What Is A Sack Truck?
Sack Trucks are traditionally a two-wheeled trolley with a toe plate at the bottom for various items to be placed on and lifted to allow easy transport. It allows a single person to manoeuvre items safely that would be a hazard if the sack truck was not used.
To operate a Sack Truck, place or scoop the load onto the truck’s toe plate, tilt the truck backwards and the load can then be moved around with little effort. Sack Trucks are one of the simplest, cost efficient and easiest to use manual handling equipment used in all kinds of workplaces.
What Is The Purpose Or Reason To Use A Sack Truck?
You may be wondering: why should I invest in a sack truck for my business?
Below we will outline the reasons why sack trucks are essential for not only your workplace, but all industries up and down the country.
Affordable
Sack trucks are traditionally designed for a simple solution in mind, which makes them relatively small and easy to produce. Sack trucks have become incredibly versatile in recent times, with many variations available for many tasks at hand.
Most people have the image of a sack truck in their mind of a two wheeled trolley, that has a fixed small toe plate on the bottom with two handles at the top. These are the most common and what most people see day to day for the likes of deliveries of white goods and so on.
We have available all sorts of different use sack trucks such as; rough terrain, splay back, euro loop handles, 3 in 1 multi purpose, stainless steel, folding toe, telescopic and more. When you understand their uses, sack trucks again are still an incredible affordable solution when even the initial cost can look great.
Cost Effective
When we talk cost effective, there is a very simple question to ask that will make it hit home about why sack trucks are a no brainer cost effective item.
What would it cost to your business if an employee injured themselves from manual handling, that could have been prevented with a sack truck?
The answer is much much more than the cost of buying one of our sack trucks.
It is not only the prevention of lost time at work. Sack trucks also eliminate the need for more than one person when handling large and bulky items. Where large and bulky items may have needed two or three people to lift and move to where is needed, a sack truck can do this with one person. Using the truck as an extension of themselves, it provides easy and simple movement.
All of these points and more provide an increase in revenue for any business, for a small initial outlay upfront. Its a sound investment that is proven across all industries.
Safety
Sack trucks are designed first and foremost for safety. They reduce and even eliminate manual handling injuries that would normally occur without them.
Manual handling injuries are some of the most common that occur in all workplaces, usually due to poor practices such as not having the right equipment available, or lack of training.
Efficiency
Efficiency across different industries is measured in all sorts of ways. One thing everyone can agree on as a measure is labour effectiveness. What this means is the amount of work achieved per person.
Sack trucks by design allow a single person to not only lift and move the amount of work traditionally done by two or three people, but also at a quicker pace. Due to the easy lifting, correct choice of sack truck application and wheel types, efficiency is something that goes through the roof.
Space Saving
Sack trucks in all their shapes, sizes and styles offer great space saving opportunities. Due to the cost of warehouse floor space, or office areas, certain sack trucks can really help to keep space availability at a premium.
Some of our options are telescopic folding sack trucks that fold flat and can be stored anywhere easily.
Even the large heavy duty sack trucks can be supplied with folding toe plates for slim line storage in tight space warehousing.
What Do I Need To Know About Sack Trucks?
One thing we are passionate about here at HSE Store, is giving as much information we can so that you can make the best decision from the start. There is nothing worse than making a purchase and realising what you bought is the wrong model, or the wrong type for the application and task at hand.
Below we will outline all the things you should be considering when looking through our range of sack trucks for your business.
Load Capacities
Load capacity is more than likely going to be the most important thing to consider on your purchase journey for a new sack truck.
Firstly you need to consider the tasks that are needed to be performed with the truck, and what the most usual weights are being transported. You may want to cover all the weight of products, or simply narrow it down to an average and the most common weight range.
Our sack truck load rating is based on the frame capability for long term frequent use. Our range should cover nearly every application.
Remember, while our sack trucks can probably carry more than the recommended load rating, we wouldn’t advise it for long term durability.
Sack Truck Material
The material of the sack truck is important to consider especially so with the industry your business operates in.
For example if you operate in the food and drink sector, pharmaceutical drugs, chemicals and likewise, you will more than likely be limited to choosing only stainless steel options due to their high corrosion resistance and hygienic properties. We have stainless trucks available for this.
Aluminium is also an option due to its lightweight nature and strength, it also has a very rust resistant nature when being stored for a long time.
Steel is the most long lasting, and strongest of all the materials you will find on the market. These are by far our most common choice and most supplied. Supplied with a long lasting and durable finish here at HSE Store, coupled with hand made in Britain, you can be sure of the quality and workmanship on offer.
Handle Types
- Loop Handle
These loop handle trucks consist of a single formed tubular handle that wraps around the top of the truck, providing easy one handed use for when speed and efficiency are paramount. Also of course being able to be used by two hands for larger heavier loads. - Twin Handle
Twin handles force the operator to use two hands at all times to keep the load secure and even. These are more of a traditional design and offer greater safety with their usual grip guards or hand grips. - P Handle
These are a design that allow the sack truck to be loaded much lower to the floor horizontally, and then elevated to position with ease due to its long flowing tubular P shaped ergonomic handles.
Wheel Types
Usually the choice is between Solid Rubber or Pneumatic tyres. Sometimes you will see anti-static wheels, like we have available on our oxygen cylinder trucks.
Solid rubber is the choice for flat fairly even floors in warehouses, factories, offices etc. They offer durability and no punctures, travelling over sharp objects with ease.
