The pallet truck industry has grown steadily in recent years and current market research is predicting positive trends over the next three years. Advancements in technology have resulted in a number of developments that promise to improve productivity and decrease long-term operating costs for industry operators. Here are some of the emerging trends to be aware of.
Battery technology R&D
Over the last few years, a transition has taken place within the pallet truck industry towards to the use of electric pallet trucks. As more companies begin to make the switch and the production of electric pallet trucks increases, there will be more resources put into the development of improved energy systems.
These systems are a core component of electric pallet trucks however there is still plenty of room for improvements on the current technology. As companies look to minimise battery charge time and decrease maintenance costs, we will start to see a number of new advancements and adaptations over the next three years.
Technological innovations
The last two years have already delivered a number of creative and practical solutions within the global pallet truck industry and the future looks even more promising. Technology developers and market innovators are always looking for ways to improve the products and processes in the pallet truck market which is why so many companies are investing in new projects.
In 2017, Crown produced a glove that allowed operators to control pallet trucks remotely through the use of new technology. This provides a great example of the types of innovations we can expect to see within the industry as we move into the future.
Autonomous vehicles
The rise of self-driving vehicles has taken the world by storm recently and companies throughout a multitude of industries have been looking at ways in which they can incorporate the technology into their operation. In the world of pallet trucks, the use of automatic guided vehicles has become commonplace, with warehouses and companies looking to reduce the workload.
AGVs such as electric pallet trucks operate by following a designated route or pre-programmed path in order to reduce the amount of human interaction needed. There are a number of issues with this type of technology which means that as we move forward, the industry pallet truck industry will begin to see a number of innovations that utilise the latest advancements in autonomous vehicle technology.