Conquering Deliveries to Any Jobsite with Truck-Mounted Forklifts
Warehouses in the Supply Chain can seem like chaotic places, given the sheer volume of traffic zipping around inside. Despite appearances, this chaos is typically quite well organized given that warehouses are functionally designed, actively managed environments. Surprisingly, the most unpredictable material handling conditions aren’t found in even the busiest of warehouses at all, but instead are located out in the field. Jobsites, construction zones, and work areas come in every shape and size imaginable, ranging from new home development sites in town to civil infrastructure maintenance sites deep in mountainous backcountry.
A great many commercial building material, agricultural product, and construction companies are challenged with making deliveries to field sites like these every day – a challenge often compounded by inclement weather and rough terrain. In such environments where no receiving docks exist and conditions can be quite unpredictable, delivery vehicles are on their own, which is why most depend on the Truck-Mounted Forklifts that they bring with them.
Truck-mounted forklifts are uniquely designed industrial fork trucks that attach to the rear of delivery vehicles and come along for the ride from jobsite to jobsite. At each stop, the lift is lowered from its truck, used to unload materials, and then lifted back onto the truck for transit to the next site. Given the unique conditions of where and how these lifts are operated, truck-mounted lifts differ from standard warehouse forklifts as seen with these key features:
- Propane or diesel fuel powered
- Three-wheel, light weight chassis for high agility and maneuverability
- Off-road, all-terrain design for operation in dirt, mud, snow, and gravel
- High center of gravity and high ground clearance
- No counterbalance – load stability is achieved via the front wheels extending under / around the load
- Dual-action mast that can raise and lower the lift’s weight off the ground
- Optional reach-mast allowing for unloading trucks from one side
- Optional omni-directional wheels allowing for perpendicular driving
Pre-Use Checklist for Piggyback Forklifts
Regardless of the type of forklift in use, OSHA regulation 1910.178(q)(7) calls for all industrial fork trucks to be examined (and issues rectified) before being placed into service each shift or day. In our experience with piggyback fork trucks, issues can manifest during transit, and so we suggest that these lifts are checked at each stop. To help streamline this process, we’ve prepared a sample Pre-Use Checklist below.
Additional Safety Considerations with Truck-Mounted Forklifts
We can’t stress enough that a truck with forklift system is unique in how it operates – in some ways safer, and in some ways riskier. Altogether, operators must receive ample training on piggyback lifts before using one in the field, learning their many unique operational nuances firsthand, including:
- Driving Stability – driving a forklift on truck has an inherently different “feel” than a standard sit-down lift due to its higher stance, lower total weight, and lack of a counterbalance. Drivers must pay extra attention to load weight distribution, smooth acceleration and steering, surface level, and any other factors that could threaten lift stability.
- Loading / Unloading Stability – further to the point of ensuring stability, truck-mounted forklifts (TMF) are especially vulnerable to tip-overs when lowering and raising loads. A TMF’s center of gravity can quickly shift from safe to risky during load movements, leading to tips that happen without warning. Operators must use the equipped stabilizers or outriggers when directed by the lift’s operating manual, only lift on level surfaces, and check for any catch points that the load can hit while in motion.
- Load Position and Shape – conventional forklifts carry their loads out in front of their front tires, whereas TMFs retract their loads to over and/or behind their front tires for added stability. This makes TMFs more limited to the size and shape of loads they can carry, as well as more susceptible to hazards that can come from misshapen loads. For example, making a quick turn with a long load could induce enough momentum at the load’s end that the force could pull the lift off course or cause a tip-over.
- Outdoor Environment Impacts – while warehouse forklifts operating in relatively consistent environments (in terms of temperature, humidity, etc.), TMFs are routinely exposed to the elements. Operators must note that even after they complete the above pre-use checkout steps, the lift may still present looming hazards hidden or exacerbated by outside conditions. For example, a piggyback lift should be warmed up for 10 to 60 seconds in cold weather, which may expose hidden leaks as hoses and fittings expand under heat.
- Inclines – forklift on truck equipment are particularly sensitive to operating on inclines. Operators must always approach inclines squarely, traveling straight up or down the incline without turning. Forks must always point uphill, which also means that lifts should back down all inclines for the highest level of safety. Some TMFs are equipped with differential locks that provide additional traction on loose terrain, which can also be used effectively for inclines so that the lift is not pulled off center due to varying traction between tires.
We hope that this discussion has been helpful for your commercial material handling needs. Fairchild Equipment is the Upper Midwest’s premier Material Handling Equipment and Service resource, with headquarters in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and numerous locations in 5 states ready 24/7 to serve your needs. For more information or to discuss which Warehouse Optimization solution might be best for you, please send us a message or call us at (844) 432-4724.
