4 Tips for Final Mile Services Delivering Large Appliances
One of the most difficult tasks for final mile delivery drivers is large appliances. Not only are they bigger than most other deliveries, but they are unwieldy, take more time to install, and can take more than one person to move. With the right tools, one person can move the appliance while the other ensures the way is clear. Whether it’s using a heavy duty hand truck on delivery or using a motorized hand truck at the warehouse, here are some tips to help your final mile service deal with large appliances.
Use a Heavy Duty Hand Trucks
One of the easiest ways to improve efficiency is equipping your delivery drivers with a heavy duty hand truck. These can enable a single person to move a refrigerator, letting a second employee ensure the way is clear and doors are off and out of the way. Instead of needing both employees to do a team lift, each can take on separate tasks, speeding up the delivery process.
Keep Powered Hand Trucks at the Warehouse
It may be better to use powered hand truck at the warehouse instead of heavy duty hand trucks. This depends on the warehouse’s size, as powered hand trucks are perfect for moving larger appliances over longer distances to the delivery truck. This helps with efficiency and keeping your warehouse workers’ energy levels up. A motorized hand truck is too heavy to keep in a delivery truck but is perfect for warehouses.
Have Ramps Handy
Another way to speed up the process is through ramps. Whether it’s the curb on the sidewalk or front steps, having ramps that a heavy duty hand truck can quickly wheel over makes the delivery much quicker. It’s also easier on your employees, who would otherwise need to haul the appliance up the stairs or curb. Certain hand trucks can make that easier, but the easiest way is through ramps.
Don’t Forget the Stairs
If your delivery team has to tackle a set of stairs in a residence, be sure to have a powered heavy duty stair climbing dolly in the truck. The dolly will do most of the work for them, helping them get up the stairs with an appliance with ease. The motorized action lifts the dolly up the stairs, letting the driver focus on staying in an ergonomic position.
Be Prepared with Blankets
Be sure your drivers are prepared to cover floors and doorways if needed. This is especially important on inclement days but can help protect wooden floors no matter when the delivery takes place. Blankets or canvas sheets are best as they are easy to stow in the delivery van but can be quickly spread out at the destination.
About Magline
For more than 70 years, the material handling industry has known Magline offers the highest reliability and quality standards. Like all of Magline’s material handling equipment, Magliner hand trucks can be trusted to deliver best-in-class dependability, durability, and quality. The iconic, ultra-customizable Magliner classic hand truck starts off the Magline collection. You can also rely on other Magliner products, including a convertible hand truck line, powered hand truck series, hand lift truck selection, and more material handling equipment. When you or your company needs something delivered, moved, or lifted from one place to another, trust Magliner equipment to do the job done quickly, efficiently, and safely. With fantastic financing options, you can upgrade your delivery truck fleet today with Magliner equipment.
Get the material handling equipment your final mile business needs at https://www.magliner.com/