Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks are electric trucks designed to function within narrow aisles. Standard storage aisles are only 3.6 meters wide, sufficient space for a counterbalanced lift truck to pivot in the aisle. Then again, narrow aisles could be 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow space requires specialized kinds of lift trucks that are small, capable of tight turns, and able to put away loads without pivoting. The common kinds of narrow-aisle trucks are turret trucks, order pickers and reach trucks.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
The first kinds of narrow-aisle lift trucks developed for warehouse use are the reach trucks. These small trucks could easily turn in narrow aisles as their design has eliminated the requirement for a big counterweight. Stability is instead provided by outrigger arms extending in front of the truck. The downside of this design is that the outrigger arms can inhibit access to the storage rack as the truck cannot get close enough. These trucks truly work well in a warehouse which is well lit, has clean, even floors, good traffic flow and ample turning space.
Turret trucks
The design of a turret truck has pivoting forks on side of the truck. The forks turn 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load faces forward while the operator drives down the aisle. When stopped at the designated storage place, the forks of the truck turn 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 could come with a wire guidance system that keeps the truck on its path in really narrow aisles. In man-down trucks, operators remain at floor level.