Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks are electric trucks made to operate in narrow aisles. Standard storage aisles are only 3.6 meters wide, sufficient space for a counterbalanced lift truck to turn within the aisle. Nonetheless, narrow aisles can be 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow area needs specific kinds of lift trucks that are capable of tight turns, small, can put away loads without pivoting. The common kinds of narrow-aisle trucks are reach trucks, turret trucks and orderpickers.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
Reach trucks were the very first narrow-aisle lift truck to be developed for warehouse use. These small trucks can turn with no trouble in narrow aisles because their design has eliminated the requirement for a big counterweight. Stability is instead provided by outrigger arms extending in front of the truck. The disadvantage of this design is that the outrigger arms could hinder access to the storage rack as the truck cannot get close enough. These trucks really work well inside a warehouse which is well lit, has clean, even floors, enough turning space and good traffic flow.
Turret trucks
The design of a turret truck has pivoting forks on side of the truck. The forks pivot 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load could face forward while the operator drives down the aisle. Once it stops at the designated storage place, the forks of the truck pivot to the storage side and lift the load to their full extension, and next smoothly deposit the load prior to resuming their original position. Turret trucks are available with a wire guidance system that keeps the truck on its path in very narrow aisles. In man-down trucks, operators remain at floor level.