Order Picker Equipment A Buyer's Guide to Carts and Platforms

If you operate a high-density warehouse, it’s likely that you keep things moving with a fleet of order picker trucks. These specialized forklifts raise operators along with the forks, providing an eye-level view of shelves at every tier. That’s essential for safe, efficient order picking (and putaway) when shelving units rise above one or two levels.

Even if you don’t use order picker trucks yet, you might soon. Demand for this type of industrial truck is rising quickly. The global order picker truck market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.7 percent by 2034, reaching a value of $8.6 billion that year.   

Many order pickers aren’t ready for service on their own, however. They often need fork attachments to complete particular picking/putaway tasks. Solus Group has the solution. In this buyer’s guide, we’ll help you determine which order picker equipment you need to meet challenging throughput goals in your material handling system. 

Ready to discuss carts and platforms for your order picker fleet? Contact Solus Group at 314-696-0200 to discuss the options. 

Why Order Picker Equipment Is Essential for Warehouses

Standard order picker trucks have forks just like a counterbalance forklift. They’re sized for pallets. That’s perfect if you’re only handling pallet loads, but what if you move parcels, single units, or bulky items like furniture? 

That’s when you need additional order picker equipment. Solus Group offers a comprehensive line of order picker attachments, including everything from shelved carts to extended-length platforms to fully modular, configurable fork accessories. 

These products expand the functionality of your existing order picker trucks. They allow you to pick boxes, pieces, and more. Some of them double as manual carts, so you can easily roll them right off the forks and into a packing station. Most importantly, they improve safety for operators, expanding working areas while reducing fall risk. 

Here’s an overview of the types of order picker equipment available at Solus Group. After presenting the big picture, we’ll zoom in on each solution individually, to help you choose the order picker equipment that provides the greatest benefits for your facility.

6 Types of Order Picker Fork Attachments

All order picker fork attachments are designed to carry materials. Depending on what those materials are — boxes, pieces, pallet-loads, or oversized items — a different type of fork attachment will provide the most value. 

These diverse needs have given rise to six general categories of equipment, differentiated along three pairs of features: The attachment is either a cart or a platform. It’s sized to fit either standard forks or oversized furniture forks. And components are either modular or fixed. A few things to keep in mind:  

• The first set of features (cart vs. platform) is differentiated by wheels.
• Carts have casters and platforms do not.
• The second set of features is differentiated by fork-pocket size.
• Standard attachments fit on standard order picker trucks, with fork lengths between 42 and 48 inches long.
• Furniture attachments have longer fork pockets, designed to fit a class of equipment called furniture order picker trucks. They accommodate forks up to 96 inches in length.
• Modular order picker carts and platforms are configurable. You can add or remove components like shelves, handrails, and push bars.  
• Fixed order picker carts and platforms are welded together. You can’t alter them in the field. 

You can find other differentiating features in Solus Group’s collection of order picker equipment, but these are the key differences to consider. All order picker attachments are designed for use with Class II industrial trucks, including order pickers and reach trucks. They’re built to expand usability without adding too much to the overall weight of the truck. And they’re powerful tools for reliably improving throughput, safety, and overall productivity. 

Solus Group offers order picker equipment of all six types, in various configurations. Here’s an introduction to our collection of American-made order picker attachments.

Order Picker Equipment From Solus Group

We stock order picker platforms and carts made by BHS, Inc., a manufacturer that builds all of their products in the United States. These are top-quality solutions from a leading producer of material handling equipment. Our collection includes the following products.

Order Picker Carts

BHS Order Picker Carts are welded-steel fork attachments that double as manual carts, providing versatile material handling for high-throughput distribution centers. Choose between four sizes to match your fleet, with base platform proportions of:

• 36” by 48”
• 36” by 60”
• 42” by 48”
• 42” by 60” 

You have a choice between phenolic or polyurethane casters for both 60” models. These carts come with three high-capacity shelves, plus the platform, making them ideal for wave- and batch-picking for cartons and single pieces. 

Buy Order Picker Carts From Solus Group

Modular Order Picker Carts

Modular Order Picker Carts feature bolt-on components for on-the-fly configurability. Adjust heights between picking runs to accommodate cartons of varying sizes. Or remove shelves entirely for oversize items. 

Other options include adjustable fork guides, removable handrails, anti-skid tape, and custom laser-cut logo plates. Modular Order Picker Carts are also designed for safety. When you order, specify the distance between the truck’s operator platform and fork tops. We’ll provide a model with a platform that’s sized to fit seamlessly against the operator area, with no offset. This removes a hazardous tripping risk. 

Buy Modular Order Picker Carts From Solus Group

Modular Order Picker Platforms

Modular Order Picker Platforms offer a similar set of features as the BHS Modular Order Picker Carts, but without the casters. This is a great choice if you don’t need manual-cart functionality in your order picker attachment. 

Add or remove components including operator guarding, shelves, handrails, and adjustable fork guides. This product also offers eight base-heights to match the offset between your truck’s operator platform and forks. 

Buy Modular Order Picker Platforms From Solus Group

Order Picker Furniture Cart

Furniture order pickers are Class II industrial trucks that raise operators and forks alike, just like any order picker. But these trucks are designed with longer forks to accommodate large, bulky items. Order Picker Furniture Carts are modular fork attachments that match these proportions. 

Order Picker Furniture Carts are compatible with truck forks with lengths of:

• 72”
• 84”
• 90”
• 96”

Bolt-on, removable features include push handles and handrails. Adjustable fork guides, anti-skid tape, and lasercut logo plates are available at the time of purchase. These units don’t include shelves, which would get in the way of the oversized items Order Picker Furniture Carts are built to handle.

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Order Picker Furniture Platforms

Order Picker Furniture Platforms attach seamlessly to oversized forks, creating a safer working area for order picking staff. Unlike carts, these platforms do not have casters; otherwise, options, features, and benefits are the same as their wheeled counterparts. 

Buy Order Picker Furniture Platforms From Solus Group

Order Picking Platform - Knock Down Flat

If space is a concern — either during shipping or in storage at your facility — try the Order Picking Platform - Knock Down Flat. This 40” by 48” order picker attachment is available with or without casters, extended guarding, push handles, or a galvanized tabletop/cover. It’s sized to carry a full pallet load for picking or putaway.

What really makes this model stand out is its knock-down design. Remove the slotted steel walls and stack these compact units up to six tiers high. This design saves tremendously on freight, while also reducing storage requirements between uses.  

Buy the Order Picking Platform - Knock Down Flat From Solus Group

Learn More About Order Picker Equipment From Solus Group

Solus Group’s selection of order picker equipment offers dozens of combinations of styles, features, and target applications. This buyer’s guide provides an introduction. To take the next step, explore our collection of Industrial Carts. 

Better yet, speak with an expert at Solus Group by dialing 314-696-0200. Tell us about your fleet, your materials, and your goals and we’ll suggest order picker equipment that matches your unique use case. 

Still have questions about order picker attachments? Fill out our contact form to start the conversation.