Conveyors and Pallet Jacks

Without suitable conveyors and pallet jacks, every in-house warehouse becomes a marathon of walking distances. Pallets sit at goods receipt, pickers haul cartons through narrow aisles, and the packing area becomes a bottleneck. In a fulfillment warehouse, conveyors are the invisible infrastructure of material flow: they connect goods receipt, storage locations, picking and shipping into one continuous process.

This guide explains which conveyors and pallet jacks make sense for which order volume, how to prioritize investments, and what to watch for regarding safety, maintenance and ergonomics. The goal is a setup that scales with your growth – without buying expensive automation from day one.

Why Conveyors Are Critical in Fulfillment

In e-commerce fulfillment, every minute per order counts. Walking distances without transport equipment add up quickly: A picker who walks 8 kilometers per day loses up to 90 minutes of pure transport time. Pallet jacks and roll containers reduce these losses while also relieving employees' backs.

Conveyors have a direct impact on key KPIs:

• Throughput time: Faster movement of goods between zones
• Pick accuracy: Less shaking and restacking during transport
• Workplace safety: Less manual lifting of heavy loads
• Scalability: More orders without proportionally more staff

Typical mistakes in practice:

• Pallet jacks are only purchased after the first pallet rack is already in place
• Roll containers are missing even though batch picking has been introduced
• Electric forklifts are acquired although rack height is below 3 meters
• Conveyor belts are installed without standardizing the packing process

Conveyors in In-House Warehousing: Hierarchy

All levels connect at the central node material flow from goods receipt to shipping.

Pallet Jacks: Types and Applications

Pallet jacks – colloquially often called "ants" – are the foundation of every warehouse logistics operation with pallets. They move Euro pallets (120 x 80 cm) and industrial pallets from the truck ramp to the storage location.

Manual Pallet Jacks

The classic manual pallet jack is the most affordable and flexible solution. It is suitable for:

• Goods receipt and unloading
• Short distances up to 50 meters
• Pallets up to approx. 1,500 kg load capacity
• Rack heights up to about 3 meters (with standard forks)

Important selection criteria:

1. Load capacity: At least 2,000 kg for safety reserve
2. Fork length: 1,150 mm for standard Euro pallets
3. Wheels: Polyurethane for smooth floors, solid rubber for rough surfaces
4. Brake: Parking brake on at least one steering wheel
5. Ergonomics: Short lift stroke, padded handle

Electric Pallet Jacks and Electric Forklifts

Once rack heights exceed 3 meters or more than 30 pallets are moved daily, electric assistance pays off. Electric pallet jacks lift loads at the push of a button; electric forklifts additionally drive motorized.

Roll Containers, Pick Carts and Piece Goods Conveyors

While pallet jacks move pallets, roll containers and pick carts transport individual items or cartons during picking. They are indispensable once you switch from single-order picking to batch or multi-order picking.

Roll Containers

Roll containers are open or enclosed carts with multiple levels or compartments. They are loaded with picked items and driven to the packing area.

Advantages:

• Separation of multiple orders in one run
• Protection of sensitive goods during transport
• Stackable when not in use to save space

Typical configurations:

• 2–4 compartments for multi-order picking
• Wire mesh carts for bulky items
• With lid for valuable or small parts

Pick Carts with Compartments

Pick carts combine steering wheels, multiple order compartments and often an integrated scanner holder. They are particularly suitable for zone picking, where each picker only covers their area.

Transport Trolleys and Platform Carts

For bulky goods, returns or transporting fully packed shipments, flat platform carts make sense. Look for non-slip surfaces and side restraints for heavy loads.

Picking with Roll Containers: Process Flow

Stationary Conveyors: Roller and Belt Conveyors

Once you have a fixed packing and shipping line, stationary conveying pays off. Roller and belt conveyors bridge short distances without manual carrying – for example from the packing station to the shipping zone or from goods receipt to the first sorting station.

Roller Conveyors

Roller conveyors consist of free-running or powered rollers. They are affordable, modularly expandable and ideal for:

• Handover between two workstations
• Curves and branches in the packing area
• Gravity conveying of light cartons

Belt Conveyors

Belt conveyors also transport heavy or irregularly shaped goods. They are suitable for:

• Permanent connection between packing line and shipping belt
• Sorting lines with multiple exits
• Integration of scales and scan stations

Roller vs. Belt Conveyors

Investment range for stationary conveying:

Selection Criteria: Planning the Right Conveyors

The selection depends on warehouse layout, product range, order volume and budget. Before investing, analyze your material flow systematically.

