The reach truck is the go-to truck for many busy businesses. Because of its versatility, including extending its forks beyond what a standard forklift can do, the reach truck assists busy warehouses, distribution, and fulfillment centers to keep products moving. The reach truck also works well in a tight warehouse with limited storage capacity and products at tall heights. The ability to navigate in narrow aisles and extend the reach of the forks is where the capabilities of the reach truck stand out, and the standard forklifts are limited. Read further where we discuss what a reach truck is, the advantages of having it in your fleet, and when you may need to add one to your operation.
What is a Reach Truck?
A reach truck has a specific design to handle certain activities: fitting in narrow aisles, storing and retrieving pallets in racks, providing right-angle stacking, and unit load handling with a rack interface. Reach trucks include single-reach trucks, double-reach trucks, and moving mast reach trucks. A single-reach truck works well when goods are stored one pallet deep, allowing unobstructed access to each pallet. A double-reach truck can access and store pallets two deep. A moving mast reach truck can move the entire mast forward and is powered by a hydraulic system.
How much can a reach truck lift?
You can find forklift capacities on the data plate of each forklift truck. However, forklift trucks generally range from 3,000 lbs. up to over 70,000 lbs. Due to the nature of the job, reach trucks have typical lift capacities between 3,000 and 5,500 lbs.
How high can a reach truck extend?
The size of the load you intend to transport will dictate how far a reach truck can extend its forks. While keeping loads within the 3,000 and 5,500 lb. range, most reach trucks can reach lifting heights of 502 inches.
Advantages of a Reach Truck
Why do you need it?
A reach truck is an excellent piece of machinery if you need precise handling to maintain height capacity or selectivity. It is also great to have a reach truck because most conventional systems require a pallet truck to supply a reach truck in a unit load storage implementation. While the reach truck dispenses let-down for the pallet truck in low position order picking, this easily qualifies the reach truck as a valuable tool for other machines utilized daily.
Performance
Linde Material Handling’s powered lowering drastically increases lower speeds, reducing cycle times and pumping energy back into the battery. Long run times and reduced cycle times make the Linde MH Reach Truck an efficient material handling solution. Variable steering resistance and an informative display with the truck status support the operator in staying in perfect control of the truck and its valuable loads during operations. The Linde MH Reach Truck preserves the engineering pedigree of all Linde products, holding industry-leading residual capacities, allowing heavier loads to travel higher, and adding to the flexibility of your warehouse’s storage capabilities.
Efficiency
Linde’s cushioned hydraulic system allows for delicate handling of any load, including controlled acceleration, smooth maneuvering, and responsive braking with or without a load. This feature increases operator efficiency while helping to guard against product damage.
When to Choose a Reach Truck for your Operation
- When you have limited space for a traditional forklift truck to navigate, including narrow aisles for storage, since reach trucks are smaller designed vehicles, they work well in these tight spaces.
- For higher shelves for storage, reach trucks can extend their forks well beyond a standard forklift truck, enabling your operation to maximize space and storage.
- If you need trucks that will primarily be working indoors, the reach truck is a good fit for this environment. Due to their battery operation, there are no harmful emissions during indoor operations. And operating the truck is much quieter than with internal combustion forklifts.
When to Choose a Forklift Truck
- Forklift trucks are larger than reach trucks, making their use appropriate for more extensive facilities without spacing limitations and shorter storage heights.
- For general transportation of products in warehouses, load docks, and supply yards, forklifts are a great choice with the ability to transport heavier loads.
- Forklift trucks can operate in indoor and outdoor environments. In addition, for uneven terrains, including construction sites or areas with unimproved surfaces, internal combustion forklifts are an excellent option.
Linde Material Handling is trusted worldwide as a solution provider to help solve the modern-day challenges of logistical operations. We look forward to partnering with you to create a customized solution that will help your business maximize productivity and efficiency while working smarter, not harder.
For more information on the Linde Material Handling Reach Truck, click here!
