Working in a warehouse is quite difficult, but in the past couple of years, thanks to the widespreadness and affordability of material handling equipment, it isn’t as taxing on the body as it used to be. Material handling equipment makes transporting products from one place to another much easier and more convenient. And I’m not even talking about heavy-duty material handling equipment that’s out of the price range for small warehouses – there are trolleys that can do the job just as well as a forklift, although not to the same capacity.
With that said, there are many different types of trolleys, made of different materials and designs, specifically made to meet your warehouse’s specific needs. Trolleys are very practical, and they can significantly increase the efficiency in your workplace. Moreover, trolleys can reduce the overall operating costs of your business, and save you a lot of money in the long run. When you also factor in the reduction in paid leave costs which are going to be significantly lower as a direct result of implementing trolleys in the workplace, you’ll realize that they’re one of the most valuable pieces of material handling equipment you can have.
The most common type of trolley is the hand trolley. These generally feature two wheels, a solid base, and a strong back. You can stack boxes or other items on it, then slightly tilt the back towards yourself and push it to your destination. They are ideal for lighter loads that need to be transported over shorter distances. But there are also some newer models that can handle more weight, but those tend to be significantly more expensive.
Then, there are trolleys that are made for handling a specific shape of items. A drum trolley gas cylinder trolley, etc. are made for handling drums full of liquid, or other cylinder-shaped objects. Both the drum trolley gas cylinder trolley can usually handle either one, two or a few more drums or cylinders, and they’re typically not useful for transporting anything else. Similarly to platform and hand trolleys, these can be made of different materials and handle a different amount of weight.
Lastly, there’s the platform trolley. Many people argue that these trolleys are, in fact, the most commonly used type in warehouses. They feature a flat platform that’s mounted on top of a 4-wheel chassis and is pushed around by handles that can be found on either one or both ends. Most platform trolleys can handle weight in the 250-500kg range, depending on the model. Some models feature cages for safer transportation of stock.