Step-by-Step Analysis

1. Measure walking distances: Document typical routes from goods receipt to storage location, storage location to packing area, packing area to shipping
2. Categorize loads: Pallets, cartons, individual items, bulky goods – each needs suitable conveyors
3. Determine frequency: How often per day is the same route traveled?
4. Identify bottlenecks: Where does goods pile up? Where do employees wait?
5. Plan ahead: Consider growth forecast for 12–24 months

Sizing by Order Volume

Up to 30 orders per day:

• 1–2 manual pallet jacks
• Optionally 1–2 simple transport trolleys
• No roll container strictly necessary for single-order picking

30–100 orders per day:

• 2–3 manual pallet jacks or 1 electric pallet jack
• 4–8 roll containers for batch picking
• 1–2 pick carts for zone picking
• First roller conveyors at packing station possible

100+ orders per day:

• Electric forklift for high-bay warehouse
• 10+ roll containers, pick carts per zone
• Stationary conveying from packing to shipping area
• Optionally AGV/AMR for recurring routes

Safety, Maintenance and Legal Requirements

Conveyors are subject to the German Industrial Safety Regulation (BetrSichV) and DGUV Regulation 68 (industrial trucks). Accidents involving pallet jacks are among the most common warehouse accidents – prevention is mandatory.

Daily and Periodic Inspections

Daily before shift start:

• Visual inspection of forks, wheels and brakes
• Function test of lifting mechanism
• Check for damage to frame and steering
• Battery charge level on electric equipment

Annually by qualified personnel:

• UVV inspection for electric forklifts and powered conveyors
• Inspection of brakes and safety devices
• Documentation in equipment log

Training and Certification

• Manual pallet jacks: Instruction by supervisor, documented
• Electric forklifts: Forklift license per DGUV, refresher every 3–5 years
• Conveyor systems: Operator training before initial commissioning

Integration into the Fulfillment Process

Conveyors only deliver their benefit in conjunction with warehouse layout, WMS and defined workflows. A roll container without a pick strategy is just an expensive cart.

Connection to Goods Receipt and Putaway

At goods receipt, the pallet jack takes the pallet from the truck and brings it to the inspection area or directly to the storage location. The WMS or putaway instruction determines the target location. Without a pallet jack, every goods receipt is delayed by minutes per pallet.

Connection to Picking

Roll containers and pick carts are the link between storage location and packing area. The WMS generates pick lists that pickers process with the appropriate conveyor. In batch picking, multiple orders are sorted in parallel into compartments.

Connection to the Packing Area

At the packing station, items are removed from the roll container, packed and prepared for shipping. Roller conveyors at the packing station speed up handover of finished packages for franking.

Material Flow with Conveyors

Cost-Benefit and Investment Planning

Conveyors pay for themselves through time savings, fewer errors and reduced strain on staff. The following table provides guidance for total investment.

Checklist: Procuring Conveyors and Pallet Jacks

Use this checklist before every investment:

• Walking distances and material flow documented (goods receipt to shipping)
• Pallet and piece goods share of product range determined
• Rack height and aisle width checked for forklift decision
• Order volume and growth forecast for 12 months available
• Number of parallel pickers and packing stations defined
• Pallet jack type and load capacity selected
• Roll container quantity aligned with pick strategy
• Forklift license and training plan for electric equipment planned
• UVV inspection intervals and maintenance contract organized
• Escape routes and turning circles considered in warehouse layout
• Spare parts (wheels, forks, batteries) in stock or supplier defined

Daily Pallet Jack Inspection

• Test brakes
• Check forks for cracks
• Check wheels for blockages
• Oil lifting mechanism
• Charge battery
• Report damage

Practical Example: E-Commerce Retailer Optimizes Material Flow

An online retailer with 80 orders per day and pallet racks initially had only one manual pallet jack. Pickers carried cartons to the packing area – at 80 orders that was over 6 hours of pure walking time per day.

The measures:

1. Acquisition of 6 roll containers with 4 compartments for batch picking
2. Second manual pallet jack for parallel goods receipt
3. 3 meters of roller conveyor between packing station and shipping zone
4. Training of all employees in safe handling of conveyors

Result after three months: Transport time reduced by 35 percent, two additional full-time positions for pure carrying avoided, back complaints in the team significantly decreased.

Related Topics

• Equipment and Technology
• Shelving Systems and Warehouse Layout
• Picking and Order Fulfillment
• Training and Safety
• Putaway and Booking

Last updated: July 6, 2026