Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
The type of electric truck which is made to operate within narrow aisles is called a Narrow Aisle Lift Truck. Typical storage aisles are 3.6 meters wide, adequate space for a counterbalanced lift truck to turn within the aisle. Then again, narrow aisles can be about 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow area needs specialized lift truck models which are capable of tight turns, small, and able to put away loads without pivoting. The popular types of narrow-aisle trucks are turret trucks, order pickers and reach trucks.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
Reach trucks were the first narrow-aisle lift truck to be manufactured for warehouse applications. These small trucks can easily turn within narrow aisles since their design has eliminated the requirement for a large counterweight. Stability is instead provided by outrigger arms extending in front of the truck. The downside of this particular design is that the outrigger arms can inhibit access to the storage rack as the truck cannot get near enough. These trucks truly work well within a warehouse which is well lit, has clean, even floors, good flow of traffic and enough turning space.
Turret trucks
The turret truck design includes forks on the side which pivot. The forks turn 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load faces forward whilst the operator drives down the aisle. Once stopped at the designated storage location, the truck's forks pivot to the storage side and raise the load to their full extension, and then smoothly deposit the load prior to resuming their original position. Turret trucks can come with a wire guidance system which keeps the truck on its path in really narrow aisles. Operators remain at floor level in man-down trucks.