If forklifts are too bulky to be used to transfer and move pallets around the warehouse, what will you use then? The good thing is that the pallet jacks are here to do the job.
And since you just need this tool for a short period of time, now comes the question – should you buy or rent a pallet jack. The latter is probably your answer.
Renting gives you the best flexibility and saves you a chunk of money. If the business is in peak and you want to add more pallet jacks in the warehouse to speed up the movements of merchandise, you can quickly pick up the phone and talk to a dealer.
That’s how easy it is.
Making a decision to rent pallet jacks is easy to make. But if this is your first time to do this, you may have a hard time which pallet jack suits your particular application.
Luckily, we’re to help. We’ve come up with this article to guide you through the process so that things don’t have to be complicated.
In this article, we will show you how and where to rent.
So let’s start.
Specifications to Consider Before Renting Pallet Jacks
To avoid mistakes, you have to consider the specifications of pallet jacks you need for your application. This is actually the first step you have to do before renting. Now here are the important features you have to concern about:
- Determine the maximum lift capacity – the lift capacity is surely the first thing to consider before renting a pallet jack. Some models of pallet jacks can lift as much as 6,000 pounds. To get a good idea of what lifting capacity you want your rented jack to have is to weigh the heaviest merchandise you want to haul.
- Determine the maximum lift height – if the application involves raising the load for stacking, then you must also consider the lift height. The lift height is simply the distance from the ground the load can be raised up. In simpler models of pallet jacks, the load can be raised up to a maximum of 8 inches but in industrial models, the lift height can be as high as 4 feet.
- Determine the lowered height –The average lowered height is 2.5 inches; to determine what lowered height you need, check the openings of your pallets. If boxes are the load you will be hauling then you don’t need to take into consideration the lowered height.
- What’s the Fork Length You Need – to determine the right fork length, you have to verify the size of pallets you are going to lift. Let’s say, for example, if the pallet size you have is 40” x 48”, therefore you need jacks with 48” long forks. As a rule of thumb, pallet jacks with forks that are too long are difficult to handle while the models with forks that are too short will not entirely support the load.
- What’s the turning radius – to increase maneuverability and easy handling in tight spaces and narrow aisles, the turning radius is an important feature to take into account. The ideal turn radius is 54.9” for 48” long forks.
- What’s the wheel type – the selection you have is either polyurethane or nylon wheel. The polyurethane type doesn’t produce that much noise and it is non-marking and won’t damage the floor surface. On the other hand, the nylon wheel can be used in rough floors and wet surfaces and more durable and chemical-resistant.
Does Manual Pallet Jack is the Type You Need?
The manual type is the most basic because they’re straightforward to operate. With its simplicity, it can be used with almost any type and size of the pallet.
Manual pallet jacks are primarily used to move small to medium-size loads over short distances. If you have a large facility, the use of a manual type isn’t advisable since it will become strenuous for the workers. Strains and injuries are common with the use of the manual type and the load you can move are limited because of its less lifting capacity.
Renting manual pallet jacks isn’t that expensive compared to the electric type.
Deciding between renting manual or electric type comes down to determining what suits to your application and the advantages it will bring to your workers.
Is the Electric-Type Suits Your Application?
Electric pallet jacks are perfect for lifting and hauling even the heaviest loads around warehouses. The electric pallet jack increases the operator’s productivity by minimizing lifting, pulling, or pushing of loads.
Nowadays, there are models of electric pallet jack in the market that are compact which allows easy maneuverability in congested areas and narrow aisles.
The most distinct characteristic of an electric pallet jack is that all of its operational controls are located in the handle. With just a simple touch of the button, the operator can easily be raised or lower the load while the reverse and forward speed control smoothly moves even the heaviest load.
In some models, the handle of the electric pallet jack features a horn and safety button which will halt the unit upon contact with the operator.
Electric pallet jacks have non-marking polyurethane wheels that move quietly over all floor surfaces. If the type of wheel is something you want to take into consideration, you might want to rent pallet jacks with non-marking polyurethane wheels.
In standard models, the battery can be charged in any 120-V outlet which can last about 4.5 hours per charge while other models of electric pallet jacks can last for longer use.
Though renting electric pallet jacks cost more, it removes the strain off the worker resulting in productivity and efficiency.
How Much Does it Cost to Rent Pallet Jack?
These figures are just a rough estimate.
Type |
Daily Rate |
Weekly Rate |
Monthly Rate |
| Manual Pallet Jack |
|
$120-$125 |
$250-$360 |
Electric Pallet Jack |
$90-$120 |
$220-$350 |
$450-$750 |
- The lifting capacity and type of pallet jack you want will affect the rental rate.
- If you exceed the allowable number of hours, you will be charged around $1-$2 per hour.
- As a customer, you will shoulder any damage for the abuse and neglect. This is stipulated in the rental agreement so better be sure to read the agreement thoroughly.
- Delivery, tax miscellaneous expenses are not included in the rental rate. Clarify with the dealer the other fees.
