Pallet Jacks do the Heavy Lifting?

Answer 1

Pallet jacks are common machinery that can be found in almost any warehouse. Their job is to move large stacks of merchandise that has been placed on a wooden or plastic pallet. The pallet jack makes it easy to transport large amounts of heavy merchandise from one place to another.

Warehouse Muscle

Pallet jacks are small tractors that have long metal prongs protruding from their fronts. These prongs can be raised or lowered by the pallet jack operator who sits in the cab of the tractor, directly behind the prongs. Most pallets have holes through each side, which allows the pallet jack operator to slide the prongs into the pallet and then lift it off of the ground. Each pallet can hold hundreds of pounds of merchandise, and moving objects that heavy without pallet jacks would take much longer and be much more difficult.

Unusual Center of Gravity

The design of pallet jacks gives them an interesting center of gravity. When they are not carrying a load, all of their weight is in the back of the tractor. The weight needs to be light enough so that the pallet jack doesn’t tip over backward when there is nothing on the front of the machine. Pallet jacks can become unstable when they are moving large loads, because the load may cause the pallet jack to tip forward. Since the back of the jack has to be light, the load on the front of the jack can’t be heavier than the back.

No Special Training Required

Operating pallet jacks doesn’t require any specialized training. As soon as you understand the controls, you should be able to drive a pallet jack through the warehouse and move pallets easily. Most warehouses have strict age requirements for driving pallet jacks because injuries to minors can be very expensive, but in reality anyone who can reach the pedals can operate a pallet jack. The machines are a bit overbalanced, so it is a good idea to use caution when maneuvering them. Don’t drive quickly, and always avoid sharp turns. If you are carrying a load and you make a turn too sharply, the entire pallet jack could fall over sideways.