Vending Machine Hand Trucks and Dollies
Elements of Great Vending Machine Hand Truck
A vending machine dolly is tasked with moving some of the bulkiest and heaviest appliances on the market. Vending machines, especially those that are refrigerated, are dangerously heavy. They can only be handled by equipment designed to move them. It has to be heavier, and in some cases taller, than a standard appliance dolly.
Hand trucks for vending machines also require a design that makes handling the machine in tight places and on stairs easier. Like all handtrucks, the wheels play a critical part in distributing the weight and moving the unit smoothly between locations. Here are things to think about when considering a vending machine dolly:
- Ensure it has a swing-out feature. This is an extra set of wheels on a mechanism that allows the hand truck to bear the weight of a tilted machine. Tilting the machine centers the weight on more than just the main wheels of the hand truck – thus stabilizing the load. When the hand truck is fully vertical, the mechanism is folded up out of the way. When tilted, the mechanism swings out and locks.
- Consider a safety brake for your vending machine hand truck. Not all surfaces are level. A safety brake ensures the truck and the machine stays in one place on sloped surfaces. It also helps to keep things temporarily “frozen” so that power can be connects, areas can be cleaned and other duties performed before a vending machine is permanently placed. The safety brake keeps things safe by locking the machine down so it cannot move and cause injury.
- Dual straps are a good idea on a vending machine dolly. Many vending machines are taller than most people, so having two points to secure the machine to the hand truck keeps things safe and makes it all easier to move.
Talk to others in the vending business and see what they have to do in order to move their machines. In many markets there are vendors whose entire business is moving vending machines. These professionals tend to use professional equipment such as Dutro’s vending machine hand trucks.