A necessary piece of equipment for the warehouse floor is the pallet jack which may also be commonly referred to as a pallet truck. The need to move a pallet of materials from one part of the building to the other is inevitable and virtually impossible without a pallet jack. When looking at pallet jacks with a view to purchasing one, what should you be looking for? You will also need to know what your options are.

Essentially you are looking for a tool to easily pick up a loaded pallet and then be able to wheel it across the room without having to exert yourself or run the risk of dropping the materials sitting on the pallet.

Your choices come down to two types of pallet jacks. You can either get a manual pallet jack or a powered pallet jack. It is possible, too, that you may need at least one of each type of jack.

There are some considerations to take into account when buying a manual pallet jack. The size of the forks in terms of both the length and the width are going to be important. This will determine the maximum and minimum size and weight of the pallets that you will be able to lift. Getting a pallet jack that is too small is just as bad as getting one that is too large for the size of the pallets that you have to move.

To solve the problem that you may have in deciding which size to buy, there are some makes of pallet jacks that come in adjustable fork widths. This gives you a range of pallet sizes to operate with if you choose.

You should decide on whether you need a hand brake. As a safety measure this could be very important to avoid running into things should the jack get out of your control. Some jacks are also equipped with a quick lift feature where it only requires a few strokes of the handle to lift to the maximum height.

If you are working in the food or chemical industry then you will have to consider the material that the pallet jack has been made with. Stainless and galvanized steel pallet jacks are designed for conditions where cleanliness in the moving equipment is paramount.

As the name implies the powered pallet jacks require less manual intervention to operate, pressing a button to operate the fork and to propel the entire machine forward. Electric powered pallet jacks are the most common of these types of machines and come with a variety of features such as the ability to adjust the speed in which the jack can be moved, including a reverse option.

Powered pallet jacks can generally lift heavier pallets than the manual counterparts. In a lot of cases they can also raise the pallet higher off the ground which allows you to load pallets onto the back of trucks. These machines may either be operated whilst standing or they may come in a seated version.

Some pallet jacks come with another key feature that many people find useful and that is a built-in scale that allows you to see at a glance whether you are in danger of overloading.

Another type of powered pallet jack is an outdoor version that is powered by gasoline. When you have to shift heavy pallets over rough terrain, for example, pallets filled with sod or bags of cement, then an electric powered pallet jack will not be suitable. Gasoline powered versions are designed for outdoor use and can be taken over uneven terrain.

You may get a jack with the forks protected by the arms of the machine to help stabilize the load as it is carried over rough ground. It will also guard against the pallet potentially tipping off while it is in transit.

Finding a suitable pallet jack sounds at first glance as though it would be an easy task, but they cost hundreds of dollars and buying the wrong one could be a costly and potentially hazardous mistake. Get to know the equipment you need, study the majority of the moving tasks that are undertaken in the course of the job and make your decision accordingly.