It’s often the case that the company hasn’t really thought about how the machine is actually being used day-to-day. Ideally, they’d look at how often it’s being used and in what situations. After all, the truck may have been in service for 5 or 10 years and businesses can change significantly in that time.

By looking at the situation with fresh eyes, they may well come to a completely different purchasing decision today. For example, in the past they might have replaced two forklifts with two like-for-like models. After evaluation those trucks could potentially be replaceable with an electric forklift (such as the EDiA EM which can cover the indoor and outdoor lifting), and a stacker to put merchandise away in pallet racking.

Of course, the question many of you will now be asking is: “Really? A pallet stacker? But how can that be a real alternative to a forklift truck?”

And while your doubt is understandable, and use of a pallet stacker does depend on the specific application, there are a few strong arguments that may help to make the case for stackers:

Well, the majority of forklifts used fall into the in the 1.5–2.5-tonne range. This is particularly true in small distributions or warehouses where the majority of pallets weigh even less. A modern electric stacker combines good ergonomics (as operators no longer need to pull or push the tiller arm) with load capacities up to 2 tonnes.

Compact, easy to use and highly versatile, AXIA ES stackers deliver exceptional productivity in every setting. An ergonomic tiller arm and extremely compact powerhead, coupled with a very narrow chassis and outstanding visibility, ensure excellent manoeuvrability in tight spaces, such as on board road vehicles or in block stacking.

The stackers offer lifting capacities of 1.0, 1.2 and 1.6 tonnes. The SBP10N will stack pallets to a maximum of 3.3 m, while the SBP16N will go up to 5.4 m, and every model can also carry loads over distances of around 50 m. For operation on ramps or uneven floors, initial lift models SBP12NI and SBP16NI are the best choice. For handling bottom-boarded pallets, straddle leg models SBP12NS and SBP16NS are available. In all seven models the state-of-the-art, simple-to-use tiller arm design protects hands and places everything within easy reach for safe, comfortable, controlled operation.

In addition to pedestrian stackers, there are also models such as sit-on stackers with very high residual capacities. Sit-on or stand-on versions can effortlessly put a pallet away in most standard warehouses with 4 metres racking height. Models such as the Mitsubishi SBS15-20N are more than happy lifting goods up to 6.5m in narrow aisles.

While it’s true the pedestrian stacker is not made to cover large distances, there are models available for exactly for that purpose.

Another big advantage of using a stacker is that they provide excellent manoeuvrability in tight aisles. This allows you to place the racking closer which can increase your warehouse capacity. Compact, robust and extremely versatile, stackers are an excellent, cost-effective choice for fast and safe pallet lifting.

So ask yourself: when you’re next in the market for a truck, what will you choose?

You should get a trusted dealer to do a site survey and find out whether your materials handling equipment fleet needs adjusting; they should discuss the best mixed fleet options. If we’re the dealer you trust, get in touch and to find out more about the pedestrian stackers, electric forklifts, forklift-forklifts and site surveys.