The human back was the original lifting crane far before anything mechanical was invented. However, continuing to load your ute by hand may be causing back pain and other heavy lifting injuries that could easily be avoided. Here are three ways that you can load faster and smarter without having to put your back under stress any more.

Hydraulic Crane

The hydraulic ute crane is the perfect solution if your business needs the capacity to load and unload your truck at any time or anywhere. This lifting device is mounted onto the tray of your ute and it is a portable lifting machine. Consider these points before you purchase a hydraulic crane for your ute:

• Is there any tray modification needed? You should choose a hydraulic crane that can be fitted to your ute deck with a minimum of modification. When you go to sell your ute at a later date you do not want to have to pay for the deck to be returned to its original state before the sale can take place.
• What lifting load do you need for your crane? A tradesman who is lifting pallets of bricks onto their ute is going to have a higher lifting capacity need than someone who is moving steel pipe.
• Is the crane arm manually pushed or does it move by power? A manually pushed crane arm will still require the operator to have the physical strength to shift it, but a powered arm glides to the point that the operator directs it to go.

If you do not wish to attach machinery to your ute, there are two other lifting options open to you.

Electric Forklift

The electric forklift looks much like a motorised forklift apart from having a seat and steering wheel for the driver. Instead, the operator stands behind the forklift and manoeuvres it from the loading area to the ute. As these devices can handle loads over one tonne, they are still a viable option when it comes to getting everything you need onto your ute tray.

The major disadvantage of using an electric forklift is that unless you plan to drive it up some ramps onto the deck of your ute, it is not a portable lifting option like the crane is. The forklift will remain at your loading station and will not be available to help you unload at your destination. If you do choose to transport it with you on the ute, this takes up valuable deck space that you need for your load.

Block And Tackle

The block and tackle is the manual way of loading heavy items onto your ute and does not require any electrical equipment to help you with the task.

This process involves using a minimum of two pulleys to lift a heavy object. The object is picked up using a hook or rope tie that is attached to the main lifting rope. The rope passes through the pulleys and at the other end is the operator who pulls the rope to lift the object. The mechanical advantage theory explains why one person can lift heavy weights using the block and tackle that could not be lifted by themselves alone.

There are two main disadvantages when considering the block and tackle method for loading your ute. Firstly, it is not portable so it will not be available to help with the unload once reaching the destination. Secondly, some measure of physical force will be needed to operate it and this physical force could still lead to a back injury occurring if it is not done properly.

It is estimated that over 3 million Australians are coping with some type of back problem. Now that you know how to remove yourself from that statistic, your heavy lifting days are over. Choose the most appropriate option for you and say hello to easy ute loading in the future. For more information, contact a company like Kevrek (Ricon) Australia Pty Ltd.