Training: Basics of Pallet Jack | Instawork Help Center

Pallets jacks or Pallet Trucks are a sturdy and durable means of heavy-weight transportation. It forms a backbone of materials handling equipment. They are used in a variety of warehouse and department store settings to quickly and safely move objects and products. Pallet jacks are manufactured in a range of sizes, power options and lift capacity. A list of different types of Pallet jacks have been mentioned below,

Manual Pallet Truck

The standard manual pallet truck or hand pallet truck is the most basic and commonly used pallet jack. Here, the user manually lowers the prongs and pushes them beneath the object to displace it from its original resting point and transport it elsewhere. These pallet trucks are easily portable in trucks and other vehicles. Manual pallet jacks are often characterized by overload valves and adjustable pump caps to ensure longer service life. They are often used in grocery stores and warehouses owing to their size and ease of navigation. Their flat and sturdy surfaces provide sufficient stability to the goods mounted over them.

Electric Pallet Truck

Another widely-used variation to the hand pallet truck is the electric pallet jack. This truck is basically the battery-operated version of the manual truck. Also known as the electric walk-behind or the electric walkie pallet jack, it consists of a button that the user may press to dismount and lift the pallet containing the freight. It also entails a drive wheel that helps the user to load and unload freight easily. This type of pallet truck involves lesser efforts on part of the user, as s/he does not have to manually pump the handle to lift the goods.

Scissor Pallet Truck

The scissor hand pallet truck has criss crossed legs beneath the pallet trolley. These efficiently help to lift the goods placed on the trolley over them. High-quality scissor lift pallet trucks are extremely durable with patented safety systems on the handle. They also typically have the capacity to withstand freight weighing up to 1000kg. This aids in preventing back injuries and fatigue resulting from heavyweight lifting, and thus increases overall workplace productivity.

Other types of pallet trucks

Paper-Roll or Reel Pallet Truck: Specializes in the transportation of cylindrical beams — including warp beams and heavy paper-rolls
Stainless Steel Pallet Truck: Uses stainless steel which is long lasting and used predominantly in cold storages
Weighing Scale Pallet Truck: Has an inbuilt weighing scale

Best Practices for handling a Pallet Jack

Avoid moving loads up or down ramps.
Do not carry riders on the truck.
Center the forks evenly under the load to maintain good balance.
Avoid overloading the truck.
Ensure the stability of the load.
Use both forks for lifting a load.
Pull rather than push loads for increased maneuverability.
Maneuvering loads using the neutral position reduces operator fatigue.
Operate at a controllable speed, since hand pallet trucks do not have brakes.
Park the pallet truck out of traffic areas in a safe, level place with the forks lowered.
The handle should be left in the up position to eliminate tripping hazards.
Maneuvering loads in the neutral position reduces operator fatigue.
Keep pallet trucks out of traffic areas when forks are lowered.
Never use one fork to lift a load.
No riders on the pallet truck.