Standup Forklift – An Economical Alternative to Standard Forklifts

For distributors who want to maximize their warehousing space through high density storage, a standup forklift offers significant advantages over a traditional sit-down truck. Thanks to its slim design and shortened length, a standup forklift can maneuver in aisles 8 to 10 feet wide compared to a minimum of 11 feet required by a standard forklift. That savings of 1 to 3+ feet of aisle space translates into a significantly more efficient use of warehouse space.

A reach truck has the capacity (typically up to 5,000 lbs.) to perform most warehouse tasks, the flexibility of an expanding forklift for double stacking, and the reach (height) to accommodate your tallest racks. Generally speaking the reach truck will be less expensive new, used or leased than a sit-down forklift but the real value is in increased warehouse productivity.

How is a standup forklift different from a standard forklift?

Obviously the biggest difference between the two forklifts is the position of the operator. Providing a standup platform rather than a seat allows for the reach truck's shortened length giving it its "tight access" capability.

The standard forklift is the "heavy lifter" of the industry and is used indoors and outdoors even on terrain as rough as a construction site. The standup forklift is designed for indoor work only on flat surfaces. Because of its size, standard sit-down trucks require more space to maneuver making them less than ideal for high density warehousing.

Standup forklift pricing

Popular brands of standup forklifts include Yale, Crown, Baker, Hyster, and Raymond, which range in price from as little as $5,000 used to as much as $35,000 for a fully equipped new machine.

Used equipment will vary in price depending on manufacturer, age, optional equipment and condition. However, to get a feel of what our visitors have paid using Everything Forklifts as their source we offer:

Find out how much you can save by comparing used standup forklift prices.

Features available exclusively on standup forklifts

Designed to work specifically indoors in tight access environments like high density warehousing, standup forklifts offer a number of efficiency enhancing features that are not available on the "general use" standard sit-down forklift. In a sense, reach trucks are far more "customizable" for a specific lifting task than sit-down forklifts could ever hope to be.

Some of the features available on reach trucks include:

• Side Stance Trucks. Ideal for narrow aisles the side stance truck has the forks located on the side of the cab affording excellent visibility for the operator and minimizing maneuvering.
• Full Cube Utilization. Expandable rack system allowing two deep pallet storage maximizing storage efficiency and cutting the time to stack a pallet in half.
• Suspended floorboards. This feature minimizes operator fatigue by absorbing the shock and vibrations of everyday operations.
• Customizable Capacities. Don't pay for a 5,000 lb. capacity truck to move 2,000 lbs. of pallets. Multiple models with a wide array capacities to choose from.
• Utility. Performs equally well in narrow access (NA) space as well as the loading dock.
• Operator Productivity. Standup forklifts are "step in step out" minimizing the amount of time an operator spends mounting the truck.
• Advanced Ergonomics. Back supports, padded floorboards, padded hip rails, ergonomically designed controls and a reduced requirement for full back and neck turning create a safer and more productive workspace for operators.

Buying tips

Before choosing a standup forklift, it’s important to determine the size of the typical load that you will be lifting. Forklifts have a wide range in their lift capacity, ranging from as little as 3,000 pounds to as much as 35,000 pounds or more. In order to purchase the right counterbalanced truck for your warehouse or construction site, it’s critical to buy a machine that will support the average load size you expect to lift.

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