Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
The kind of electric truck that is made to operate in narrow aisles is referred to as a Narrow Aisle Lift Truck. A counterbalanced lift truck could turn within the aisle since standard storage aisles are just 3.6 meters wide and this is sufficient space. Nevertheless, narrow aisles can be 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow area requires specialized kinds of lift trucks which are small, capable of tight turns, can put away loads without pivoting. The popular types of narrow-aisle trucks are reach trucks, turret trucks and orderpickers.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
Reach trucks were the very first narrow-aisle lift truck to be manufactured for warehouse use. These small trucks could easily turn within narrow aisles as their design has eliminated the need for a huge counterweight. Stability is instead provided by outrigger arms which extend in front of the truck. The disadvantage of this design is that the outrigger arms can hinder access to the storage rack because the truck cannot get close enough. These trucks truly work well in a warehouse that is well lit, has clean, even floors, ample space for turning and good traffic flow.
Turret trucks
The turret truck design has pivoting forks on side of the truck. The forks pivot 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load can face forward while the operator drives down the aisle. Once stopped at the designated storage place, the truck's forks pivot to the storage side and lift the load to their full extension, and then smoothly deposit the load before resuming their original position. Turret trucks are available with a wire guidance system that keeps the truck on its path in very narrow aisles. In man-down trucks, operators remain at floor level.