Is your forklift operator going to sit or stand?

Driver comfort has become a critical deciding factor in the purchase of new forklift trucks, and manufacturers like Doosan are at the forefront of that thinking.

That leaves you with a decision. Will your operators stand, or sit?

Here’s what you need to consider as you decide.

Think about your facility’s footprint. What type of surface is it operating on? What is the foot-traffic like and are there other forklifts zipping around the space? How far are your units traveling?

Are your aisles narrow?

Do your forklifts make a lot of short trips, or longer runs with materials on the forks? Is there a lot of repeated stopping and starting?

Is your operator climbing on and off the lift often? How much time does your operator spend off of the truck?

Which unit will increase your productivity?

Now that you have answered those questions, here’s how you can use that data to make your decision:

Standup forklifts have a smaller footprint and are therefore more agile in narrow spaces, and arguable safer in areas with a lot of foot traffic (much of that safety depends on the operator as well).

If your operator spends a lot of time off the unit, a standup forklift might be the right decision.

If your forklift travels backwards often, a standup unit may help your driver avoid certain repetitive-motion injuries.

Longer runs, amounts of time on the truck and lower-traffic areas probably lend themselves to a traditional, sit-down forklift.

Keep in mind that for your drivers, making the switch between sit-down and standup units does require new training, and there will be a cost for providing this service to your team.

Contact us at (704) 842-3242 and our experts will happily come to your facility and perform a complete survey to help you make this important decision.