Order Delivery Is Going Electric

When the popular folk singer Bob Dylan appeared at the Newport Jaz Festival in 1965, he shocked his fans and critics alike by plugging in an electric guitar and changing the course of his career and music history, with headlines worldwide screaming “Dylan Goes Electric“.

Now package and pallet delivery are increasingly going electric as more and more businesses exchange their low-tech hand trucks and dollies for high-tech power jacks and small truck-mounted forklifts.

Faster, Stronger, Safer

The use of more sophisticated materials handling equipment is a response to an increased demand for more speed and accuracy and less product damage and loss. Customers today want their products faster than ever before. So anything businesses can do to get deliveries where they are going faster — including the time it takes to get it from the truck to the dock — need to be considered.

Today, businesses like beverage companies are ditching their two-wheeled dollies in exchange for powered equipment. Trucks equipped with side-loading doors are being replaced with more nimble trucks with liftgates.

Old-fashioned side-loading roll-up doors required drivers to bend, stretch, and lift every stop on their route. But trucks with lift gates reduces the stress that can result in driver injuries.

Lift gates use hydraulics to gently move pallets and other loads from the truck bed to the ground surface, where they can be transported with powered materials handling equipment right into the client’s storeroom or dock.

Powered pallet jacks and truck-mounted forklifts that hang on the side or back of the delivery truck let drivers move more weight more quickly, and with more accuracy. There’s also a lower risk of product loss from spilled loads.

Fewer Injuries, Less Stress

Delivery drivers used to have a reputation for being big, burly, and rugged. But thanks to powered pallet jacks, truck-mounted forklifts, and other modern delivery equipment, drivers don’t have to be brawny to be successful. There’s also less strain, less stress, and a lower risk of injury.

Hand trucks aren’t just cumbersome and clumsy, they also put more physical strain on delivery drivers, with a higher risk of injury. Powered materials handling equipment lets drivers lift even the heaviest loads with the push of a button, then transport it quickly and safely even up and down ramps or over rough terrain.

The result is a safer experience for drivers and more efficiency for businesses. Plus, there’s less breakage and product loss. Now, that’s a win/win/win!