Looking for the best forklifts for the meat processing industry? Here are some of your top choices (Click on the links to learn more about each option):
discover the best forklifts for the meat processing industry
What Are the Best Forklifts for the Meat Processing Industry?
Today we are going to take a look at what types of forklifts are the best for the meat processing industry. If you are handling meat, then you have unique challenges to overcome, such as:
The need to have incredibly fast turnarounds to prevent your meat from spoiling
The need to do frequent wash-downs to make sure that your facility meets health regulations
Working in a cold storage environment to preserve your meat
When choosing the best forklift for the meat processing industry and the one that suits your needs best, it is important to make sure that the equipment you choose will be able to withstand the conditions outlined above.
Here are some great options and why they would make a good choice.
1. Why Walkie Pallet Jacks Are One of the Best Forklifts for the meat processing Industry
Walkie Pallet Jack
Double Pallet Jack
Transporting Plastic Pallets and boxes in tight spaces:
Plastic pallets and boxes are almost always used when handling meat instead of wood because they cannot nest bacteria and/or parasites that could contaminate the meat. Walkie pallet jacks are a great choice for transporting these plastic pallets from one location to another in your facility.
Pallet jacks are a great solution if you need to move and stack pallets full of meat in smaller spaces such as inside walk-in refrigerators or freezers.
A small walkie pallet jack can handle the full weight of your skids and they are easy to maneuver in tight spaces.
Check out this pallet jack in action
Fast Turnaround Times:
When you are working with meat, you need to make sure that your turnaround times are as fast as possible, as it is perishable. You also want to make sure that you can transport it quickly to refrigerated areas to keep it from spoiling.
Investing in a double pallet jack will enable you to handle twice as many pallets in the same amount of time, thus increasing your efficiency and decreasing your turnaround times.
Double pallet jacks will let you handle twice as many pallets
No harmful fumes:
Pallet jacks are electric-powered which means that they don't give off harmful fumes which can easily contaminate meat and be harmful to workers in enclosed spaces.
Loading and Unloading Deliveries:
Another great benefit of pallet jacks is that they are great for unloading and loading deliveries from a truck. Time is of the essence, especially on warm summer days, to get your product off of the delivery trucks and to your refrigerated areas.
Pallet jacks can help you move your foodstuffs quickly to keep them from spoiling
2. Why Rider Pallet Jacks Are One of the Best Forklifts for the meat processing Industry
Rider Pallet Jacks
Greater efficiency:
Rider pallet jacks have all of the great benefits of a walkie pallet jack, however, they have the added advantage of allowing the operator to ride on the back of the truck, thus increasing their comfort and productivity.
If you are working in the meat industry, you understand that time is money, especially as meat has a relatively short shelf life. Therefore, choosing material handling equipment that is going to speed up your processes is very important to the success of your business.
Rider pallets still have a relatively small design so they can work well in tight spaces.
Rider pallet jacks can help increase your efficiency
Fuel Source:
Rider pallet jacks are electric, which makes them the perfect choice for operating indoors and around food as they don't give off harmful fumes. If you choose one with an onboard charger, then you can also greatly reduce any downtime for recharging your battery.
3. Why Electric Forklifts Are One of the Best Forklifts for the meat processing Industry
Electric forklifts don’t give off fumes that could contaminate meat
safe Fuel Source:
As stated before, you need to be careful that you don’t produce harmful fumes around meat.
If you choose an electric forklift instead of one that is fueled by propane or diesel, you will not have to worry about harmful emissions contaminating your food or harming your workers and customers.
Limited Space:
If you require a larger forklift for your purposes, but space is tight in your meat-processing facility, you can choose a 3-wheel forklift. 3-wheel forklifts are more maneuverable and require less space to operate than 4-wheel forklifts. Due to their slender, 3-wheeled design, they have a much tighter turning radius than a traditional 4-wheel forklift.
In addition, you can choose a stand-up version that has the operator stand up instead of sitting in a cab. Doing away with seating means that the dimensions of this forklift are even smaller, making it great for fitting into tighter spaces.
