Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks are electric trucks made to function within narrow aisles. Typical storage aisles are just 3.6 meters wide, sufficient space for a counterbalanced lift truck to turn in the aisle. Nonetheless, narrow aisles could be around 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow area requires specialized lift truck models that are small, capable of tight turns, could put away loads without pivoting. The common kinds of narrow-aisle trucks are order pickers, reach trucks and turret trucks.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
Reach trucks were the very first narrow-aisle lift truck to be manufactured for warehouse use. These small trucks can easily turn in narrow aisles since their design has eliminated the requirement for a large counterweight. Stability is instead provided by outrigger arms extending in front of the truck. The disadvantage of this particular design is that the outrigger arms can inhibit access to the storage rack as the truck cannot get near enough. These types of trucks work well inside a warehouse that is well lit, has clean, even floors, ample space for turning and good traffic flow.
Turret trucks
The design of a turret truck has pivoting forks on side of the truck. The forks turn 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load can face forward while the operator drives down the aisle. Once stopped at the designated storage location, the forks of the truck pivot to the storage side and lift the load to their full extension, and then smoothly 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.