How To Protect Your Warehouse Racks

As an authorized MOFFETT forklift dealer, HTX Material Handling is proud to announce that we now offer a wide selection of truck-mounted forklifts. Learn more about truck-mounted forklifts, their benefits, and why you should choose a MOFFETT forklift for your facility.

 A truck-mounted forklift, also known as a piggyback forklift, is a truck with an open, payload-carrying bed equipped with a forklift attached to the back. The forklift is secured with hooks, chains, or latches to prevent shifting when the truck is moving.

A truck-mounted forklift’s job is to carry materials to a job site or warehouse. Once it reaches the location, the forklift detaches and deploys to load, unload, and move materials to the site.

MOFFETT is committed to creating innovative, efficient truck-mounted forklifts that support safety, cost efficiency, and reliability. When you choose a MOFFETT forklift, you get a wide range of benefits like:

Many industries depend on MOFFETT forklifts, from recycling and distribution to industrial gas and building supplies.

Whether you have new or used forklifts, proper fleet management is crucial for successful warehouse operations.

MOFFETT piggyback forklifts are known for delivering a variety of products under the toughest conditions. As one of the most flexible delivery systems today, MOFFETT forklifts, like the piggyback, are compatible with most truck models and are transported using the unique MOFFETT shock-absorbing mounting kit.

Choosing the right forklift for your needs can be daunting. Here are a few things to consider before choosing a piggyback forklift for your operations:

At HTX, we offer a variety of MOFFETT forklifts with purchasing and rental options. Whether you need a forklift for a single project or want to test one out before committing to the investment, we can accommodate your needs.

Our MOFFETT forklift models include:

Avoid operating your forklift’s battery in high temperatures to preserve its lifespan. Using or charging the battery in an environment that’s more than 92 degrees Fahrenheit can cut its life expectancy in half. If you work in an environment where operations are completed in extreme heat, choose a battery designed for hot weather conditions.

HTX Material Handling prevents unexpected inconveniences with our planned maintenance services, including forklift battery maintenance. When you rely on us to preserve your battery’s lifespan, you get a long-lasting forklift battery that’s reliable, consistent, and optimized for efficient use.

With our team of experienced technicians servicing your material handling equipment like your forklift fleet, your machinery remains durable, reliable, and safe. We also offer forklift repairs and parts replacement services to maintain the proper functioning of your equipment. Contact us today to schedule your next maintenance service.

Even quality MOFFETT forklifts need maintenance to operate efficiently. That’s why HTX’s team of highly trained and certified technicians also provides MOFFETT parts, expert diagnostics, repairs, and maintenance to protect your forklift investment. With our Total Maintenance and Repair contracts, your MOFFETT forklift gets the right parts and care it needs to ensure your 2-in-1 material handling solution remains an important, hassle-free part of your operations. Contact us today to learn more about MOFFETT forklifts. 

Scheduling planned maintenance isn’t the only step you can take to ensure your forklift is running smoothly and saving you money—optimizing your forklift’s battery life is another way to protect your investment and preserve your machine’s performance.

You don’t always need an expert to optimize your forklift battery. Here are some steps you can take to preserve your machine’s battery life:

Choosing the wrong battery charger can deplete battery life earlier than expected. You can preserve your forklift battery’s life by checking with the manufacturer to confirm that you have the right industrial charger for your model. Start by asking an experienced technician if the amp hour rating is compatible with your machinery.

Charging your battery is a little more complicated than simply attaching your battery to the charger. To optimize and preserve your machine’s battery life, the charger must be connected to the battery correctly and involves the following steps:

A significant part of forklift battery maintenance is maintaining proper fluid levels. To optimize your battery life, keep a regular maintenance schedule that includes adding water to the battery—not enough water causes the battery to overheat, while too much water causes acid dilution.

To repair or replace? That is the question. If your forklift isn’t running smoothly, decide between repairing or replacing your equipment.

As part of your maintenance schedule, be sure to equalize your battery. Equalizing your battery balances the acid levels to preserve life expectancy and reliable performance. If you don’t equalize your forklift’s battery regularly, the acid concentration increases at the bottom of the battery, reducing its lifespan.

