When it comes to making life easier in a warehouse setting or on the floor of an industrial business, many people skip the basics and jump right into complicated, high-tech purchases. Innovations, they assume, will make the workplace a safer and easier place to be for everyone involved. They’re not wrong, but they’re overlooking some of the most basic improvements that can be made for a staff heavily involved in commercial or industrial activities. The right material handling equipment, including the right hand truck, can be just as big a revolution for these settings as any robotic piece of equipment or high-tech monitoring application.
Of course, this argument is a hard one to make in an environment where many business owners and floor managers have been trained to think in terms of greater efficiency via technology. For those professionals, it’s worth reviewing some of the biggest enhancements to the workplace that can be made by the adoption of simple, heavy-duty hand truck. Considering the relatively small up-front investment for this equipment, it should go without saying that a hand truck should at least be considered when making both the work and the workplace a bit easier to manage on a daily basis.
The 5 Top Benefits of a Great Hand Truck for Commercial Business Owners
The many benefits of a hand truck can be distilled into five major categories, each of which will improve the workplace demonstrably. Whether it’s better finances or better output, business owners can leverage each of these benefits to easily overcome many workplace challenges all at once.
1. Hand Trucks are Highly Economical, Even on a Tight Budget
Technology certainly has a role in the workplace, especially in commercial businesses where it can be used to track everything from worker hours to inventory, but it’s not necessarily the only way to make an economic improvement to the way things are done. In fact, a great set of hand trucks can have just as profound an impact on the traditional warehouse or industrial business facility.
Looking for something that really screams “value” for years after purchase? That’s what a hand truck does in virtually every case. It’s worth noting that many of the most high-tech innovations for today’s commercial business owners are fleeting at best. Many will be outdated next month and require replacement next year, significantly increasing the burden on the business’ employees. Even electronic moving equipment will eventually require maintenance, repairs, and an ultimate replacement as time goes on. The hand truck, conversely, does not require these outlays.
The hand truck is extremely affordable as an up-front purchase, costing just a fraction of electronic moving equipment or high-technology implements designed to enforce higher levels of productivity. Because it lasts longer before requiring replacement, that means business owners are spending just a fraction of the cost on a daily basis as they cruise toward a day when even the hand truck must be replaced. The business’ budget will be grateful.
2. Hand Trucks Help to Reduce the Likelihood of Worker Injury
Many people enjoy their jobs at warehouses and industrial sites because they’re able to work with their hands and not be relegated to a desk all day long. Businesses often welcome this spirit with open arms, and they allow workers to take on virtually as many physical tasks as they feel comfortable handling. The problem, however, is that these businesses often work with packages and tools that are simply too heavy to lift on a consistent basis. Sometimes, things simply need to be wheeled around the facility instead.
Business owners that embrace hand trucks give their able-bodied workers the ability to rest their arms, legs, and back, reducing the likelihood that they’ll suffer from muscle sprains or tears. They’ll also be less likely to suffer from joint problems, which could see them permanently seeking work with a different kind of business. In an era when healthcare costs continue to rise and doctor appointments seem to require extensive pre-planning, business owners should respect their employees by securing a few hand trucks and making regular work a bit easier to handle.
3. Productivity Levels Go Up When Hand Trucks are On Sight
Sure, hand trucks prevent a great number of injuries among hardworking staff members. Guess what else they prevent? Exhaustion. It’s no secret that lifting heavy objects hour after hour, day after day, takes its toll on workers who are only human. With a hand truck, however, that burden is transferred to a device that comes with wheels, handles, ties, and other convenient ways of keeping heavier objects in place while they’re effortlessly transported around the floor.
Workers who have to put less effort into each task are simply more readily able to take on other tasks throughout the day. They’re more likely to do more things, boosting productivity levels and reducing the business’ overall margins. That means the company will be able to do more with less, accomplishing one of the central tenets of modern business largely without effort. That’s good news, especially during tough economic times when every extra ounce of effort, productivity, and conservative spending can make the difference between reaching new heights or cutting discretionary expenses.
4. The Hand Truck is Just as Versatile as Any High-Tech Purchase
When most people think of hand trucks, they picture the bright orange, upright model that has become synonymous with construction work and efficient warehouse operations. That’s probably because the upright hand truck is easily the most popular, but it isn’t the only useful model for today’s commercial or industrial business owners. In fact, the upright hand truck may not even be the best option for most of the people currently in the market for a better mode of facility transportation.
Today, hand trucks are characterized by their ability to transform. What was once only sold in upright configurations can now be sold in convertible models, which easily turn into flat carts or utility carts. That means a single hand truck can be used for as many as three completely different purposes, further enhancing the economic argument for adoption that was made earlier in this article.
Business owners today appreciate a versatile piece of equipment just as much as they value a versatile worker. The hand truck fits the bill, with models that go beyond upright transportation and cover as many bases as possible without a single added expense. The equipment can also be purchased to meet a variety of weight needs, from just 200 pounds to a hand truck that can handle more than 1,000 pounds without succumbing to stress, wear and tear, or even worker error.
5. Hand Trucks are Reliable, Rugged, and Built to Last
Buying a high-tech system is a gamble, since it could easily become outdated or too complex for most of the company’s employees to use. Hand trucks, however, are easy to use for both new and old employees, tech-minded employees and those who simply prefer the simplicity of manual labor. They’re build to last not just for a few months, but for years on end. Many hand trucks last several consecutive decades without so much as a single repair required. Others occasionally require new tires after an extended period of use. These are relatively small concerns.
In the current economic climate, businesses would do themselves a favor to invest in equipment that can function as a long-term investment. They’d also be well-advised to find purchases that are small, effective, and make a real difference in terms of hiring, staff levels, and overall company output. The rugged hand truck is just such an investment. While businesses always reserve the right to buy advanced systems or even bigger equipment options, the hand truck represents a reliable starting point that will make the business’ requirements and advantages more apparent after it has been delivered by a trusted supplier.
Get Started with a Hand Truck Order Right Away
Business owners who need something reliable and proven have no better option than the hand truck, which serves as an excellent starting point when evaluating a company’s equipment needs and employee capabilities. For this reason, there simply is no better time than the present to get started with the hand truck shopping process and the eventual purchase of several hand trucks for the company’s use.
Douglas Equipment can help with this process, with more than five decades of industry experience in South Florida. Our sales team has worked with businesses of all sizes, and is highly skilled when it comes to guiding each business owner toward the right truck based on their weight requirements, the versatility of the truck, and the long-term value proposition offered by each item.
Contact Us Today to Learn More and Make a Purchase
To get started with a great addition to any company’s equipment lineup, be sure to give us a call today at 800-451-0030 or contact us online. We look forward to speaking with you and recommending the perfect products for any of your company’s needs.
