We recommend that the decision maker take the following factors into consideration:

What are the properties of the materials that have to be lifted?
Understand the properties (load) of the materials that have to be lifted. Lift truck capacity is affected by the height that the materials have to be lifted and the size of the load. It is also important to include the dimensions of the load, as this will affect the size of the truck selected.

How will the materials be stored?
The way materials are stored also plays a role in determining the type of lift truck that would be required. Potato farmers are required to store heavy loads at high levels in extreme conditions such as uneven terrain, plenty of dust and temperature controlled environments, which does not allow for much room to move. This differs vastly from a warehouse requiring storage at a high level where pickers are hoisted to break bulk in order to select merchandise.

How will the materials be received and shipped?
Shipping materials from a loading dock allows for more space than materials that have to be received and shipped from a cold room. This will affect the size, lifting capacity and maneuverability of the lift truck required.

What is the weight of materials that have to be lifted?
Bigger is not always better in the materials handling business. One could easily reason that you just get a bigger truck for heavier loads. Bigger trucks require more space to move and may cost more, making it not the most suitable solution where heavy materials in small spaces have to be moved.

At which height must the materials be stored?
Lift height and load size determines the capacity of a lift truck. A bigger load size moves the lift truck