Narrow Aisle and very Narrow Aisle Trucks: Certain forklifts have NA features or VNA features. In order to operate safely and efficiently, nearly all counterbalanced trucks require at least 11 feet of aisle width. Narrow Aisle trucks however, are able to operate in narrow aisles which are 8 to 10 feet wide. As well, very narrow aisle or VNA trucks could function in aisles as narrow as 6 feet wide.
VNA and NA trucks offer lots of advantages since they make it possible for warehouses to be constructed with narrower aisles. This results in the warehouse being able to successfully store numerous more products in a particular space, improving cube utilization. The loads moved by VNA and Narrow Aisle trucks normally are limited to roughly 3000 and 5000 pounds. Reach trucks are capable of operating in narrow aisle. Turret trucks, rotating mast trucks and order selectors are able to operate within narrow or very narrow aisles, depending on the specific model.
Reach Trucks: Specifically made for retrieval and storage, reach trucks are made with telescoping forks and outriggers that enables the operator to lift and retract a load over the outriggers. These units are not the best suited for moving loads quickly over long distances nor for loading and unloading trucks. Like the order selector, reach trucks could be available for lifting heights that are greater than 30 feet.
Turret Trucks and Rotating-Mast Trucks: Like standard sit-down forklifts, rotating mast trucks have masts which could rotate in one direction, to a 90 degree angle. This particular feature allows them to function within a narrow aisle condition. Turret trucks are able to work in very narrow or narrow aisle locations. Similar to order selectors, these equipment are capable of lifting both the load and the operator. Furthermore, they are able to allow the operator to deal with loads on either side of an aisle without exiting and re-entering the aisle.
Turret trucks are normally rail or wire guided when they are used in very narrow aisles. This way, the operator could focus on the work load at hand since they doesn't need to focus any energy on their driving skills. Because turret trucks are considered "operator-up" trucks, they could be utilized for picking cases and items as well as full pallet handling.