Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks are electric trucks made to function in narrow aisles. Typical storage aisles are just 3.6 meters wide, sufficient space for a counterbalanced lift truck to turn within the aisle. On the other hand, narrow aisles could be around 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow area needs specialized lift truck models that are small, capable of tight turns, and able to put away loads without pivoting. The popular kinds of narrow-aisle trucks are order pickers, reach trucks and turret trucks.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
Reach trucks were the first narrow-aisle lift truck to be developed for warehouse applications. These small trucks could easily turn in narrow aisles because their design has eliminated the need for a large counterweight. Instead, stability is provided by outrigger arms extending in front of the truck. The downside of this design is that the outrigger arms could hinder access to the storage rack since the truck cannot get close enough. These types of trucks work well inside a warehouse which is well lit, has even, clean floors, enough space for turning and good traffic flow.
Turret trucks
The design of a turret truck includes forks on the side that pivot. The forks pivot 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load can face forward while the operator drives down the aisle. Once it stops at the designated storage place, the truck's forks pivot to the storage side and lift the load to their full extension, and then easily deposit the load before resuming their original position. Turret trucks are available with a wire guidance system that keeps the truck on its path in really narrow aisles. Operators remain at floor level in man-down trucks.