A Guide to Warehouse Trolleys

Warehouse work can be some of the most labour-intensive, physically demanding work around – but you can make it easier for your staff, increase their productivity/output and improve overall health and wellbeing at your premises by providing employees with the appropriate trolley equipment. Here’s our guide.

 

The different types

Platform trolleys

These are the most basic, but most versatile, trolleys on the list. Essentially a wheel-mounted flat platform with a handle, these are used around different sites for moving everything from fence panels, planks and pipes to foodstuffs, boxes and drums. Premium platform trolley models will have a small lip at one end to help to retain the load when in motion/coming to a stop.

Balance trolleys

Balance trolleys are subtly different from the platform version – they have a centralised axle and handles at both ends, and require the load to be centred to ensure that the wheels can all move. Typically used for rolls of carpet or matting, pipework and panels, balance trolleys also uniquely do not need a brake system, as they will not roll when parked.

Turntable trolleys

These have a similar design to platform trolleys, but one of the wheel mountings can rotate – giving the user unparalleled manoeuvrability. You can find flat platform versions of the turntable trolley, or ones with panel or mesh walls for improved load retention.

Shelf trolleys

As the name would suggest, shelf trolleys have several shelves – great for if you are collecting a variety of items from different areas and do not want to get them mixed up.

 

What to look out for

Whichever trolley design you decide is best for you, you need to think about a couple of other factors before you make a purchase.

Size

The size of the trolley will determine what you can carry on it – even open platform trolleys need to be a suitable size to carry loads that overhang. As well as the basic width/length dimensions, consider the usable load capacity. Before you make your trolley choice, determine exactly what the unit is to be used for and make sure that both the size and the weight are suited to the specifications.

Wheels

Your wheels are what makes your trolley move, so they need to be suited to your particular working environment. If you have an uneven or bumpy floor, you need to move goods between the inside and outside, or you are likely to come across shrapnel or debris from manufacturing, then you will need heavy-duty wheels that can withstand this type of activity. For relatively smooth flooring and indoor-only use, castors should be sufficient. Either way, make sure that they are also able to hold the trolley load – there is no point in having a platform that can carry 500kg if the wheels collapse under anything more than 150kg.

Finish

Top-quality warehouse trolleys, across all types, should be available with an antibacterial finish. This is a great way of ensuring that germs do not spread between users