Have your forklift battery regularly tested by a professional to locate any potential problems and avoid battery failure. You can also invest in a battery status system to test your batteries without a professional.

Keeping your forklift’s battery clean is another essential way to preserve its life expectancy. Cleaning your battery with baking soda, hot water, and the manufacturer’s recommended amount of general cleaner prevents corrosion and is often required to maintain the manufacturer’s warranty.

Avoid operating your forklift’s battery in high temperatures to preserve its lifespan. Using or charging the battery in an environment that’s more than 92 degrees Fahrenheit can cut its life expectancy in half. If you work in an environment where operations are completed in extreme heat, choose a battery designed for hot weather conditions.

HTX Material Handling prevents unexpected inconveniences with our planned maintenance services, including forklift battery maintenance. When you rely on us to preserve your battery’s lifespan, you get a long-lasting forklift battery that’s reliable, consistent, and optimized for efficient use.

With our team of experienced technicians servicing your material handling equipment like your forklift fleet, your machinery remains durable, reliable, and safe. We also offer forklift repairs and parts replacement services to maintain the proper functioning of your equipment. Contact us today to schedule your next maintenance service.

Have you considered modern warehouse solutions to improve your facility operations? There is a wide range of equipment that increases productivity, reduces employee injuries, and saves you money.

This blog explains the types of solutions available today, like:

Recruiting the right employees and implementing modern warehouse solutions ensures that your facility runs like a well-oiled machine. Consider the following equipment and systems to keep your operations running smoothly.

If you’re operating a facility with limited space, warehouse storage solutions allow you to maximize storage space without increasing your facility footprint. Storage racking systems like automated pallet storage solutions are ideal for manufacturing and distribution operations with limited space. Pallet rack systems are energy efficient and provide consistent operation in a variety of extreme environments, including chillers and freezers. With pallet storage systems, you reduce inventory damage, prevent shrinkage, and enhance order fulfillment accuracy.

Along with storage racking systems, there are other types of warehouse storage equipment that improve your operations:

Adding the right storage systems to your warehouse maximizes your space, helps your staff locate inventory, and increases product protection.

Investing in warehouse material handling equipment is a great way to improve operations at your facility. By allowing machinery to complete tasks, you automate a variety of manual processes at your warehouse, resulting in a wide range of benefits like:

Lean warehouse management improves facility efficiency using a 5S methodology.

Your warehouse loading dock is one of the most essential areas of your facility. Shipping and receiving processes should go smoothly without interruptions or accidents. Using the right dock equipment can optimize your area’s workflow and prevent employee injury. Examples of dock equipment that makes your shipping and receiving processes more efficient, customizable, and safer include:

Conveyors are machines that move materials from one location to another. Using conveyor warehouse solutions at your facility automates manual processes to save time and increase productivity. They allow accumulation without line pressure to limit product damage, reduce handling costs for repetitive tasks, merge and divert for a balanced workload, and transport products between processes efficiently. Conveyor belts also require minimal human interaction, which reduces the risk of injury.

Different types of conveyor systems to consider for your warehouse include:

Lifting equipment like aerial lifts and forklifts make lifting, loading, and unloading warehouse products easy and efficient. Some lifting equipment may look small, but they have excellent lifting and loading capabilities—many can handle carrying loads up to 35,000 pounds. This innovative warehouse solution eliminates manual handling and increases efficiency and safety at your facility.

Packing warehouse solutions include equipment that allows you to wrap a product or design a container to provide protection and easy handling during shipment. With the right packing equipment, you can reduce labor costs and provide consistency while wrapping goods. Investing in packing equipment also improves inventory management by eliminating product separation, saving you time during inventory counts.

Packing warehouse solutions to consider include:

At HTX Material Handling, our modern warehouse solutions make processes more accurate and efficient for a variety of industries. We offer a variety of material handling equipment developed by leading manufacturers like:

When you count on HTX, you get every warehouse solution you need to run your facility smoothly, from storage racking systems and equipment to loading dock machinery and conveyor systems. We also offer quality parts and comprehensive maintenance services for forklifts to keep your equipment in good condition. Contact us today to partner with a material handling professional who cares about your bottom line—every time.

