Warehouse vehicles fall into three families: vehicles that lift, vehicles that move loads, and vehicles that move people. Choosing well means matching the family to the job—most fleets overspend by using lifting vehicles for moving jobs.
Lifting vehicles
- Counterbalance forklifts: the general-purpose lift truck for pallets and trailers. Requires OSHA powered-industrial-truck certification.
- Reach trucks & order pickers: narrow-aisle racking specialists for high-bay storage.
- Pallet jacks (manual/electric): ground-level pallet moves; the cheapest entry to powered handling.
Load-moving vehicles
- Burden carriers: flat-deck electric haulers for non-palletized loads, with an operator riding.
- Tuggers & cart trains: tow multiple carts per trip on repetitive routes—the lean-manufacturing workhorse.
- Powered cart movers: walk-behind units that supply push force for heavy carts.
- AMRs/AGVs: autonomous load movers for high-volume fixed flows; highest capital, no operator.
People-moving vehicles
- Stock chasers & industrial scooters: single-operator vehicles with small cargo decks—the fastest fix for walking time.
- Personnel carriers: multi-rider transport for maintenance crews, supervisors, security, and tours.
- Utility vehicles: indoor/outdoor crossovers for campuses and yards.
Choosing across families
- Audit trips for a week: lifting, load-moving, or people-moving?
- Assign each trip type to the cheapest vehicle family that does it safely.
- Reserve certified forklift hours for lifting only.
- Prefer modular platforms where one vehicle covers several roles—fewer assets, simpler parts.
TexTrack builds modular electric vehicles covering the load-moving and people-moving families in one configurable platform. Request a quote.
