Looking for a safer and more efficient way to move materials (or personnel) around your warehouse or manufacturing facility? Whether transporting products from warehouse to production, delivering tools and supplies to various work areas, or performing daily cycle counts, employees who spend hours traversing a large facility on foot—or worse, pushing or pulling heavy carts—suffer fatigue and strain that hampers productivity. The time-consuming and inefficient process of transporting materials by foot encumbers operations, which ultimately translates into a loss of money. And traditional material handling solutions such as forklifts are bulky, hard to maneuver, and put employees at a higher risk of injury. But now there’s a better solution.

Motorized material handling carts are the safest and most versatile way to transport loads of all sizes around your warehouse or manufacturing facility. Smaller, safer, and more maneuverable than forklifts, these efficient powered carts allow personnel to transport heavier loads faster, with unmatched agility and reliability. Read on to learn about the benefits of motorized material handling carts as well as the following three classes:

• Personnel movers
• Burden carriers
• Platform trucks

Benefits of Motorized Material Handling Carts

Motorized industrial carts are a valuable addition to your warehouse equipment, as they improve efficiency and productivity in industrial operations. With these powered carts, employees can move products around large facilities quicker than ever, slashing the time it used to take them to transport materials on foot. This time savings allows facilities to operate more smoothly and efficiently, often seeing massive increases in productivity. No more delays waiting on product or supplies to arrive from another part of the warehouse—with these electric industrial carts, facilities are better equipped to meet customer demand and optimize their productivity. Check out more industrial material handling systems here.

Moreover, these motorized utility carts outpace other material handling options in terms of agility. With a substantial load capacity in a much smaller footprint than fork trucks and other traditional carts, these powered industrial carts can maneuver through narrow aisles for access to hard-to-reach products. They have both forward and reverse options, move at a programmable speed of 4 mph or faster, and have a tight turning radius for unmatched maneuverability and convenience.

Motorized material handling carts are also the best choice for prioritizing the health and safety of warehouse personnel. Employees in industrial settings often spend hours on their feet and may walk miles in a day just transporting products around a large warehouse or manufacturing floor. This daily activity is extremely fatiguing, and the strain of excessive walking and pushing or pulling heavy loads can lead to long-term health issues or injuries and costly workers’ compensation claims. Powered personnel movers reduce both fatigue and the risk of injury to workers, which results in higher employee satisfaction and increased productivity since your employees will have more energy throughout the workday.

Finally, these powered industrial carts are a breeze to maintain. The carts are powered by a 24-volt battery system that extends run time to over 30 miles, and they charge easily in a 110V outlet. Users have easy access to the system drive components if service is necessary, but these reliable carts are almost maintenance-free. Equipped with flat-free tires and sealed lead-acid batteries, these US-manufactured carts are designed to run smoothly for years without issue. And to top it off, they are extremely economical, coming in at half the cost of leading brands. (Buy industrial carts online here.)

Types of Motorized Material Handling Carts

Personnel Movers

Powered personnel movers are small, versatile carts that provide standing transportation for personnel who have to cover a lot of ground. These efficient personnel movers transport employees throughout a facility quickly and safely while minimizing fatigue and risk of injury. An employee rides in a stand-up carrier, which affords maximum visibility and ease of use, and operates the cart with an ergonomic control handle.

An optional hitch accessory turns the cart into a tugger, allowing you to haul larger loads on existing or custom-ordered trailers. Standard motorized carriers have a capacity of 1,500 pounds including the rider, while the innovative heavy-duty model can support up to 3,000 pounds and has an extended run time of over 69 miles. Other accessories include a back basket for carrying smaller materials and tools, as well as a strobe light for increased visibility and user safety.

Burden Carriers

Motorized burden carriers operate just like the personnel movers but feature an affixed or detachable trailer for transporting materials around a warehouse or manufacturing facility. Users can load boxes or heavy objects onto the trailer, with the convenience of a low loading height, and then drive the carrier to wherever the load needs to go. This effortless load transportation lets personnel cover ground far more quickly than they could on foot.

The detachable trailer option provides a drop-and-go solution, and you can combine this cart model with other trailers around your facility for a broader range of operations. The trailer attaches and detaches with ease and can be used as a push cart when detached, thanks to an ergonomic handlebar. The detachable trailer deck measures 50” long by 30” wide, large enough to fit a standard pallet. The fixed deck option measures 40” long by 22” wide. Both of these standing platform carriers have a capacity of 1,100 pounds including the rider. You can also add customizable accessories including side rails or netting for load security, a trailer shelf for more efficient transportation of smaller materials, and a strobe light for visibility and safety.

Platform Trucks

The powered platform truck is designed solely for transporting materials, with a capacity of 1,100 pounds. While still pushed or pulled by an employee on foot, the motorized cart reduces the physical strain on the worker, allowing faster and easier transportation of heavy loads. With a deck measuring 40” long by 22” wide, the powered platform truck occupies a smaller footprint than other industrial carts with a comparable load capacity. In addition, it has a zero-turn radius, which gives it optimum maneuverability in tight spaces. Optional side rails and netting as well as a standard automatic braking system make this electric platform cart one of the safest options for material transportation.

Contact Us for Motorized Material Handling Carts

Southwest Solutions Group® provides design and installation services for motorized material handling carts and can help you evaluate which powered carts are the best choice to meet the needs of your personnel and facility. To learn more or to speak with a representative, call us at 1-800-803-1083 or send us a message today.

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