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R&L | Pallet Jacks; Manual Or Electric?

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Measely Wages

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Well, I finally pulled the trigger and I’m making the move over to R&L.

I’m in the shopping mode now for a pallet jack. I have driven local delivery in the past for ABF. While there, I used a manual (no other choice) pallet jack and I also used that jack in conjunction with a lift gate. I never had any major problems.

Those electric jacks do look pretty nice though....

Do you guys prefer the manuals over the electrics? Does anyone reading this even have an electric jack? What would the pros and cons be with both? I do know that the manuals cost around $400.00 as compared to the electrics which run around $3500.00.
 
Don’t like them lectric ones. Too many oddball skids it won’t fit in. Batteries is pricy too. Battery kaputs then you stuck with a 300+ lb boat anchor to trip over all day. If I can’t move it with a pump jack and a block of wood I ain’t messin with it.

Best brand of pump jacks is a Crown.
 
I second what Sling Blade says. I can't do it safely with my manual, it ain't getting done.

We've had about 25 guys buy the electrics, they're better than the ones the company brought, Panthers I think is the name on them. Of the 25 that purchased one over the last 8-12 months (that is the first they were available to us) 5 have. Had major problems not covered by warranty. Company wrench had been working on them and ordering parts at no charge, but they seem to be lemons regardless. The electrics suck on wet trailer floors. Also for heavy skids, like 4 drums at 2000-2500 lbs when you put the electric and you and the freight on the gate, you're overloaded. Don't EVER tajw one off concrete or solid asphalt. We had 1 guy delivering a skid of water with one on a blacktop parking lot in the summer and it sank into the asphalt where it was soft from the heat and sun and jack and skid for stuck.
 
The Roberts family should be ashamed of themselves. They are filthy rich and cant provide their drivers the tools to deliver and pickup their freight ? Not to mention no overtime pay ! What a embarrassment !
 
cityman said:
The Roberts family should be ashamed of themselves. They are filthy rich and cant provide their drivers the tools to deliver and pickup their freight ? Not to mention no overtime pay ! What a embarrassment !
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We’re all being told that we’re ‘free’, yet we’re all just serfs.... and it’s soon going to get really, really bad here.
Both American workers and American consumers are nothing but a commodity.
Our kids are doomed.
 
Measely Wages said:
We’re all being told that we’re ‘free’, yet we’re all just serfs.... and it’s soon going to get really, really bad here.
Both American workers and American consumers are nothing but a commodity.
Our kids are doomed.
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keep on topic. If you want to discuss politics, we have a whole section for that.
 
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As for the company not supplying them, Its been that way longer than I've been here and that 16 years. I was told the thought process was, you respect what's yours and since its yours, as long as its locked up, it will always be there for you. Some places cant always say that with company owned equipment. That said, this topic has been discussed on here several times. Its pretty much the same conversation every time with some being for it and others complaining about it.
 
cityman said:
The Roberts family should be ashamed of themselves. They are filthy rich and cant provide their drivers the tools to deliver and pickup their freight ? Not to mention no overtime pay ! What a embarrassment !
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Their company, their way of doing things. All new hires are told upfront you provide a pallet jack. No one has been forced to buy an electric. The company has purchased several electrics you can sign out on a daily basis if you feel you need one. I have never had a problem saying no to a delivery that's unsafe to do with my manual jack. I have yet to find a situation where an electric is worth what they want for one.
 
Ted Decker trk said:
Their company, their way of doing things. All new hires are told upfront you provide a pallet jack. No one has been forced to buy an electric. The company has purchased several electrics you can sign out on a daily basis if you feel you need one. I have never had a problem saying no to a delivery that's unsafe to do with my manual jack. I have yet to find a situation where an electric is worth what they want for one.
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In spite of all that and the no OT pay, I’d still rather drive a green truck than one that says XPO or Saia on the side. It ain’t always about the money.
 
Measely Wages said:
Point taken.
Also; in the future, you could say ‘please’.
All that automatic, hard, zero tolerance response stuff isn’t always necessary.
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:horseshit:Yep! That one post never deserved to be called out. This forum is totally dead for the most part so anything that would encourage traffic should be appreciated. Now if the thread got hijacked and started running amuck then maybe say something.
 
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Sling Blade said:
In spite of all that and the no OT pay, I’d still rather drive a green truck than one that says XPO or Saia on the side. It ain’t always about the money.
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Yeah I'm pretty happy here. I broke my dispatchers of calling or texting my cell phone. I communicate almost exclusively on tablet message screen unless it's really pressing. My W-2 gross will be a touch above 83k for this year. So I purchased
a 350$ jack nine years ago they've in essence rebuilt for me over the years, I'm not gonna squawk to hard about it. Pretty chillaxed days now that I'm in a bid. Floating could be a little hectic at times but I did enjoy it while I did it and those 60-65 hour checks were REALLY nice. I go out, make them money, make me money, we leave each other alone and life is good. I did loose my single axle Pete though. I went in vacation and a new guy wrecked it in a jackknife single vehicle wreck. They put me in a brand new Tandem that as of now I don't have to share. We have twice as many city as line guys so some luck out and don't have to share. BTW, welcome aboard Measly Wages, good luck and I hope you find a home here at the Big Green Machine. Maybe check out our sponsored Bowl Game on TV tonight.
 
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