Pneumatic tyres have the benefit of a stable load over more uneven ground, while also providing a cushion effect for large unwieldly loads.
Our rough terrain trucks come with either option but also have tyre tread patterns in them for anti slip properties and enhanced safety.
Wheel Sizes
Wheel size is an important factor as its usually a clear indicator of load capacity. Generally (but not always) the bigger the tyres, the bigger the load rating.
Bigger wheels are important for uneven flooring, allowing more cushioning or hole resistant travelling.
Toe Plates
- Fixed
This means the toe plate is fixed in place and cant move or fold for transportation and storage. These do have the highest load rating however, and come in various sizes for the task at hand. Consider these the heavy duty option. - Folding
Toe plates that fold are particularly well suited for space saving requirements, or when they are regularly moved around from different sites such as delivery companies. These usually have a lower load rating but are in general much larger than the fixed equivalent. - Open
Toe plates with an open design are ideal for much bigger loads that are not at risk of falling through the open design. These provide a lighter designed sack truck overall. - Closed
Closed designs can be very versatile, allowing the operator to carry any size options of load. With no risk of fall through, these are an assured option but do weigh more for transport purposes. - Combination
When we talk about combination toe plates, these are folding toe plates that can be fixed in either position, ideal for almost all tasks.
What Type Of Sack Trucks Are Available?
Here at HSE Store we aim to provide only the very best on the market, long term durability and the stand out solution for any application.
Below we will show the different types of sack trucks, explain their uses and give an example of what we offer.
Made from strong steel and a long lasting durable hand built attention to detail, our traditional sack truck range are the solution that all industries can take advantage of.
These come in a wide range of load capabilities, here at HSE Store we only supply the best the industry has to offer, all of ours have high capacities of load and will cope almost any task.
We have different tyre options within these such as a pneumatic for uneven surfaces or a need for safer load transport, and also different handle styles to suit.
While all of our sack trucks that we supply would be considered heavy duty when compared to other suppliers, we do have some that are up to and above 400kg in load rating.
Heavy duty means not just the load capacity to us, but also ultra long hard wearing in all its components.
Our range of multi purpose 3 in 1 sack trucks are a fantastic cost effective solution for small and medium businesses are are on a budget.
Providing the use of a traditional sack truck with the safe transport of a trolley that has more wheels for added security, and also the option of using them at a flat platform bed type.
These can really do the job of three standard manual handling solutions in just one initial outlay investment.
Rough and uneven floors can be a real nightmare for the traditional sack truck, which makes transporting a heavy load dangerous as they can bounce around and fall off.
Our range of rough terrain trucks are the perfect solution to this providing the necessary security and offering for secure movement over uneven floors.
Solid rubber tyres available for potential sharp items on flooring, or pneumatic for the extra comfort and stability.
It was always very clear that the one thing traditional sack trucks could never do well was to go up stairs. While they were a life saver for many delivery men up and down the country, stairs in residential buildings or offices in commercial premises always was a problem and meant the load needed to be carried up stairs by hand. This is one of the most hazardous things to do.
Our Stair Climbing sack trucks alleviate and mitigate this hazard by having 3 or more wheels in a star shape configuration that allows easy transport up most flights of stairs. These are a real innovative approach to sack trucks, and ours are some of the most durable on the market while retaining real heavy duty use when needed.
Folding sack trucks can mean just a folding toe plate, or it can also be the full folding of every component.
Our range comprises of heavy duty options in both styles, and also lighter load capacities for smaller goods such as parcels in mailroom settings.
Surprisingly affordable while also being very useful.
FAQ's
How Do You Load A Sack Truck?
To load a Sack Truck, place or scoop the load onto the truck’s toe plate, tilt the truck backwards and the load can then be moved around with little effort
What Is Another Name For A Sack Truck?
Hand Truck, Sack Barrow, Stack Truck, Luggage Barrow, Baggage Cart, Hand Cart, Bag Barrow, Trolley, Shifter, Warehouse Loader
How Much Weight Can A Sack Truck Hold?
Our sack trucks vary in their weight capacity. We have sack trucks capable of lifting up to 400kg and over.
You should read the product description carefully as we display this clearly as per your needs.
Is Using A Sack Truck Considered Manual Handling?
Yes, absolutely sack trucks are considered manual handling equipment. They allow the operator to move larger and heavier loads safely than they would otherwise be capable of.
Do You Push Or Pull A Sack Truck?
Always push a sack truck. You should be able to clearly see the way ahead of you at all times, taking note and consideration of any potential hazards in your way.
What Is The Most Common Injury From Manual Handling?
Back, neck, and shoulder injuries are the most common. Your back is your weakest body part in relation to manual handling. Although back injuries can appear as not too serious initially, they can eventually become serious long-term health problems.
Source: National Accident Helpline
Where Can I Buy A Sack Truck?
Right here at HSE Store!
We stock a very wide range of sack trucks suitable for almost any need you can imagine. All of ours are hand made in Britain and built to last.
What Is A Sack Truck Made Of?
Usually steel, aluminium or stainless steel.
Each has its own specific use, and detailed above in this article you should decide which is best for you based on your industry and application or task at hand.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you enjoyed reading our guide, while it may not be the most interesting of topics, it should be very engaging and something to think about very carefully from a health and safety point of view while at the same time a revenue increasing investment for your business.
We only supply the best top quality safety equipment here at HSE Store that is manufactured right here in Britain. You can view the entire range of our trucks by clicking below.
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