Stand-up Forklift
3-Wheel Forklift
The following video will show you a demonstration of all of the great features of this 3-wheeled electric forklift by Hangcha:
3-wheel forklifts have a tighter turning radius
4. Why Lithium-ion Electric Forklifts Are One of the Best Forklifts for the meat processing Industry
Fast Turnaround Times:
As stated, it is important to make sure that the equipment you choose for your meat processing facility is going to give you the fastest turnaround times possible.
If you choose an electric forklift that has a lithium-ion battery, then your charging times are much faster (2 hours vs 8-10 hours for a lead-acid battery forklift).
In addition, your maintenance will be much less complicated than if you purchase a lead-acid battery electric forklift as they need to be watered and more carefully looked after. You will also save on the space required for a forklift battery charging station.
Many of Hangcha’s lithium-ion forklifts are also equipped with onboard chargers which means that you don’t have to stop working while your forklift is charging. This feature will help you reduce downtimes and increase productivity.
Li-ion batteries charge much faster than lead-acid batteries
Heavy Lifting Capabilities:
If you need more lifting capacity for your forklift, then a lithium-powered electric counterbalance is a great choice. You can get models that have lifting capacities ranging from 4,000 to 35,000 lbs.
However, the more lifting capacity a forklift has, the larger the forklift will be, so you should choose a model that will give you the best balance between power and size.
Food-safe Fuel Source:
In the past, in order to get a forklift with higher lifting capacities, you would need to purchase one with an internal combustion engine that would burn fossil fuels like propane or diesel.
Your only choice then for inside applications would have been a propane fuel forklift because it burns cleaner than diesel and can be used indoors as long as you have proper ventilation to counteract any emissions.
However, with the advancement of technology and the use of lithium-ion batteries, it is now possible to get electric forklifts that are safe to use inside and have the strength to handle heavier loads.
3-Wheel Lithium Ion Forklift
4-Wheel Li-Ion Battery Forklift
Able to withstand Constant washdowns:
If you are working in the meat processing industry, you know that you are required to be constantly washing down and cleaning your facilities. This means that your equipment needs to be able to withstand these very moist conditions. Not all electric forklifts are able to handle wet conditions. You’ll need to choose an electric model that can work in wet and cold conditions.
Hangcha's XC Series electric forklift, for example, uses lithium-ion power and has been designed with an IPX4 water resistance rating, making it resistant to water splashes from any direction. Therefore, it is suitable for a meat processing plant.
Furthermore, if you need your forklift to unload trucks outside of your facility and then bring them inside, then an electric forklift that is water-resistant is a great choice as you can’t guarantee the weather outside.
choose an electric forklift that is also water resistant
*Tip: cushion tires are best for tight spaces
Make sure you also choose an electric forklift that has cushion tires. Cushion tires are smaller than pneumatic tires, which means that your forklift will be lower to the ground, thus decreasing its turning radius even further. In addition, cushion tires are better suited for indoor flooring as well.
Let Wayco help you choose THE BEST Forklifts for the meat processing Industry
Selecting the best forklift for your particular situation isn’t easy, but the experts at Wayco can help. Whether you are in the market for a new or used forklift, contact the professionals at Wayco.
They will listen to your needs and match you up with the perfect forklift to meet those needs and your budget.
Wayco also offers the best warranties in the business for both new and used forklifts. For example, we offer:
Used Forklifts: When you purchase a quality used forklift from Wayco, you will receive a 30-day full warranty. That means that your forklift is covered, front to back, for a full 30 days after your purchase. If anything goes wrong with it, we will fix it for you, free of charge.
Komatsu BX50 Series: Komatsu's warranty includes:
2 years / Unlimited Hours Standard Warranty Coverage* and
60 Months / 8,000 Hours Power Train Coverage
10,000 Hours on Wet Brake Systems on Komatsu Units Equipped with Wet Brakes
Hangcha Lithium-Ion Forklifts: Many of Hangcha's Lithium-ion forklift batteries come with an incredible warranty that lasts 10 years or 20,000 hours. Now that's a guarantee!
With Wayco, you can purchase a forklift with confidence! Contact us today for more details about our incredible warranties.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING…
““I have used Wayco twice, and both times I experienced excellent customer service. They had the right forklift for my needs at a reasonable price. I will be using their services in the future and recommend you do as well.””
