Adapting Pallet Jacks for the Unique Challenges of Direct-Store Delivery

Equipping delivery drivers for the dynamism of the real world.

By: Kevin McWilliams, Contributor

Pallet jacks are tasked with moving in and out of delivery trailers, sitting on the back of liftgates, and navigating other spaces. Image courtesy of Yale Lift Truck Technologies.

From manual hand trucks to powered walkies, pallet jacks are a tried-and-true workhorse for material handling tasks in warehouses and beyond. They are trusted tools with a best-fit solution available for a range of tasks, whether basic ground-level pallet transportation, fast-paced trailer loading and unloading, deliveries in tight spaces and more.

But what about those use cases that subject equipment to the dynamism of the real world? Material handling equipment is designed for the space constraints of warehouse environments and the uniform surfaces of indoor facilities. Yet away from the warehouse, pallet jacks are tasked with moving in and out of delivery trailers, sitting on the back of liftgates, and navigating other spaces, like tight retail stores, that were designed for pedestrians – not material handling equipment. And the patchy, rough pavement of parking lots and uneven gravel surfaces can threaten load stability and make travel rough on operators, product and equipment.

Variability poses another challenge. While some pallet jacks spend their lifecycle working in the same environment each day, some equipment must stand up to a variety of environmental challenges that can change day-to-day or even hour-by-hour.

THE EVER-CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF DIRECT-STORE DELIVERY

These scenarios are all part of the unique challenge of direct-store delivery (DSD) operations. This distribution model bypasses the traditional distribution model of retailers handling delivery and stocking to their own stores. Instead, DSD involves moving products directly from the supplier to the retail store, essentially reducing steps in the supply chain. Products are more frequently shipped in smaller quantities, which helps accommodate SKU proliferation by housing a variety of products in smaller shelf space and allows for a more agile response to fluctuating market demands and seasonal changes. DSD is common in the beverage industry, as frequent deliveries of a wide range of products allow smaller convenience stores to keep shelves stocked with a variety of sodas, waters and other products.

This model offers clear benefits for suppliers and retailers, but delivery drivers and their equipment are faced with tightly scheduled routes with challenges at every stop. Operators must maintain stability on challenging terrain, accommodate a range of pallet types and sizes, navigate tight spaces and push their lead-acid battery runtime to the limit, all without overexerting themselves and risking injury.

To appreciate the burden on delivery drivers, imagine you’re in their shoes. It’s bright and early, and you’re finishing your cup of coffee as you arrive at your first stop of the day. You hop out of the vehicle and start unloading pallets, possibly two or three at a time. You push your hand cart while also driving your pallet truck to the front of the store. This first path is evenly paved, but you won’t be so lucky at your next stops, traversing uneven gravel and a patchy parking lot. You drop off the pallets out front before turning around to take the pallet truck back to your trailer. Then, you hurry back to your pallets to make sure no thieves make off with inventory, and it’s time to load individual cases onto the hand cart. When you finally get inside you move slowly and carefully, dodging end caps and avoiding shoppers in narrow aisles. You stock the shelves and make a few return trips with the hand cart before it’s time to head back to the trailer and prepare to do it all over again at your next stop.

The process above depends on different pieces of equipment for various parts of the job, and includes a significant amount of time and travel back and forth to the trailer and in and out of the delivery site. Equipping delivery drivers to make the process simpler is the key to unlocking greater efficiency.

OUTFITTING EQUIPMENT FOR SIMPLICITY AND EFFICIENCY

Over time, forklift manufacturers have responded to the challenges of DSD with various solutions to handle these unique challenges. Specialized equipment packages, for one, allow facilities to equip pallet trucks with features meant to address the requirements of specific use cases. Common examples are packages of features meant to help operators and equipment work efficiently in cold and freezer environments, or packages designed around the DSD use case.

These DSD packages can include outfitting the walkie with a load retention strap for greater stability when operators move loads across uneven terr

ain or over obstacles like door jambs, parking lots and curbs. Other features to bolster load stability include a moveable load backrest, capable of handling multiple pallet types with a single fork configuration. To enable greater maneuverability when situated on trailer lift gates and other tight areas, operations can specify a specialized control handle that gives drivers full command of the truck’s functionality without moving the handle from its upright position. The characteristics of lithium-ion battery power also fit the DSD use case, enabling drivers to charge between delivery stops, so they can keep moving without the need to run back to home base for a battery swap.

A more recent advance in DSD solutions is a two-in-one approach consisting of a small sled nested in a standard electric pallet jack that undocks to facilitate easy restocking in retail environments. This approach provides a pallet jack to help transport heavy loads over rough, uneven surfaces like parking lots, and when it’s time to maneuver narrow aisles or tight retail spaces, the low-profile sled detaches to make stocking in aisles and refrigerators easier and more efficient. Because there is only one piece of equipment for the entire process, it takes up less room in the trailer between deliveries and allows for faster staging and stocking. This innovative solution helps enhance operator safety and comfort with fewer steps and less weight lifted per route, resulting in time saved at each stop, freeing up the schedule to add more stops to delivery routes and leaving drivers more energized throughout their shift.

With challenges sourcing and retaining labor throughout the supply chain, listening to employees and addressing what’s important to them can equip them for individual and operational success, and support retention. For direct-store delivery drivers, that means equipping them with the right tool for the job that can help reduce fatigue and empower them to work more efficiently and power through delivery routes faster. WMHS

Kevin McWilliams is Director of Major Accounts, Yale Lift Truck Technologies, a company that leverages over a century of material handling experience and substantial investment in innovation to bring the most advanced technology-driven lift truck solutions to market. The company offers a full line of award-winning lift trucks, including reach trucks, order pickers, turret trucks, pallet jacks and trucks, pallet stackers, tow tractors and counterbalanced forklifts, as well as powerful operator assist solutions, proven robotics and a wide range of power sources to help customers adapt to today’s demanding supply chain. Visit: www.yale.com