A stock picker or order picker machinery is very like a typical forklift. It has hydraulic tines able to raise a pallet. Order pickers can also lift the operator up to high places, which is a feature that lift trucks presently do not provide. Typically, order pickers are powered by electricity. These equipment are mainly utilized in a warehouse environment. Usually they are used for transporting pallets and doing certain jobs in the shelving and stocking department.
The operator of an order picker uses controls to control the unit from a platform setting that usually sits quite near the ground. The operator could direct the machinery to go forward, backward or steer it from side to side. As soon as the operator has positioned the unit in place the tines could be raised to the required level which makes it convenient for the operator. For instance, if the materials needed, are situated on a shelf that the operator could not reach, then entire platform is capable of being raised up to certain level. Due to the counterweight located at the other end, the unit remains balanced, even at higher levels.
The platform is lowered back to its original position after the order has been picked. The order picker is then driven or directed to its next location. With most models, it is possible to move the order picker whilst the platform is raised, however, several companies may have procedures and policies in place preventing such maneuvers for safety reasons. An order picker can also put pallets on a shelf. Stackers and forklifts can be utilized to complete these particular tasks at several companies instead.