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Improving Your Construction Company

If you are new to the construction industry, it can be easy to be terrified of bigger, better companies. After all, since they have all of the high-tech equipment and skilled laborers, how will you compete when you bid for new jobs? Although it might seem pointless to try, you can significantly improve your own construction business by investing in the right industrial equipment. I want to teach you which pieces of equipment can make a big difference for your business, which is one of the reasons I made this site. Read here to learn how you can make your small business competitive in an ever-evolving marketplace.

Improving Your Construction Company

The Versatility And Value Of The Pallet Jack

by Douglas Watson

The forklift revolutionized the movement and storage of freight by enabling it to be moved from different heights. This enabled ships, freight trains, and trucks to be loaded and unloaded without an excessive amount of manual labor, and allowed the freight to be stored vertically, which greatly increased storage space.

However, its humbler cousin, the pallet jack, moves tons of freight each day, into spaces where forklifts cannot go, and with an ease of use that requires no certification or training.

What is a pallet jack?

A pallet jack is a piece of material handling equipment used to move freight and other materials and supplies. It consists of two channel-shaped forks that have a recessed wheel on one end. 

The other end of the forks are connected to a pivoting wheel that is steered by a long handle and a hydraulic pump jack. The handle not only controls the direction of the pallet jack, but also operates the hydraulic pump when pushed up and down.

The pallet jack is used to move materials on pallets, which are platforms built just high enough for the pallet jack's forks to fit through.when the pallet jack is fully inserted into the pallet, the handle is pumped. This causes the retracted wheels inside the forks to push out and away from the forks, lifting the pallet.

When the pallet reaches its destination, a lever on the pallet jack is pulled, which disengages the hydraulic pump and allows the wheels to retract into the forks. The pallet jack can then be pulled out of the pallet.

What are the advantages of a pallet Jack over a forklift?

Standard pallet jacks require no fuel to operate. There are electric pallet jacks, which are a hybrid of a pallet jack and a forklift. While they use less power than a forklift, their lifting capacity is also limited. 

Pallet jacks are also more versatile, requiring much less of a turning radius than a forklift. This feature makes them invaluable in a storage area with little aisle space.

Finally, pallet jacks are much less expensive than forklifts, and their maintenance is also less costly.

Pallet jack tips

Do not exceed the weight limitations printed on the label of the pallet jack. Determine the weight of your load before pumping the pallet jack, or you could be facing a broken hydraulic seal and a hydraulic fluid leak. 

If hydraulic fluid is leaking, cease use at once and clean up the hydraulic fluid. It is very slippery and presents a significant slipping hazard.

If the retractable wheels get stuck between the upper and lower slats of a pallet while lowering the pallet jack, don't attempt to muscle it out by pumping it until it breaks the slats. Just lower the handle to its lowest point and push it downward. This will lift the ends of the forks and the wheels sufficiently to remove the pallet jack from the pallet.

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