To the modern warehouse, flexibility is vital. Never before has the material handling industry required such versatility to keep up with the lightning-fast demands of consumers. More and more often, that means adapting existing infrastructure to move faster, more efficiently, and handle more kinds of packaging and materials than ever before. So how is your forklift fleet going to keep up?
The answer is forklift attachment rentals. Forklift attachments turn your standard forklift fleet into a multi-tool capable of handling anything that comes their way. And renting means you can shift your attachments to meet the moment's needs without commitment. Read on to learn what forklift attachments can do and how to equip your fleet to meet the future.
The beauty of forklift attachments is their specialization. Each is designed to handle a specific challenge, packaging, or material. Having been designed for a unique task, they are masters of their role. But that also means they don’t do you a bit of good if you get the wrong one for your job. As they say, knowing is half the battle.
Forklift extensions make your existing forks longer. They come in 3 different styles:
Each can extend your existing forks up to 1.5 times their current length. These are great when lifting especially bulky materials. Additionally, your forklift can easily carry long rolls of material with either round or triangular extensions.
Forklift rotators allow the operator to rotate the forks 360 degrees. This is especially helpful when needing to invert or dump loads secured to the forks.
Side shifters are one of the most popular forklift attachments because they dramatically increase forklift operator efficiency. This attachment allows the operator to jockey the forks left or right to align them with the desired pallet. This ability means the operator doesn't waste time repositioning the whole forklift allowing them to pick pallets quickly.
Fork positioners are closely related to side shifters. In fact, many times, the two are combined into one attachment. These handy attachments allow the operator to alter the distance between the forks, seamlessly adjusting for loads of different widths without exiting the cab.
Forklift clamps come in a variety of specialized shapes. The purposes of most are easily identified by their name. For example, paper roll clamps are designed to haul industrial-sized rolls of paper. Drum clamps can grab and manipulate drums and barrels.
Bale clamps and carton clamps are a little more versatile, however. Bale clamps are designed to slip between stacks of baled material such as cotton, hay, foam rubber, or scrap steel. The blades gently squeeze the bale, providing just enough grip to lift without damaging the material. Carton clamps take this same concept of gentle lift and allow you to apply it to just about anything. They excel at lifting appliances, stacks of TVs, cases of wine, or pretty much anything else that comes in a box.
A carpet pole attachment slips over your existing forks to mount a long metal pole. This pole is designed to slip through the center of a carpet roll. While rounded or triangular fork extenders can also carry a rolled carpet or rug, carpet poles allow the operator to pick up carpets without leaving the cab.
Jib boom attachments allow the forklift to perform the work of a small crane. They secure over the forks and provide a telescoping arm. From the arm’s attachment hook, product can be hoisted and carried. These are especially useful for oddly shaped loads. Telehandlers, in particular, make excellent use of jib boom attachments.
A single double is two sets of forks mounted side by side. These allow your forklift to lift two pallets at once. They are a colossal time saver for any warehouse that has its fork trucks running repeat trips back to the same spot. For high-throughput facilities, these are a must-have.
As the cost of shipping increases, more and more companies are doing away with the classic wooden pallet in favor of the slip sheet. These thin plastic sheets weigh only a pound but can support more than 4,000 lbs. However, they are not easily grabbed by traditional forks. A slip sheet handler attachment allows your current forklifts to easily move loads resting on slip sheets.
Finding the right attachment for your needs can be tricky. So your best bet is to work with one of our experts. They’re trained in the proper application of each attachment we have in our extensive inventory. With so many attachments in stock, we are sure to have what you need. And each comes already attached to a rental forklift, so your attachment is ready to go the moment it arrives. With the Lilly Company, it only takes one call to get exactly what you need. To find the forklift attachment that’s right for you, contact us online or visit one of our Mid-South locations:
Arkansas - Jonesboro
Alabama - Birmingham, Dothan, Irondale, Madison, Mobile, and Montgomery
Mississippi - Tupelo and Richland
Tennessee - Jackson, Memphis, Knoxville, and Kingsport
Further Reading
Most Popular Forklift Attachments: #1 Side Shifter
Popular Forklift Attachments: #5 Carton Clamps
Popular Forklift Attachments: #7 Slip Sheet Handler