Source: Mike Laptev/Shutterstock.com
If you need a new warehouse picking cart for your OEM warehouse, you’ve come to the right place. These carts come in a range of different sizes and styles, including electric carts and simple racks with wheels. They make it easy for your team to transport and collect items when picking orders or restocking inventory. Making the right choice for your business all depends on the size of your products and what you’re trying to ship.
Different Kinds of Warehouse Picking Carts for OEM Manufacturers and Suppliers
The OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) industry is distinct in the world of manufacturing. OEM companies typically license out their designs to other companies that then put their own spin on these products before selling them directly to consumers. The OEM approach is popular in the electronics and automotive industries. Learn about OEM vs. ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) to make sure you understand the differences between the two.
The size of these products varies widely. Electronics manufacturers may use a mix of smaller parts and components to design and manufacture their products, such as computer chips, wires, cords, frames, glass panels and other fragile items.
However, automotive OEM companies may work with large pieces of metal, rubber, fabric, upholstery and other bulky items difficult to handle.
Order Industrial Wire Baskets for Your Warehouse Picking Carts
With that in mind, these kinds of picking carts tend to be the most common in the OEM industry:
Carts with Built-In Totes/Shelves
A simple metal cart with shelves for sorting and collecting smaller items from the shelf, such as screws, bolts, buttons, caps and other supplies that can easily get lost.
Source: mrvirgin/Shutterstock.com
Carts with Removable Totes/Shelves
These carts come with removable totes and selves for changing the layout of the cart on a dime. This will come in handy if your workers are picking items of all different sizes.
Industrial Wire Baskets
A pushcart with a deep storage area for moving large quantities of goods by hand, the cart keeps your inventory visible, so workers can see what’s inside.
Utility Carts
These carts are lined with a durable layer of plastic, so you don’t have to worry about nicking your merchandise or supplies. They usually come with three shelves and enough room for totes and trays.
Platform Carts
These wide, low-lying cars are perfect for moving around large items that won’t fit into a traditional container. They are not designed to lift heavy merchandise.
Forklift or Pallet Cart
A staple of any warehouse, the forklift is used to safely lift and lower heavy items and loads using a motorized interface. A pallet cart is similar except the worker physically walks the merchandise through the facility instead of riding the cart. Pallet carts can’t move as much weight as forklifts.
Browse Our Pallet Container Options
Source: Andrey Burstein/Shutterstock.com
Choosing the Right Cart for Your OEM Business
Consider the shape and size of your inventory before choosing a warehouse picking cart. Your workers may have to use different carts, depending on which items are going out for delivery.
It’s best to keep things as simple as possible when assigning a cart to your team. Forklifts, pallet trucks and other electric carts should only be used when absolutely necessary. These machines require additional training and expertise, so avoid using them unless you need to grab something bulky from the shelf. Use a pallet container to move heavier items without putting your staff in harm’s way.
Push carts are easy to use and handle, so your workers can get back to the loading dock as soon as possible. Carts with built-in trays and totes are perfect for grabbing smaller items from the shelf. Use industrial wire baskets when grabbing larger items that won’t slip through the cracks.
Make sure your inventory can fit on the cart. Remember, shelf sizes usually range from 18 by 24 inches to 36 by 72 inches with load capacities ranging from 600 to 7,000 pounds. Think about how many products your workers may need to grab in a single pass, so they don’t have to make more than one trip.
Pick the Right Cart
There are so many kinds of picking carts to choose from in the OEM industry. Research the pros and cons of these different carts, so your team can move products as fast as possible.