Handcarts, Trucks & Dollys

Handcarts are material handlers with wheels and a small ledge. The material to be lifted is placed on the ledge (or foot), and the handles are tilted back. The user balances the weight on the wheels then and moves the materials around.

Handcarts are great for boxes of heavy items, like books or magazines. This is simply because greater amounts of boxes can be stacked on the foot of the handcart in higher quantities. Always remember to stack heavier boxes on the bottom of the foot, and when tilting the handcart back, pull the top box back with you. When setting the foot down, be sure to hold the load and gently lower the foot down so the top item doesn’t fly off!

There are a number of different kinds of handcarts, and some are equipped with stairclimber wheels, which help the user move up and down stairs. These handcarts are great for moving, so when it’s time for you to make that big move, be sure that your moving company either supplies one or you get one for yourself. After all, they come in handy whenever you need to pick a large quantity of items up and transport them.

Appliance trucks are usually large handcarts made of Aluminum to offset their size. This Wesco (right) is 59” in height and like other appliance handcarts, comes with a strap to hold large items securely from the front. You will still want to carefully lower the item down even though it's strapped, as if it lands too harshly it can damage the item or scratch it. Hint: use pieces of cardboard between the strap and the appliance to stop scratches or marring.

There are also combination trucks that you can transport standard items and such things as barrels. Filling a 55 gallon drum with fuel or water makes it very heavy, and these combination trucks make it easy. Since we're on the subject, let's look at some material handlers for barrels.