free to give us a call at 800-451-0030. You can also contact us via our online contact form as well.
