Manual handling

Whilst manual handling can’t always be eliminated completely, there are always opportunities to reduce it. This is where powered trucks can make a positive impact on your business. The key benefits of powered equipment are improved health and safety, increased productivity and potential reduction of labour.

In an uncertain labour market, organisations need to do just as much work, but sometimes with fewer people. Powered equipment makes this possible as well as bringing greater flexibility to your team.

When it comes to back of store and back of truck operations, there are two types of equipment that are particularly beneficial; powered pallet trucks and tow tractors.

Our most compact powered pallet truck, the BT Levio LWE130 has a load capacity of 1.3 tonnes and at just 255kg it is ideal for vehicles with a tail-lift. It has an optional in-vehicle charger which gives the opportunity for additional charging between drop-off points. The maintenance free battery, fitted as standard, means that the LWE130 powered pallet truck is easy to keep fully charged and ready to work.

When you’re moving a loaded pallet on or off a tail-lift or another confined space, the LWE130 is exceptionally manoeuvrable with a tiller arm that easily moves into position, simple controls and a click-2-creep button for assured positioning and five points of contact with the floor for additional stability. Because it’s a Toyota, it’s incredibly safe, securing your most important assets, your people and your products.

For heavier applications, the rest of the BT Levio range comes into play with capacities of up to 2.5 tonnes these powered pallet trucks are perfect for use where loads exceed 1.3 tonnes.

Roll cages are often used for back of truck operations and moving stock, particularly in retail. According to statistics from the HSE, handling roll cages is a common source of injury. Causes include pulling or pushing them on slopes, attempting to stop them from overbalancing and trapping hands and feet.

Toyota’s Tracto TWE080N is a pedestrian towing tractor that can move loads of up to 800kg and is ideal for moving roll cages. It gives the operator a ‘hands-off’ way of manoeuvring a loaded cage, reducing the chance of hand injuries and crucially, because it pulls the roll cage low down on the cage body, it is inherently more stable than pushing a cage at the top. It also reduces the need for banksmen, with one person able to tow a roll cage which is stabilised by the machine.

Replacing the need for manual handling with powered equipment can really deliver benefits whether it is in back of truck, back of store or general logistics operations. Powered pallet trucks and tow tractors not only offer immediate health and safety benefits by reducing the risk of manual handling injuries, they can also boost productivity by making tasks easier and allowing them to be completed more quickly using less labour.