Reach Trucks

A reach truck is a warehouse machine built to work in aisles that are too narrow for a counterbalance truck. Two stabilising legs run forward along the floor either side of the pallet, and the mast, or the forks on a scissor mechanism, reaches out beyond the wheels to pick up or place the load, then draws it back inside the wheelbase to travel.

Because the load is carried within the footprint of the truck rather than hanging out in front of it, no heavy counterweight is needed and the whole machine is far more compact. That is what lets a reach truck work in an aisle a counterbalance truck could not turn in, and lift to heights a counterbalance truck of the same capacity could not reach. The operator normally sits sideways, facing along the forks.

These are electric, indoor machines. They need a smooth, level floor and racking they were specified for, and cold store versions are available for chilled and frozen work. Capacities are commonly between one and a half and two and a half tonnes, and lift heights well above ten metres are ordinary. If your aisles are tighter still, look at articulated or very narrow aisle trucks instead.

What to check before you buy or hire

• Aisle width and racking come first. Measure the aisle you actually have, and ask for the truck's working aisle figure with your pallet, not a bare specification.
• Capacity at height is the figure that matters. A reach truck's rating falls as the mast extends, so check it at your top beam level, not at the floor.
• Closed height decides whether the truck passes through your doorways and under sprinklers and beams with the mast down.
• Battery and charging need planning for the number of shifts, and a cold store truck needs the right specification for condensation and battery performance.
• Floor condition is not negotiable: these trucks are built for smooth, level surfaces, not yards. For outdoor work see four wheel counterbalance trucks.

Every truck listed below is offered by a forktrucks.com member. If you cannot see what you need, request a quote and your enquiry goes to members who supply this type of equipment in your area.