When your business gets good enough that you have to start keeping more stock on hand than you can easily keep in your storefront, it's time in invest in a warehouse. Having a warehouse facility will save you money in the long run because you will have all the product you need easily at hand. As a first-time warehouse user, you will need to know the kinds of tools that you can use to make storing your product easier. One of those tools is forklifts. A forklift helps you use all the available space since you will be able to use them to put stock on shelves.
Industrial Reach Forklifts
These forklifts have an extremely high lift capability. That makes them ideal for very tall pallet shelving. These forklifts are often a standing forklift instead of a sit-down forklift. That means that there is either a platform that the operator can stand on to operate it or they can stand next to the forklift to operate it.
Another industrial reach option is to have one that has the high reach capability that also has a deeper fork. That means that this forklift can put pallets further back on a shelf so that you can double up the shelves.
Counter-Balance Forklifts
These are forklifts that are generally driven by an operator sitting in the cab. On the front of the forklift is the forks. On the back is a weight to counter-balance the machine when something is being lifted, especially the fork has to go up high. The weight on the front of the forklift would cause it to tip over without the compensating weight on the back.
These forklifts are also able to go outside if you have a flat even surface. You can also get a forklift that has three wheels. These three-wheeled counter-balanced forklifts are more maneuverable than some other forklifts can be. That means that if you have a small warehouse or very limited space, you may want to get one of these forklifts so that you can get your stock where it needs to be with the minimum amount of effort.
A growing business is a successful business. Having to keep more product on hand than you can store in your storefront is a good thing and choosing the right forklift (from an outlet such as Horizon Equipment Rentals) for your first-time warehouse use will make storing your product for later use much easier.