To be competitive, profitable and successful, a modern logistics operation needs to be consistently efficient and reliable, which requires getting the most from the available storage space in a warehouse or distribution centre.

These operations commonly need to move pallets efficiently between unloading areas, marshalling zones, storage locations and dispatch operations. Sometimes loading and unloading takes place out in the yard. Traditionally, such operations have required multiple types of material handling equipment, each designed for specific tasks. Modern, highly versatile articulated forklifts, however, have been developed to offer a genuine indoor and outdoor capability.

Inside the warehouse, space is at a premium, leading to many operators adopting very narrow aisle (VNA) storage systems to increase pallet density and ‘maximise the cube’. However, achieving productivity in these environments depends heavily on a forklift truck’s dimensions: the more compact the truck, the more effectively it can manoeuvre within restricted spaces.

When a truck is articulated it doesn’t need the space that a reach or counterbalance truck would require to turn into a pallet position. This means that within any storage space, aisle widths can be reduced and more racking bays introduced.

These key characteristics of the articulated truck concept, which is an innovation in itself, have won many converts among 3PLs, retailers and manufacturers alike. However, its considerable success has not halted its development and there have been many recent innovative advances to enhance its capabilities. So, what are the important features to look for when it comes to buying an articulated forklift truck?

1. The natural environment for an articulated forklift truck is a narrow aisle where manoeuvrability really matters. Being designed as a front wheel drive articulated forklift allows 220 degree Over-Rotation to be incorporated on all Flexi® models, with the 15VN achieving 230 degrees. This is one of the defining features of advanced articulated forklift design for warehouse operators, delivering significant advantages by allowing the trucks to turn safely in an extremely tight environment, reducing the need for multiple corrective manoeuvres and giving the operator complete control of the load, improving efficiency during pallet storage and retrieval.

By being able to work in narrow aisles an articulated truck, like the Flexi®, allows logistics operations to increase pallet storage capacity by anything between 30 and 50 per cent, enabling a business to get the most from its storage cube. It is also perfectly suited to working in narrow aisles alongside order picking staff during a pick cycle without creating a health and safety issue, whereas traditional warehouse products, such as guided VNA machines and man-up Combis, require the storage cube to be free of pedestrians or other truck traffic at all times.

2. Working in narrow aisles places a forklift truck closer to racking – the damage of which remains one of the most common and costly warehouse issues. Even minor impacts can compromise structural integrity, create safety risks, and generate expensive repair costs.

Conventional articulated trucks often swing outward when turning in an aisle, increasing the likelihood of impact and potential racking damage. A bespoke, curved chassis design, known as TrueRadius®, allows a Flexi to follow the exact curvature of the chassis during articulation, significantly reducing the risk of racking damage. This design eliminates the issue by maintaining a consistent profile throughout the turn. As a result, operators can concentrate fully on handling loads, improving both speed and safety during operation.⁠ Efficiency is crucial in logistics operations, but safety is paramount.

3. When operating in very narrow aisles and lifting up to 15,000 mm, it is vital to have complete control over the load. Exceptionally smooth and precise operation without the risk of hydraulic interference requires innovative hydraulic design. For operators, the difference is noticeable. Flexi achieves this through being engineered with independent drive, lift, and steer motors. The independent motor system is controlled digitally to ensure productive and safe performance throughout the working day, allowing operators to manoeuvre effortlessly in tight warehouse environments while maintaining full control over loads. The power-steering motor provides precise steering with no ‘kickback’. By eliminating reliance on shared hydraulic functions, the truck delivers consistent power distribution, reducing wear and tear on components and improving long-term reliability.

Beyond operational benefits, by reducing stress on shared components and ensuring balanced power distribution and wear, independent motor systems can minimise maintenance requirements over the life of the truck.

4. Maximium visibility is a critical factor for the safe and accurate operation of lift trucks. Poor visibility not only slows down operations but also can increase operator fatigue and elevate the risk of accidents involving personnel, products or warehouse infrastructure.

Flexi is designed with a Twin-Post Hi-Vis Operator’s Overhead Guard, which ensures perfect upward visibility of the forks and the load when stacking. In addition, the truck has an advanced ‘Clear View’ Hi-Vis Mast, with mast brace sections designed not to impede eye-line and a sloped nose cone. A short chassis length, meanwhile, ensures the operator is as close to their load as possible. These features combine to provide unrivalled visibility – from an unobstructed view that reduces blind spots, to significantly enhancing safety and accuracy. This allows operators to handle loads with greater precision and confidence, keeping them, the infrastructure and products safe – which is especially important in high-density racking environments where maximising throughput is mission critical.

With its ergonomic design elements and enhanced visibility features, Flexi® ensures a safer, more efficient, and more comfortable experience for operators, ultimately boosting productivity in demanding warehouse operations.

5. A battery charging system should ensure that the electric-powered articulated forklift trucks operate at optimum efficiency 24/7, if required. An advantage of Flexi’s innovative design is that the battery can be removed simply and safely at low level from the rear using a hand pallet truck or another forklift. No chains or slings are required during battery change over operations. In addition, we have a Lithium-Ion option to suit all applications available to avoid the need for battery changing.

6. A front pivot axle design, as with the Flexi®, improves stability and ride comfort when operating on external surfaces, loading yards and uneven ground conditions. This essential feature of an articulated truck provides operators with greater confidence and control, particularly during intensive, high-volume operations.

Front wheel drive gives the operator complete control over the load and allows Over-Rotation of the articulated steer. This enables the operator to turn in an extremely tight environment and allows for an operator to correct any errors in their movements in the aisle. Flexi Narrow Aisle® is a pioneer of front wheel drive design that, combined with a true indoor/outdoor wheel and tyre configuration, is the perfect option for traction in all conditions. This design feature gives the truck the versatility to collect pallets directly from marshalling, unloading, and loading areas without the need for additional material handling equipment. This capability eliminates the reliance on multiple trucks for different tasks, reducing operational complexity and improving overall efficiency, offering a true one truck, ‘Road-to-Rack™’ solution.

With the continual evolution and advancement of articulated trucks, such as with the Flexi® from Narrow Aisle, users have come to benefit from increased picking efficiency, extra storage space in the warehouse, a reduction in double handing and a slimmer truck fleet due to running just one truck that can load/unload vehicles and stack in narrow aisles – resulting in savings of up to 50% in operating costs.

Many of the innovations discussed in this article are demonstrated in the Flexi Feature Focus video series on YouTube.