Even workers who undergo hours of pallet racking safety training and strictly follow protocols can make mistakes. To prevent this unfortunate reality from becoming a catastrophic event, you can install rack safety products. Continue reading this article to learn about the best racking protection products for warehouses and storage facilities.

As a warehouse worker, one of your most important responsibilities is safeguarding the people and inventory stored at your facility. With so many people, pieces of equipment, and forklifts moving around the floor, accidents are bound to happen. All it takes to endanger the safety of your workforce and products is for a forklift driver to become distracted and bump into a pallet rack system.

Shielding the upright frames and cross beams of a racking system is one of the most critical steps in racking protection. Without pallet racking protectors and other rack safety products, any impact jeopardizes the structural integrity of a shelving unit or can even cause it to collapse. Fortunately, pallet racking protectors are designed to avoid bumps and impacts from reaching racking columns.

Solutions like warehouse post protectors and rack safety products enhance warehouse safety for everyone and everything involved. The machinery and equipment used to move pallets around floorspace are heavy and powerful. Even a low-speed impact can render racks useless.

Think of what a hassle it could be if you had to remove all the inventory from a rack because it’s been damaged. Now imagine your warehouse is already full. Even worse, what would happen to your bottom line if an accident destroyed a rack’s worth of product due to crashing to the ground?

Racking protection is a cost-effective and straightforward way to avoid:

Now that you have a better understanding of why pallet racking protectors are important, let’s explore some rack safety products you can incorporate into your warehouse.

The most common damage to racking systems is caused by lift equipment impact. That makes warehouse post protectors, also called column guards, a crucial element of racking protection. Guards act as a barrier of pallet rack protection between the equipment and individual columns of the rack’s interior frame. If you have ground-level loading and unloading at your facility, pallet rack post protectors are necessary.

A great way to protect the frames of storage racking is to install end of row protection. End-of-row guards help prevent forklifts and other machinery from bending the frame. These rack safety products also defend against sliding pallets or pallets stored outside the storage unit from being pushed into the frame.

The more narrow your aisles are, the harder it is for drivers to navigate them. Down-aisle pallet racking protectors help prevent forklifts from running off course and crashing into columns and pallets. They also add an essential layer of protection when performing high lifts to the upper levels of racks.

It’s far too easy for a forklift operator to be off by just a few inches while loading and unloading or maneuvering around a corner. This makes the bottom portion of the rails the most susceptible to impact. Guard rails are a necessary pallet racking protector in high-traffic areas.

Not all pallet racking protectors are explicitly made to defend against the damaging effects of forklift impact. Along with components like warehouse post protectors, you can increase your safety efforts by installing:

Keeping your rack upright is only part of the battle when it comes to racking protection. If you store pallets on the top level of your system, you should consider frame extensions. Frame extensions act as a barrier that prevents products from falling to the ground level following forklift impact.

While items falling from the highest level of your racking system present the highest degree of danger, any pallet can cause the direct consequences. Adding sturdy plastic, polyethylene, or wire mesh netting to your racks keeps your inventory secure and workers safe from crashing into them. As an added benefit, enclosed racking protection can also protect high-value items from theft or tampering.

Rack safety products are built to withstand the force of powerful forklifts and other heavy-duty machinery, but they’re not indestructible. If your pallet racking protectors were damaged during an impact event, they can often be repaired.

Mac Rak repair kits are available in a wide variety of categories, including:

They also offer various repair kits for several different rack system configurations.

HTX is the leading provider of material handling and warehouse equipment. Our team is deeply rooted in our principles of integrity and dependability, and we work hard to make sure our customers’ needs are met. Your safety goals are important to us, and we want to contribute to your success.

We supply businesses throughout Dallas-Forth Worth and Houston with the highest-quality pallet racking protectors. We also offer a wide range of warehouse storage solutions, including automation, handling systems, conveyor systems, and loading dock solutions. If you’re looking to partner with a company that puts as much emphasis on delivering the highest level of customer service, products, and solutions, reach out to HTX.