How to Choose a Hand Truck for Your Business
As a small business owner, you know that efficiency and productivity are paramount to the success of your operations. One essential tool that can significantly impact the time you (and your team members) spend on tasks is a high-quality hand truck. Hand trucks make it possible to lift and move heavy, bulky loads and equipment with just one or two people.
While hand trucks may seem low-tech compared to some modern systems, they've been essential tools for material handling for hundreds of years. But with a variety of hand truck options available, it can be overwhelming to know what criteria to look for and choose the right one for your specific needs.
In this guide, we'll take a closer look at some of the most common types of hand trucks to help you make the right decision for your business. But first, let’s go over some basic information about hand trucks.
What Is a Hand Truck?
A hand truck is a common type of material handling equipment that’s designed with a vertical L-shape, an upright handle, two wheels, and a bottom ledge. They’re great for transporting small, heavy loads so that you or your crew do not have to lift and move them by hand. Hand trucks come in a variety of styles, as you’ll see later in the article.
What’s the Difference Between a Hand Truck and a Dolly?
Not much. However, a dolly is typically designed with a raised platform and four wheels. A dolly is best suited for moving larger, bulkier loads.
Assessing Your Business’s Needs
Before you purchase a hand truck, it’s essential to consider a few factors.
What Types of Items Do You Need to Transport?
How much do the items you’re hauling weigh? What are their dimensions? Are they fragile?
How Do I Determine the Right Load Capacity for My Hand Truck?
Carefully consider what you will be lifting and how much it weighs. Then, select a hand truck that exceeds that weight for durability and safety.
How Frequently Will You Use Your Hand Truck?
Occasional use versus multiple times a day will impact your buying decision.
What Kind of Environment Do You Work In?
Will you be using the hand truck indoors or outdoors? On smooth flooring or rough terrain?
How Much Space Do You Have to Store Your Hand Truck?
If space is limited, you’ll need to opt for a more compact hand truck.
Now we’ll get into the most common types of hand trucks that you’ll see on the market today.
Popular Types of Hand Trucks
From general-purpose hand trucks to more specialized designs, find the one that’s right for your business with help from this chart.
General-Purpose Hand Truck | Heavy-Duty Hand Truck | Convertible Hand Truck | Machinery Movers |
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Featuring a sturdy metal frame and rounded top handle, general-purpose hand trucks are great for moving loads short distances. Most of them are not offered in a foldable design, which can make them difficult to store. Best used for: Moving crates, boxes, small furniture, and appliances. Weight capacity: 80–1,500 lbs. Suitable for: Warehouses, delivery services, and catering companies. | Featuring heavy-duty straps and handrails, these hand trucks are the ones to choose when moving large, heavy appliances such as refrigerators, water heaters, washing machines, and vending machines. Best used for: Large, heavy appliances, boxes, and equipment. Weight capacity: 250–1,200 lbs. Suitable for: Distribution centers, warehouses, delivery services, and moving companies. | Designed for versatility, convertible hand trucks can be used in the upright (two-wheeled) or platform (four-wheeled) positions. Two-wheeled configurations are best for tall, slender items, while the platform position best suits wider, heavier loads. Best used for: Moving boxes, crates, and raw materials. Weight capacity: 100–1,250 lbs. Suitable for: Warehouses, delivery services, and catering companies. | Machinery movers are designed to lift and transport heavy industrial equipment. Usually sold in pairs for two-person operation, machinery movers feature a lifting system to lift and lower cargo onto a fork or platform. These are offered in manual lift or hydraulic lift options. Best used for: Moving heavy industrial equipment, vending machines, and irregular-sized loads. Weight capacity: 1,300–10,000 lbs. Suitable for: Warehouses, manufacturing plants, and other industrial facilities. |
Drum Truck | Pallet Hand Truck | Tilt Truck | Appliance Hand Truck |
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Transport heavy drums around your facility with ease with help from a drum truck. They come in two- and four-wheel configurations, and some feature a drain stand to make draining easier. Pail trucks, a variation of a drum truck, are equipped with a sturdy frame and hook that make it easy for users to tilt back and securely move pails, buckets, kegs, and barrels. Best used for: Moving drums, pails, barrels, kegs, and other large cylindrical containers. Weight capacity: 250–1,200 lbs. Suitable for: Warehouses, restaurants, bars, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, breweries, and chemical plants. | Pallet hand trucks can help you load and unload materials off of pallets. Compared to using a pallet jack, pallet hand trucks are better suited for lighter loads in tighter spaces. Best used for: Moving boxes, crates, and bins. Weight capacity: 900–1,000 lbs. Suitable for: Warehouses, manufacturing plants, and other industrial applications. | Featuring two large back wheels and one or two smaller-sized casters in the front, tilt trucks make it easy for a single person to move heavy loads. Ideal for high-volume settings, these heavy-duty plastic trucks are easy to maneuver and clean with a simple hose-down at the end of a shift. Best used for: Moving and disposing of waste, recycling, industrial materials, and raw materials. Weight capacity: 300–2,300 lbs. Suitable for: Warehouses, manufacturing plants, and other industrial facilities. | Appliance hand trucks are specifically designed to move heavy appliances and feature straps and guardrails to securely transport heavy-duty loads. Best used for: Moving heavy appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines. Weight capacity: Up to 1,200 lbs. Suitable for: Warehouses, offices, commercial and residential buildings. |
Train Your Employees on How to Use a Hand Truck
As with any type of equipment in your workplace, it’s imperative to train your employees on how to properly use a hand truck to avoid injuries. Make sure you’ve instructed your crew on how to properly lift, push, and maneuver heavy loads, and refer to OSHA guidelines frequently to stay in compliance.
Zoro Is Your Hand Truck Headquarters
Now that you have an idea of which type of hand truck is right for your business’s needs, it’s time to browse our offering. Shop our expansive selection of hand trucks from the best brands today!
Product Compliance and Suitability
The statements contained in this guide are intended for general informational purposes only. Such statements do not constitute a product recommendation or representation as to the appropriateness, accuracy, completeness, correctness, or currentness of the information provided. Information provided in this guide does not replace the use by you of any manufacturer instructions, technical product manual, or other professional resource or adviser available to you. Always read, understand, and follow all manufacturer instructions.
