Forklift Side Shifters Make Any Lift Truck More Versatile

Rearranging pallets on a dock, shelf, truck bed, or elsewhere in your dock or warehouse is a small job, but one that can take several minutes.

The load has to be lined up and lifted. The forklift then needs to back up, reposition itself, and then place the load back down in its new spot — which could be only a few feet or inches away from where it began.

While this isn’t a big job, when you multiply it dozens or even hundreds of times per day, it can add a considerable amount of time — and expense — to your operational workload.

Forklift side shifters are forklift attachments that fit onto the mast of practically any forklift and allow the operator to make these minor movements from the cab, without having to move the vehicle. A job that normally could take several minutes can now be done in just a few seconds with the side shift forklift attachment.

Save Time, Money, Frustration

Most forklift operators are accustomed to working in tight spaces. But side shift attachments can eliminate the need for backing in and out of warehouse slots, driving lanes, and other space-restricted areas. instead, loads can be adjusted in cramped or busy warehouse aisles without having to move the vehicle at all.

Many newer model forklifts already come with a side shifter built into its mast. But for older forklifts or lower-cost, bare bones forklifts that don’t already have them, forklift side shift attachments can add versatility, speed, and economy to any operation.

Not only do side shift attachments lift loads in tights spaces, they also make allow operators to move heavy equipment with more precision, improve positioning of cargo during loading and unloading operations. and align truck loads with forklift pallets.

That means faster loading and unloading times, as well as reduced fuel consumption due to a reduction in unnecessary truck movement.

Side shift attachments also can make workplaces safer. Because forklifts fitted with side shifter back up and pull forward less frequency, there’s a reduced risk of collisions with other vehicles, support beams, and people.

Added Weight

Fitting a side shift attachment to a forklift can change the vehicle’s lift capacity. It can also affect the forklifts’ load center.

So forklifts fitted with a side shift attachment may not be able to carry as heavy loads as those without the forklift attachment, but in many cases the increased versatility, improved performance, and cost reductions make it worth the relatively minor loss of weight capacity.