Rental Companies You Can Contact With
- Crown Lift Trucks - Long Beach
4061 Via Oro Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90810-1458, 310-952-6600
5 Charlotte Avenue, Hicksville, NY 11801, 516-822-5100
17700 E. 32nd Place, Aurora, CO 80011, 303-344-1000
2264 Pinson Valley Parkway, Birmingham, AL 35217, 205-849-3658 - BigRentz, Inc.
1180 West Peachtree Street NW, Suite #850, Atlanta, GA 30309
185 S. York Street, Elmhurst, IL 60126,
1063 McGaw Ave. #200, Irvine, CA 92614
(888) 242-4715, (855) 509-8768 - Raymond
22 South Canal Street, Greene, NY 13778
6650 Kirkville Roadm East Syracuse, NY 13057
3305 North Highway 38, Muscatine, IA 52761
6851 Chrysler Lane, East Syracuse, NY 13057
1-800-893-2273,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Aaction Rents
10510 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor, CA 95492, Phone: 707-838-4373
257 Dutton Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95407, Phone: 707-539-0707
28 Union Way, Vacaville, CA 95687, Phone: 707-359-2575
1000 River Rd., Fulton, CA 95439, Phone: 707-544-0501
1427 Grove St., Healdsburg, CA 95448, Phone: 707-431-3544
1400 Hastings Rd., Ukiah, CA 95482, Phone: 707-472-0500 - TOYOTA-LIFT of Minnesota
8601 Xylon Court North, Brooklyn Park MN 55445, (833) 200-4883, (763) 290-1049
1526 Voll Drive NW, Byron, MN 55920, (844) 390-6378, (507) 922-2831 - AA Rental
Dallas Texas: 972-247-9688
Dallas/Fort Worth TX area, including North Dallas, Farmers Branch, Carrollton, Irving, Richardson, Plano,
University Park, Coppell, and Oak Cliff - Sunbelt Rentals, Inc.
Has several branches across the US
1-800-667-9328 - United Rentals, Inc.
Has several branches across the US and Canada
844.873.4948 - Herc Rentals Inc.
27500 Riverview Center Blvd, Ste 100, Bonita Springs, FL 34134
800-654-6659 - Wisconsin Lift Truck Corp.
3125 Intertech Drive, Brookfield WI 53045
Phone: (800) 634.9010 - Toyota Material Handling Solutions
12907 Imperial Highway Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
Phone: (866)794-5438 - Elite Truck Rental
265 N. Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612
312.942.1001 - L.A. Lift Services
t: 323.262.9111; f: 323.262.8111
4368 Bandini Blvd Vernon, CA 90058 - ABC Equipment Rental
2910 East 15th Street, Tulsa, OK 74104
Tel: (918) 744-8353, Fax: (918) 744-0894 - BURNS RENT-ALLS
2401 N Home St., Mishawaka, IN 46545
Tel: 574-259-2833
Understand the Rental Agreement
The rental agreement defines the terms and conditions by which both parties (you, the renter, and the rental company) abide. Reviewing it first before signing is important. To help you out with what it should contain, here, we highlighted some of the significant terms.
Write everything on paper
Talk and negotiate first with the rental company about what you want so that it can be reflected in the draft and be included in the final agreement. Let’s say, for example, you want to include an option to purchase, tell the rental company you’d like that term to be in the agreement. Otherwise, you risk the rental company saying “we never had that deal.” You know what will happen, the rental company could easily refute if it is not in writing.
Review the agreement before signing
Normally, a rental agreement is just a standard document. If you and the rental company have arrived at a certain condition, they should rewrite the agreement based on what you agreed upon.
If you see that the agreement doesn’t contain what you discussed with the rental company, it is important to tell them to edit the document. It is important to thoroughly review the agreement so that there’s nothing to miss.
Check the most important terms and condition
Once the agreement is final and ready to be signed, review and check all the important terms and conditions such as:
• The duration of the rental agreement
• The agreed rental fee and the payment method
• If the damage deposit is required prior to signing the agreement
• How and where the tool can be used
• Whether the renter is responsible for the damage, maintenance and repair of the pallet jacks
• If you want to include an option to purchase
If you’re in a rush of getting the pallet jack equipment, control yourself. You don’t want to think illogically and make mistake. Pay attention to the important terms and see to it that everything is put in writing.
Training of Operators is Important
As an employer, don’t forget to train your workers in the safe and proper use of pallet jacks as required by OSHA, please see standard 29 CFR 1910.178. The dealer or rental company also offers such training.
The training is composed of classroom lectures, written tests, hands-on exercises, and in the end, is the performance evaluation. The pallet jack certification is good for three (3) years after which the operator is required to undertake retraining course.
The training should be specific to the type of pallet jack the worker will be using as they differ in features and design. Likewise, the training should address the workplace and application-specific issues.
The duration of the training will primarily depend on the type of pallet jack the workers will be trained to use and how many they are who will be attending the course.
If you have a large number of operators to train, it would be ideal to conduct the training on-site so that the instructor can tailor the curriculum to tackle those issues.
This method not only saves money because the per-participant cost is lower but also minimizes work distraction as the operators don’t have to be away.
To Make a Conclusion
Pallet jacks are great tools because of their versatility. They can easily be used in narrow aisles and tight spaces. They’re popular in supermarkets, distribution centers, and manufacturing and storage facilities.
If your business is in season, and if you’re considering renting pallet jacks, make sure that suits the intended application and that you’re renting from the right company.
Make sure also that you understand the rental agreement and put everything in writing to avoid any future problems.
