Very Narrow Aisle and Narrow Aisle Trucks: Certain forklifts have VNA features or NA features. To be able to operate safely and efficiently, most counterbalanced trucks need a minimum of 11 feet of aisle width. Narrow Aisle trucks however, could operate in narrow aisles that are 8 to 10 feet wide. What's more, VNA or very narrow aisle trucks could function in aisles as narrow as 6 feet wide.
The benefit of utilizing an NA and VNA truck over a regular lift is that it makes it possible for warehouses to be constructed with narrower aisles. The wider aisles within the warehouses allow for more storage of things within a particular area, that improves cube utilization. The loads transported utilizing Narrow Aisle and Very narrow Aisle trucks usually are limited to approximately 3000 and 5000 lbs. Reach trucks are capable of operating in narrow aisle. Rotating mast trucks, order selectors and turret trucks can work in narrow or very narrow aisles, depending on the specific model.
Reach Trucks: Particularly made for storage and retrieval, reach trucks are made with outriggers and telescoping forks that enables the operator to pick up and retract a load over the outriggers. These units are not the best suited for loading and unloading trucks, nor for moving loads quickly over long distances. Similar to the order selector, reach trucks could be available for lifting heights which are greater than 30 feet.
Turret Trucks and Rotating-Mast Trucks: Rotating-mast trucks are similar to typical sit-down forklifts. The main difference is that their masts are able to rotate in one direction, to a 90 degree angle. This feature allows them to operate in a narrow aisle condition. Turret trucks can operate in narrow or very narrow aisle places. Like order selectors, these machines can lift both the operator and the load. Furthermore, they could enable the operator to handle loads on either side of an aisle without re-entering and exiting the aisle.
Turret trucks are often rail or wire guided when utilized within very narrow aisles. Therefore, the operator doesn't have to focus any energy on their driving skills and could concentrate on the work load at hand. As turret trucks are considered "operator-up" trucks, they are able to be utilized for item and case picking as well as full pallet handling.