Pallet Trucks, Power and Performance: Choosing the Right Combination

Electric walkie pallet jacks are one of the most versatile material handling vehicles, called upon to perform pallet transport, dock work, and trailer loading and unloading. Some are even designated for mobile duty, traveling with delivery trucks to help facilitate full pallet, liftgate deliveries.

Depending on the application, pallet trucks are also subjected to a wide range of duty cycles. In busy warehouse applications, they may undergo nearly constant use throughout the shift. In other applications, such as the mobile deliveries mentioned earlier, their use is more sporadic, performing in quick bursts from one location to another.

Given the variety of uses and applications for electric pallet trucks, it’s no surprise that they come in many different configurations and with several different battery options, so you can choose the model that best fits your use case. For many electric pallet truck buyers, the choices may not be obvious since there are size, weight, usage and maintenance considerations that influence the decision.

This blog will help take some of the mystery out of the process and help you prioritize the factors that will guide your purchase decision.

Capacity

Thankfully, you don’t really need to consider differences in capacity across Crown’s walkie pallet trucks because there are two options: the WP Series, with a capacity of 4,500 pounds across all models, and the PW Series heavy-duty pallet truck, with a capacity up to 8,000 pounds. There are a significant number of applications with loads that fall below 4,500 pounds, so the WP Series is the focus of this discussion. There are five different models within the WP Series product line, each with a capacity of 4,500 pounds. Where these models differ is in how they address some of the other considerations that follow.

Duty Cycle

One of the main differences in WP Series models is the battery compartment size. Different size compartments, ranging from 4.9” in depth to 9.1” in depth, are designed to accommodate different types and sizes of batteries, including lead-acid and lithium-ion. There are also options among lead-acid batteries, including the more traditional wet-cell and newer thin plate pure lead (TPPL).

The duty cycle for an electric pallet truck, say, within a single shift, can vary greatly. In some applications, especially in large warehouse operations and busy dock work, electric pallet trucks can run almost continuously, moving pallets from one place to another. In other applications, such as mobile deliveries, pallet trucks run much more intermittently, running for a short period of time to move pallets relatively short distances, then back onto the delivery truck to await its next delivery. Of course, some applications fall between these two extremes, perhaps running intermittently but for longer periods.

Obviously, these differences in duty cycle can call for differences in battery capacity. Those that require consistent, near-continuous performance and prefer the price point of traditional lead-acid batteries should first consider the battery capacity that best fits their duty cycle and whether they will need to maintain multiple batteries in that size and swap before a shift is complete. Once they decide which V-Force® batteries best fit the application, they’ll choose the WP Series electric pallet jack model that matches that battery capacity.

Users with applications that require more frequent use of a lead-acid-powered electric pallet truck or are interested in other battery technologies, such as TPPL or lithium-ion, will find that a pallet truck designed for a smaller battery size may be a better fit. TPPL and lithium-ion technologies can generally provide more capacity and runtime in a smaller package that fits these pallet truck models. Consequently, if the duty cycle requires capacities available in smaller lead-acid batteries or in TPPL and lithium-ion batteries, they’ll find that they can choose from WP Series pallet trucks with smaller battery compartments.

Maneuverability

Sometimes, the operating environment associated with the application is one of the most significant considerations in choosing the right electric pallet truck. Some environments, like those involving pallet movement within the tight confines of the loading dock, may require a pallet truck with a shorter head length to increase the maneuverability of the pallet truck in tight spaces. If the application involves mobile deliveries, the pallet truck must fit securely in a storage compartment or within the delivery truck. It must also be able to maneuver within the delivery truck and fit securely on a lift gate while loaded. A smaller size pallet truck with a shorter head length and a smaller battery compartment might be the number one consideration in these applications.

There are also new features that span the entire range of the WP Series electric pallet truck models that assist in maneuverability, regardless of the overall length of the pallet truck. A feature called Position Speed Control enables the operator to move the control handle in a near vertical position while engaging traction at creep speed while maneuvering a load. Another feature, called Vertical Tiller Drive, enables operators to move the pallet truck with the control handle completely vertical, allowing for fine-tuned positioning within tight spaces.

Charging and Maintenance

When selecting a WP Series pallet truck model, you must also consider the battery charging and maintenance habits of your operators as well as the capabilities of your organization. First, consider the charging requirements of the batteries you’ve selected and whether your infrastructure and operators will support those requirements.

For instance, will one lead-acid battery support an entire shift given your required duty cycle and runtime? If you run more than one shift, will you have the space to maintain extra battery inventory and the external chargers necessary to charge them? Do you have the time and equipment necessary to swap them so you can use, charge and cool down the batteries as they are intended?

Another factor to be considered is the maintenance of the batteries you may choose. Wet-cell lead-acid batteries require a high level of maintenance over their lifetime, including periodic battery watering as well as a disciplined charging procedure that allows for eight hours of charge time, eight hours of cool-down time and eight hours of use. Will your operators perform battery watering regularly and ensure that they swap for and use batteries that have been properly cooled? Also, lead-acid batteries typically require a weekly equalization charge to maintain battery health, essentially taking that battery offline for a usage cycle. Will your staff have the discipline to follow these best practices?

In cases where regular battery maintenance has been or can be challenging, you may consider battery technologies that eliminate some or most of the maintenance requirements. Maintenance-free lead-acid battery options eliminate the watering requirement, but they will still require a disciplined charging process and a weekly equalization charge.

Lithium-ion batteries can eliminate both requirements, with no need for regular watering, and they can simply be charged when needed.

Opportunity charging can be done conveniently with on-board chargers, which come standard for lithium-ion batteries and lead-acid battery packs. The on-board charger is designed to support opportunity charging, and it can be easily plugged into any 110-volt outlet, as a 10-foot extension cord is included with all WP Series pallet jack equipped with an on-board battery charger.

Applications that predominantly use electric pallet trucks might choose to use the optional sealed on-board charger available for all WP Series models. The sealed unit helps reduce issues related to contamination or moisture, which can be problematic in refrigeration or freezer operations.

Finding the Right Pallet Truck

When it comes down to selecting the right electric pallet truck model, think about where you believe the pallet truck will be used the most. Any model will be versatile enough to handle a variety of applications, but you should base your decision on the tasks it will perform most often.

Once you have identified your focus application, simply work through this list of four decision factors: Capacity, Duty Cycle, Maneuverability, Charging and Maintenance, and rank them in the order of importance for that application. Share your findings with your local Crown dealer and they’ll help you identify the model that best fits your needs.

Prefer to buy online? Visit shop.crown.com and use the online chat function to share your thoughts with a Crown representative. They’ll connect you with someone to guide your selection. Then, you can return to shop.crown.com to buy now or request a quote, depending on the model you select.

Just as the WP Series electric pallet jack is versatile, so is the variety of models and power solutions. Prioritizing your needs among capacity, duty cycle, maneuverability and charging and maintenance will help guide the decision process and ensure you make the best choice for your application.