Imagine a typical day at a logistics hub - forklifts constantly circling trucks, drivers under tremendous pressure to drive faster, and the ever-present risk of accidents due to poor visibility. This traditional method is not only slow but also unsafe. Every minute wasted on inefficient loading and unloading affects the company's bottom line and also puts employees at risk.

The hydraulically extendable forklift forks, KOOI^®ReachForks, are a breakthrough and work 30% faster than conventional methods. No more endless circling around trucks - with the KOOI^® extendable forks, drivers can now load and unload an average of one additional truck per hour. That's as many as eight additional trucks per day!

But it's not just about speed. Safety has also been significantly improved. Now that the forklift is equipped with the extendable forks, the forklift stays on one side of the truck to load and or unload the pallets. This keeps the forklift more in sight, reducing the risk of accidents and sudden appearances from behind trucks.

The result? Higher productivity, increased safety and a smoother, more efficient logistics operation.

Now what are all the advantages of single-sided loading and unloading?

Increased Safety:

Single-sided loading and unloading keeps the forklift more visible and reduces the risk of accidents. This is because the forklift driver does not have to go around the truck as often, reducing the risk of collisions. This greatly improves safety because the forklift cannot suddenly appear from behind the truck, preventing damage from other forklifts and or even injury to passersby.

Efficiency in Time:

Single-sided loading and unloading can save time because the forklift has to travel less distance around the truck. This reduces overall loading and unloading time by 30%.
This reduction in time is equivalent to loading and or unloading at least one additional trailer combination per hour. In this calculation, one pallet is loaded or unloaded at a time. When lifting two pallets simultaneously (dual pallet handing), we can have as many as five additional trailer trucks per hour. 

Improved Space Utilization:

When loading and unloading on one side, the truck can be parked closer to the loading or unloading area, allowing more efficient use of available space. If we assume a truck/trailer combination, the savings in space is easily 50 to 60 square meters. Square meters are expensive because this space can be used for parking another truck combination or for storing pallets, for example.

Boosting in and output:

Using telescopic forks to load and unload more trucks enhances productivity, enabling for example, manufacturers to produce and sell more products.

Improved Traffic Flow:

Keeping forklifts to one side reduces the flow of other traffic in the loading area, leading to smoother operations.

Improved working conditions:

The truck driver will also experience the benefit of ReachForks because the truck will not have to wait as long. In addition, he only has to open one curtain and also significantly fewer beams to remove. These operations are physically less stressful.

Collaborating with Suppliers for Forklift Efficiency

When a pallet is pushed forward, the distance between the pallet and the forklift increases. This typically requires using a heavier forklift for one-sided loading and unloading. The reason is that the pallet's center of gravity shifts, and the forklift needs to maintain balance with the extended pallet to prevent tipping. Additionally, the hydraulically operated extendable forks need a 4th function, which many forklift brands offer as a standard or optional feature. Therefore, it's crucial to consult with your forklift supplier, who will likely be familiar with our KOOI^® ReachForks since they are also supplied directly to most forklift manufacturers.

Conclusion: Although a heavier forklift entails a higher purchase price and higher energy consumption, the ability to handle more pallets leads to greater efficiency and the extra cost is recovered very quickly. This results in improved inbound and outbound operations, ultimately allowing for increased production and billing capabilities.

For more information visit:  www.meijer-handling-solutions.com or contact us!