5 industries that use lift trucks more often than you think
We all know that forklifts are predominantly used in warehousing, but what are the most unusual industries that regularly use forklift trucks.
Forklifts are very convenient for moving around large or heavy objects. They require some training to achieve a forklift truck licence, but once you have some experience driving one, it is relatively straightforward to renew your licence. Here are the top 5 unusual industries that use forklift trucks:
- Mining – Forklifts are used in mines to move materials around, as well as to load and unload trucks.
- Racing – At race tracks, forklifts are used to move cars and other equipment around.
- Airports – Forklifts are used at airports to move baggage and other equipment around.
- Hospitals – Forklifts are used in hospitals to move patients and medical supplies around.
- Farming – Forklifts are used on working farms to move materials and equipment around.
We go into more detail below:
How are lift trucks used in mining?
Forklifts are used in mines to move materials around, as well as to load and unload trucks. Forklifts can be used indoors or outdoors, and the type of forklift you use will depend on the conditions of the mine.
Most mines will not have a stable environment like a warehouse, so you are unlikely to find reach lift trucks. The terrain around mines is usually uneven, or temporary so the low undercarriage and small wheels of counterbalance forklifts would have difficulty.
If you need your lift truck to go into the mine, you may have to purchase a custom design. The custom build will need to take into consideration the environment it will be working in and the safety of the driver.
How are forklifts used at race tracks?
At race tracks, forklifts are used to move cars and other equipment around. Forklifts can be used to move cars from the garage to the track, and they can also be used to move equipment around the track.
Lift trucks at race tracks are in an environment designed to get the maximum speed out of racing vehicles, therefore, they are ideally suited for forklifts. In fact, there are even forklift truck racing events.
That being said, we use forklifts as a tool and their primary purpose at race tracks should be to remove cars from their transportation and move heavy objects like engines.
How are forklifts used at airports?
Forklifts are used at airports to move baggage and other equipment around. Forklifts can be used to load baggage onto planes, and they can also be used to move equipment around the airport.
Similar to race tracks, airports are a perfect environment for forklifts. Airports are designed for the transportation of people and large, heavy aeroplanes. So, all the surfaces around most airports are flat and tarmacked with airport hangers that are spacious enough to house even the largest of lift trucks.
How are lift trucks used in hospitals?
Forklifts are used in hospitals to move equipment and medical supplies around.
You may not see it as a patient, but hospitals are huge operations with many moving parts. In terms of regular usage, a forklift can help move medical supplies. However, they are most useful when moving heavy equipment. For example, a small MRI scanner weighs 4,500kg, and a large one weighs 16,000kg, certainly not something that can be moved by hand.
How are lift trucks used in farming?
Forklifts are used on working farms to move materials and equipment around. Forklifts can be used to move hay bales, as well as to move tractors and other farm equipment.
Similar to mining, a working farm can have an unpredictable environment. However, unlike mining, farms tend to have an area where they unload supplies from the vehicles transporting grain, hay or fertiliser to their farm. Most farms will use a tool that can be attached to a tractor, but a forklift has more stability to move pallets from a truck.
Premier Fork Lifts sell a wide range of new and used forklifts for a variety of uses and environments. Contact us today on 01254 583 533 to discuss your needs and we will find the perfect lift truck for you.
Image by Drazen Zigic on Freepik