Sack trucks are a great addition to any number of industrial sites. Need to move goods across your store? Unloading or loading trucks? Struggling to manoeuvre heavy stock? Sack trucks are the answer! There are many options available when it comes to sack trucks, though, so we have written this ultimate guide to help you out with your decision-making.

What is a sack truck?

The basic sack truck design is a flat platform, attached to a sturdy frame with handles and mounted on two wheels. To use it, the operator slides the flat panel underneath the load and then tilts the whole unit backwards onto the wheels – the rear frame controls the load, the weight is shifted onto the wheels, and the user can push or pull the truck into the position they need before reversing the loading-up procedure.

What are the options?

If you are moving very heavy goods (sacks of coal, for example), or you are planning to use your sack truck a lot, then you should look at buying a heavy-duty sack truck option. These will typically have higher weight capacities, be built from stronger materials with higher quality assembly, and the wheels will be similarly built for the work.

When you need to move these types of heavy goods up or down stairs, you should use a stair-climbing model. These share the same essential design, but instead of two wheels, they have three wheels on each side, mounted in a triangular pattern. This means that when you reach a kerb, step or stairs the wheels will run along the riser and help you to move upwards. For moving downwards, some stair-climber sack trucks will have skids at the rear to make the process of descending staircases easier and more controlled.

If space at your site is limited, or you plan to use your sack trucks out on the road for deliveries, then you should consider a folding or telescopic model. These typically have lower weight tolerances and are made of lighter materials, but the advantage is that they fold up into as small a space as possible, which allows you to fit them into the back of a delivery van or into a storage space without sacrificing much-needed room.

The type of wheel that is fitted to your sack truck will dictate which surface it is best used on. If you are likely to be using your truck on grass, mud, gravel or other similar surfaces then you will benefit from a pneumatic-type wheel – these have some natural flex to them which allows them to absorb the impact from rough surfaces and keep the load stable and under control. If you are only going to be using your sack truck indoors or on smooth, finished surfaces, then you can use the more standard-type polyurethane wheels.

Finally, you need to consider the handles. If the truck is going to be in constant use throughout the day, then a soft-grip, ergonomically designed handle will help your operators out – they are easier and more comfortable to hold on to and will enable greater productivity. If you need to be able to manoeuvre your sack truck with one hand, then you’ll require a loop handle rather than two separate grips.