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How Much Weight Can a Sack Truck Move?

A sack truck may be an item that you think is not necessary for your workplace – until you get one. In fact, these days there are not many businesses left without one, because so many have found that sack trucks are such a valuable asset. If your business has anything to do with either warehousing, logistics or managing stock – a sack truck should be on your purchase list.

However, there are some important factors that you need to bear in mind before you buy one, including how much weight you will need it to carry.

In this article we will discuss how much weight a sack truck is actually able to move, so you can find the perfect sack truck to meet your business's needs.

Weight Limits Matter

An extremely important consideration when choosing your sack truck is the approximate weight of the cargo you intend to be moving with it. This matters so much that it is considered a health and safety breach if the sack truck is loaded with more weight than it can carry.

Angle Iron Premium Sack Truck - 300Kg

Components used in sack trucks are stress-tested to work reliably at specified weight limits. If you exceed those weight limits you’re putting yourself at serious risk from potentially warped, buckled or otherwise damaged components. In fact, poor manual handling caused over 152,000 workplace injuries in the UK in 2019/20 (1) and a proportion of these will have resulted from overloading a sack truck or using one that has been damaged through misuse.

To avoid this problem you must, therefore, understand the weight limits of sack trucks. 

What Is A Frame Capacity?

When reading about sack trucks and checking the specifications of certain models you may come across the term ‘frame capacity’. This is essentially referring to the capacity of a sack truck when it is unsupported, and this differs from how much weight the sack truck can actually transport.

For example, a sack truck may state within its specifications that it has a weight or frame capacity of 400kg. Although this means that it can hold up to 400kg of unsupported goods, it does not mean that a load this heavy can actually be transported as this comes down to the individual strength of the person using the sack truck.

What Else Do I Need To Consider?

What sort of cargo will it be carrying? – A sack truck is designed to carry multiple heavier items at the same time, while remaining safe and easy to manoeuvre. So if you want a sack truck for general cargo and logistics you have a wide choice open to you. For heavier loads, however, a powered sack truck is better for ease of use and employee safety.

How often will it be used? – If you’re going to be using the sack truck most of the day, every day, you might want to consider getting a more traditional style, rigid design. If you’re only going to be using it every now and then, a folding sack truck may be the best bet as you will be able to store it easily when it’s not required.

What surfaces will it be pushed over? – Moving a sack truck over soft or rough surfaces requires a greater pushing force than a smooth floor. On an uneven surface, the force needed to begin pushing the load could be up to 10% of the load weight or 25kg force for the same 250kg load.

How much do I have to spend? – There are sack trucks available at every price point and with such a large variety we're sure to have something in stock that suits you.

Basic Sack Truck with Solid Wheels - 150kg Capacity

Final Word

We hope you have found this guide to how much weight a sack truck helpful. You can view our full range of sack trucks here

If you have any questions about sack trucks or any of our other trucks and trolleys from our website, do not hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team who will be more than happy to help.

 

(1) https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/manual-handling-weight-limits/

Author:

Richard O'Connor's Headshot

Richard O'Connor is a Director at First Mats. He has deep knowledge in areas like Manufacturing, Warehousing, Marine, and Health & Safety. Richard's insights have been featured in well-known publications such as Bloomberg Business, The Sun, and Reader's Digest. His blend of industry expertise and passion for sharing makes him a sought-after voice in his fields.

Contact Richard