Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks are electric trucks made to operate within narrow aisles. Typical storage aisles are only 3.6 meters wide, enough space for a counterbalanced lift truck to pivot within the aisle. On the other hand, narrow aisles could be 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow space requires specialized lift truck models that are capable of tight turns, small, could put away loads without turning. The common kinds of narrow-aisle trucks are reach trucks, turret trucks and orderpickers.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
The first kinds of narrow-aisle lift trucks manufactured for warehouse applications are the reach trucks. These small trucks can turn without problems in narrow aisles since their design has eliminated the need for a huge counterweight. Stability is instead provided by outrigger arms extending in front of the truck. The downside of this design is that the outrigger arms can inhibit access to the storage rack since the truck cannot get near enough. These trucks work well within a warehouse which is well lit, has even, clean floors, good traffic flow and enough turning space.
Turret trucks
The turret truck design has pivoting forks on side of the truck. The forks turn 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load faces forward while the operator drives down the aisle. Once it stops at the designated storage place, the truck's forks pivot to the storage side and raise the load to their full extension, and next smoothly deposit the load before resuming their original position. Turret trucks can come 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.