Material Handling Specialist Since 1929

Reach Truck Rentals 101 – Everything You Need to Know


Warehouses, department stores, and any other indoor worksite with narrow aisles are difficult to navigate. That fact is especially true when your employees have lots of heavy pallets and piles of product to move around. For these occasions, you’ll want a special kind of forklift known as a reach truck.

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Not just any piece of equipment will do for your fleet. We understand that our clients want excellence from their material handling equipment. That’s why we offer purchase and rental options from top-of-the-line brands, so you can have your choice of reach trucks within your budget.

Considerations for Reach Truck Rentals

There are plenty of considerations to keep in mind when browsing forklift rentals, including the following.

Aisle Size

How long, wide, and tall are your aisles? You need the answer to this question in order to select the right reach truck. After all, it’s no good renting equipment that won’t actually fit inside your worksite.

Pallet Size

Pallet size is another important factor to keep in mind. Specifically, you’ll want to know pallet width and weight, so you can select a forklift with the right prong width and lift weight capacity to lift the pallets at your job site.

Lift Height

Make sure the piece of equipment you choose can actually reach the place you need to stack your product. The vast majority of forklifts have lift heights ranging between 10 ft to 15 ft, although it isn’t uncommon to find ones that can reach 30 ft.

That said, you can find other types of lifts that can reach even higher, such as scissor lifts. These machines can usually reach up to 60 ft. However, they often are not as easily maneuverable as other kinds of material handling equipment.

Tires

There is no room for error when working in tight spaces. That is why you’ll need a machine with the right tires, so that it has the right grip and traction for your specific worksite.

What sort of tires are available will vary by brand. That said, major brands typically offer product with the following tire options:

  • Cushion – Composed of solid rubber, these tires are pressed onto the wheel, which is why people sometimes call them “press-on tires.” This option provides great cushioning and maneuverability in small spaces. They are great for indoor applications or a smoothly paved outdoor area.
  • Pneumatic – These rubber tires are filled with air. The tread on these tires is most often deep, meaning they can handle tougher terrain.
  • Solid pneumatic – These tires are solid rubber with good tread. They might not offer the same sort of cushion as press-on tires do. However, they are incredibly sturdy, so they are likely to last for a long time and are great for a job site filled with sharp objects that might puncture other sorts of tires.

Power Type

There are three primary ways you can power most forklifts:

  • BatteryElectric forklifts are common. They are great for indoor use because they do not emit emissions and are quieter than their gas-powered counterparts.
  • Gas – Gas-powered machines can be powerful, making them well-suited for heavy-duty jobs. They are louder and less environmentally friendly than battery-powered or manual options, however. They are not ideal for indoor use, given their emissions.
  • Manual – Manual machines, such as hand-powered pallet trucks, are common types of forklifts found in many warehouses. As the name implies, they require no power source other than the operator. They are great options for moving products around a department store, although they usually cannot lift as much as non-manual machines.

Seating

These machines offer two primary types of seating: sit down and stand up.

Sit-down machines, as the name implies, lets the operator sit down as they work. Stand-up varieties, such as walkie stackers, require the operator to stand.

Ergonomics

Comfort is key when working long hours; you don’t want your employees to be unnecessarily tired, or they could be more prone to accidents on the job. That is why machines that are easy to enter and exit, have comfortable seats, and steering wheels that offer a comfortable grip.

FAQ's

What is the Difference Between a Forklift and a Reach Truck?

Forklift is a broad category of material handling equipment. Forklifts have prongs that can lift and carry heavy loads of product. While most models are for indoor use, there are specialized forklifts that can handle rough terrain outdoors. 

Reach truck” is a term that many use interchangeably with forklift, although it best describes a specific type of forklift that can maneuver easily in narrow aisles. That is why many people also call reach trucksreach forklifts.” This option is typically not suited for outdoor use.

Do You Need a License to Operate a Reach Truck?

Where Can I Find Reach Truck Rentals Near Me?

We here at Connell Material Handling offer a wide range of forklifts, including reach trucks. Whether you are looking to buy or rent, we have plenty of brands in a wide range of prices, so you are guaranteed to find material handling equipment that works within your budget.

Our rental solutions include both short-term and long-term rental options, so you can customize your rental fleet as you see fit.