Hand Trucks - A Delivery Person's Best Friend

By Author: Beckett Davidson
Total Articles: 4762
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Delivering heavy and fragile items can be quite tricky. If you are in the business of selling or leasing big machinery, equipment, furniture etc. or if you are in the 'movers and packers' business, then a hand truck has to be your best friend. Hand truck is a two-wheeler trolley with a horizontal platform. It has been used to move heavy objects from one place to another easily.

A hand truck has a number of benefits:

1. Lower risk of injury: Lifting heavy objects can be quite straining for back and shoulder muscles. In addition, walking with a big heavy box in hand can also obstruct vision and cause the people to fall and hurt themselves. A hand truck rolls on wheels and has a lower suspension. Thus, the delivery person can easily roll it down and clearly see where they are going.

2. Less risk of damage: Manual lifting always has the risk of goods getting damaged. Especially, when more than one person lifts something, even a slight problem in coordination in the group can cause damage the goods due to falling, bumping or miss-handling. But a hand truck eliminates all these risks and reduces the cost incurred ...
... on damaged goods by the company.

3. Faster delivery: With a hand truck, the delivery person doesn't have to waddle his way through narrow pavements and driveways. He can deliver the goods much faster and in a safer manner.

4. Cost effective: Hand Trucks save money in more ways than one. First of all, they save goods from being damaged during delivery. So, they reduce company's loss due to damage. Second, since hand truck allows just one person to deliver heavy objects, there is no need to send more people on delivery; so, the company can save money on manpower. Third, since it reduces incidents of injuries among delivery persons, the medical expenses to the company goes down.

Hand trucks are used to move load short distances and have simple mechanic system that allows easier maneuverability. It is like a cart with a platform at bottom where goods are stacked.

Things to remember while using a hand truck:

- The hand truck should be in best condition. Even though hand trucks don't need much maintenance, but regular use may wear out the tires or loosen some screws. This may create problems during freight delivery and may even cause a mishap. So, check the hand truck regularly.

- The goods or cargo to be carried on the hand truck should be stacked properly. The biggest and heaviest boxes should be at the bottom and lighter ones on the top. All the cargo should be packed and taped properly.

- The handle of the hand truck should be lifted in a way that it comes up to your waist and the cargo rests against the back of its cart.

- Hand trucks can be rolled both backwards and forward. So, chose a movement that ensures safest movement for you and the cargo. Backward movement, in which you will be stepping backwards, is a safer mode, as you will be able to maneuver the hand truck more easily. Forward movement on the other hand will help you see your path better.

There are 2 types of hand trucks available out there:

1. Heavy Duty Hand Truck: This is a hand trucks made of strong metal. They are used to move heavy objects.

2. Safco Convertible Hand Truck: This is also used to move heavy objects, but much slimmer. These types of hand trucks are be converted into platform hand truck at any time. They can also be folded and stored in a small space

How to Choose the Right Hand Truck?

There are a number of factors to be considered while choosing a hand truck:

1. Space: Heavy-duty hand trucks are bigger and need a wide space to move, while convertible hand trucks take much less space. Heavy-duty hand trucks also need a large storage area. Therefore, if you think that you don't have much space and will be maneuvering the hand truck through narrow spaces, a folding hand truck will be a better choice.

2. Weight to be moved: Heavy-duty hand trucks are made from solid materials and can endure heavy loads. Their exact capacity varies according to their size and type. Convertible hand trucks can also endure heavy weight, but it is generally lesser than heavy-duty hand trucks.

3. Usage: Convertible hand trucks can be used in areas that are narrower and crowded. It is a better choice when one has to deliver goods to a busy shop or a house with narrow hallways. Heavy-duty hand trucks are more suitable to transport heavy equipment to commercial spaces like auditoriums, halls, commercial buildings, warehouses etc.

Therefore, purchase a hand truck only after considering its usage to your business. If you are in a business where you have to deliver small to mid-size objects to households and end-users for example office product supplies, then a folding hand truck is a good option, but if you delivery heavy and bigger goods, then choose a heavy duty hand truck.

In order to purchase a hand truck, you can look on the Internet. There are a number of dealers that provide various models at affordable cost.

Hand trucks have been in use for quite some time now and are extremely useful for most kinds of businesses. It doesn't matter how small or big your business is, equipments like these will surely improve your productivity and help you get ahead.
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