An order picker or stock picker equipment is really like a regular forklift. It has hydraulic blades able to raise a pallet. Order pickers could also lift the operator up to high places, which is a feature that lift trucks currently do not offer. Typically, order pickers are operated by electricity. These equipment are mainly used in a warehouse setting. Most often they are utilized for transporting pallets and finishing particular jobs in the shelving and stocking department.
The order picker operator sits up on a platform where they operate the controls. These controls help to direct the machinery backwards, forwards or steer it from side to side. When the operator has positioned the unit in place the forks could be lifted up to the required level which makes it convenient for the operator. For instance, if the required materials, are situated on a shelf which the operator cannot reach, then whole platform can be raised up to certain level. Due to the counterweight located at the other end, the unit remains balanced, even at higher levels.
The platform is then lowered back to its original position after the order has been picked. The order picker is then driven or directed to its next location. With the majority of models, it is possible to move the order picker while the platform is raised, however, some companies may have policies and procedures in place preventing such maneuvers in the name of safety. An order picker can also place pallets on a shelf. Forklifts and stackers can be used to complete these particular jobs at several companies instead.