Narrow Aisle and very Narrow Aisle Trucks: Some forklifts have NA features or VNA features. In order to function efficiently and safely, most counterbalanced trucks need a minimum of 11 feet of aisle width. Narrow or NA trucks on the other hand, could function in narrow aisles that are 8 to 10 feet wide. As well, VNA or very narrow aisle trucks could operate in aisles as narrow as 6 feet wide.
The benefit of utilizing a VNA and NA truck over a regular lift is that it makes it possible for warehouses to be constructed with narrower aisles. The wider aisles within the warehouses allow for more storage of things in a specific area, which improves cube utilization. The loads moved using VNA and Narrow Aisle trucks typically are limited to about 3000 and 5000 lbs. Reach trucks could operate in narrow aisle. Turret trucks, rotating mast trucks and order selectors could work in narrow or very narrow aisles, depending on the particular model.
Reach Trucks: Specifically designed for retrieval and storage, reach trucks are made with telescoping forks and outriggers which allows the operator to lift and retract a load over the outriggers. These units are not the best suited for transporting loads quickly over long distances nor for unloading or loading trucks. Similar to the order selector, reach trucks can be available for lifting heights that are higher than 30 feet.
Turret Trucks and Rotating-Mast Trucks: Rotating-mast trucks are like typical sit-down forklifts. The main difference is that their masts could rotate in one direction, to a 90 degree angle. This particular feature allows them to operate within a narrow aisle condition. Turret trucks could work in very narrow or narrow aisle places. Similar to order selectors, these machinery could lift both the operator and the cargo. Moreover, they can enable the operator to handle loads on either side of an aisle without exiting and re-entering the aisle.
Turret trucks are normally rail or wire guided when they are utilized within very narrow aisles. Thus, the operator doesn't need to focus any energy on their driving skills and can focus on the work load at hand. As turret trucks are considered "operator-up" trucks, they are able to be utilized for item and case picking in addition to full pallet handling.