When you need help finding the right solution for moving large loads in your facility, turn to Douglas Equipment. We specialize in quality casters, wheels and material handling equipment. We have thousands of products to choose from and experts in our customer service department will help you identify and select the best products for your unique needs.
When is a Transport Cart the Right Choice?
When you choose a particular piece of equipment to transport your load, one of the first things to consider is the load itself. What type of load do you have? The answer to that question will often determine which product you select.
- If the load is stacked on a pallet, then you will probably choose a pallet truck to lift and move the load. Pallet trucks (also known as pallet jacks) have two forks that are designed to slide under the pallet; raising the forks lifts the load a few inches above the floor, and you then push or pull the pallet truck to set the load in motion. One constraint on the use of pallet jacks, however, is that they require space to maneuver; if adequate space is not available, then the pallet truck cannot be used.
- If the load is on the floor and you are able to slide the bottom edge (often called the nose plate) of a two wheeled hand truck under the load, then that may be the best choice. Two wheeled hand trucks, also known as two wheeled dollies, are maneuverable in tight quarters. With the load stacked on the nose plate, you simply tilt the handle back from the vertical position to lift the load from the floor, and wheel it away. A constraint in using two wheeled hand trucks, though, is load size: the load cannot be large or bulky; and the load must be stackable in the vertical dimension.
- If the load is large or bulky, and you can push against it, then a dolly could be the best choice for you. A dolly is a four wheeled hand truck with a flat platform and no handles. You must manually lift the load onto the platform, which makes a dolly somewhat harder to use than the pallet truck or two wheeled cart discussed above. The biggest constraint in the use of a dolly, though, is that because the dolly has no handles, you must push against the load itself to move the dolly. If the load is fragile, or will shift if force is applied to it, then a dolly would not be an appropriate choice.
Choose a transport cart if you have a load that cannot be stacked on a pallet, or your facility does not have adequate space to maneuver a pallet truck; or if the load can’t be stacked on a two wheeled hand truck; or if the load is too fragile or unstable for you to push against it.
Transport carts are also excellent choices for extremely long or bulky loads. As long as the load can stay balanced on the cart, it can extend off the ends or sides of the cart. For example, if you were in a lumber yard and had to move a dozen two by fours of varying lengths, you could stack them on a transport cart, and let the ends of the boards extend beyond the cart’s platform.
For fragile loads, the transport cart will work better than the dolly, because the transport cart has handles you push against; the dolly does not.
Why Stainless Steel?
At Douglas Equipment, we can provide you with many different styles and types of transport carts. You can choose from a combination of materials for your transport cart, including wood, steel and aluminum.
We also have models of transport carts made from stainless steel. These are ideal in certain environments, where no other material would be suitable including:
- Corrosive Environments – If you handle and transport corrosive materials, or if there are vapors in the air that might corrode steel, then consider a stainless steel transport cart. Stainless steel is non-corrosive, and its surface is very durable. Stainless steel also resists rust when exposed to salty air, an important consideration if you are located near a shoreline or a large body of saltwater, such as an ocean or an estuary.
- Hospitals – Cleanliness and sanitation is of the utmost concern in hospitals. Stainless steel is often chosen because it can stand up to the strong cleaners that hospital staff use to sanitize and sterilize equipment. If sanitation is an important consideration for you, choose stainless steel.
- Food Service Industry – Stainless steel is a great material to choose for transporting food, supplies and restaurant equipment. Cleanliness is important, and stainless steel will not corrode or be damaged by the strong cleaners often used by food service professionals.
If you decide that a stainless steel transport cart is the best choice for handling loads in your facility, then contact Douglas Equipment, where you have many choices of transport carts. For example, the two models listed below illustrate just some of our many products.
Stainless Steel Folding Handle Truck – 19 inches by 29 inches, by Wesco
This transport cart has a folding handle, which makes storage easy. The handle and platform are made from 304 stainless steel. It has 4 inch casters, sealed with 18/8 stainless rig. Its load capacity is 440 pounds.
Stainless Steel Folding Handle Truck – 22.5 inches by 34.0 inches, by Wesco
Similar to the cart above, this transport cart has a larger platform; 5 inch casters; and a load capacity of 770 pounds.
Contact Douglas Equipment Today!
We have been serving customers in many different industries for almost 60 years. Our broad experience helps us understand the varied needs of our customers and the special requirements that can only be met with the right piece of equipment. Contact us today to learn more about your options and for help selecting the equipment that will work best for you.
