Material Handling
Pallet Trucks
The pallet truck is the machine every warehouse buys first and thinks about least. We supply hand and electric units, repair them in our own workshop, and (because we design the racking they run between) can tell you which one your layout actually needs.
How a pallet truck works
Two forks slide into the openings of a pallet. Pumping the handle drives a small hydraulic ram that raises the forks a few centimetres, enough to lift the load clear of the floor, not enough to stack it. One person then pushes the pallet wherever it needs to go, and a release lever on the same handle lowers it. That is the whole mechanism, and it is why a manual pallet truck needs no power supply, no charging and almost no maintenance beyond seals and wheels.
Manual or electric
The choice follows distance and frequency, not weight. Both types handle a full pallet; what separates them is how much of the shift the operator spends pushing one.
- Hand pallet trucks
- Occasional moves over short distances: container unloading, feeding a line a few pallets an hour. No power needed. Normally held in stock.
- Electric pallet trucks
- Continuous movement through a shift, or any real distance travelled. Plug-and-play battery packs keep them running across multiple shifts.
Manual
Electric
What a pallet truck will not do
It lifts a few centimetres, so it moves pallets along the floor and loads the ground level of a racking bay. It cannot place a pallet on an upper beam level. If that is what you need, the machine is a stacker, a reach truck or a forklift. Buying the wrong one is the most common and most expensive mistake in this category. Tell us the racking layout and we will say which it is.
Common questions
Pallet trucks: what buyers ask
What is a pallet truck, and how does it work?
A pallet truck is a wheeled trolley with two forks that slide into the openings of a pallet. Pumping the handle drives a small hydraulic ram that raises the forks a few centimetres, just enough to lift the pallet clear of the floor so one person can push it. Lowering is by a release lever on the same handle. There is no engine and no battery on a manual unit, which is why it is the most common piece of handling equipment in any warehouse.
What is the difference between a pallet truck and a pallet jack?
None: they are two names for the same machine. "Pallet truck" is the usual term in Sri Lanka and the Commonwealth; "pallet jack" is more common in American usage. You may also hear hand pallet truck, hydraulic pallet truck or pallet trolley, all describing the manual version.
Should we buy a manual or an electric pallet truck?
The choice follows how far and how often the load moves, not how heavy it is. For occasional moves over short distances (unloading a container, feeding a production line a few pallets an hour), a manual truck is the right tool and costs a fraction as much. Where operators move pallets continuously through a shift, or push them any real distance, an electric pallet truck removes the physical effort and pays for itself in labour. Beverage, retail and distribution operations are the usual electric buyers.
Will a pallet truck work with our racking?
A pallet truck lifts only a few centimetres, so it moves pallets along the floor and loads the ground level of a racking bay. It cannot place a pallet on an upper beam level. That needs a stacker, a reach truck or a forklift. We design and install racking as well as supply the handling equipment, so we can tell you which machine your layout actually needs before you buy.
What does a pallet truck cost in Sri Lanka?
Price depends on whether the unit is manual or electric, the capacity you need, and whether you are buying one or a fleet. Call +94 11 241 3539 or request a quotation and we will confirm current availability and price.
Who repairs a pallet truck when the hydraulics fail?
We do: in our own workshop in Malabe, on machines we supplied and on most that we did not. The usual failures are seal wear in the pump ram and flat or seized wheels, both of which are repairable rather than grounds for replacement.
The rest of the range
Stackers, reach trucks, order pickers, electric forklifts and goods hoists, for everything a pallet truck cannot reach.
Tell us what you move
Tell us what you move, how much of it, and how often. We match the machine to the duty cycle, quote it, and service it afterwards.