Things to Know About Standard Pallet Trucks

Pallet trucks are one of the most useful pieces of equipment in the hauling and loading of goods in the warehousing and shipping industry. Even the industrial sector has greatly benefited from these machines, operating and controlling which are quite simple, provided the operator is trained enough!

As the demand for pallet trucks and allied equipment goes up by the day, one often comes across the term ‘standard pallet trucks’. So, what is a standard pallet truck and why is there such a huge demand for it?

For starters, a standard pallet truck is no special model or fork type that has been pre-designed for customers to choose from. What defines the ‘standard’ in a standard pallet truck is the industry it is going to work in and the kind of load or capacity it is supposed to carry. All these parameters define the model of a standard pallet truck. It can be a light-weight model or one of the heavy-duty specimens in a dealer’s catalogue.

A standard pallet truck may also differ in its definition with the change in country that the pallet truck is being issued in. European standard pallet trucks, except in UK are 1200mm x 800mm with the latter side being open boarded. The load for such trucks is supposed to be hauled and transported length-wise rather than width-wise. Though it is risky, it helps the pallet truck to transport more load capacity at a time. On the other hand, the standard metrics for both British and American pallet trucks are different. They are usually 1000mm x 685mm, with the width used for hauling the load.

Standard pallet trucks are also a metric for defining pallet trucks that have been cleared by the concerned authorities as far as safety and risk-security is concerned. Although such health and safety standards are meted out by several organizations around the world, there are a couple of organizations that are responsible for setting such standards. The main and most important of standards is the ANSI B56, where ANSI stands for American National Standards Institute.

The safety laws concerning standard pallet trucks have been passed on to the Industrial Truck Standards Development Foundation (ITSDF). Being a non-profit organization, the safety requirements for standard pallet trucks are supposed to be measured much more stringently than what had been in practice before.

However, what you need to keep in mind before buying a standard pallet truck from a real-world outlet or from an online dealer is the fact that the definition of standard pallet truck also changes with time. What might have been considered an ideal standard pallet truck ten years ago – with basic specifications and features, weighing scales capacities and also within a reasonable price range – may not be the ideal choice today!

It is better to consult an insider from the pallet truck and warehousing industry to check up on the specifications of a standard pallet truck that is statistically correct and contemporary too. So, before you settle for a standard pallet-truck that suits your budget, make sure that it fits your standards too!

We're pleased to be promoting pallet truck safety.