Which electric pallet truck do I need? The UK buying guide for cash and carries, wholesalers and warehouses

Which electric pallet truck do I need?

Buy the 1500 kg lithium model for everyday grocery and dry goods pallets, the 2000 kg lithium model for drinks, flour, rice, oils and tins, the semi-electric model where staff push long distances but lift rarely, and a hand pallet truck as the backup on every site. Those four trucks cover almost every cash and carry, wholesale and food distribution floor in the UK.

An electric pallet truck is a pedestrian pallet truck with a battery-powered drive motor and electric lift. The operator walks behind it and steers with a tiller. The full definition, the licence answer and the battery-life answer are on the electric pallet trucks category page. This guide goes deeper on how to choose.

The four questions that decide it

1. What is the heaviest pallet you move? That sets the capacity.
2. How many pallets a shift, and how far? That decides electric, semi-electric or hand.
3. Do you load from lorries and tail-lifts? That decides truck weight and gradient.
4. Who will drive it? That decides the training you need to record.

Work through the sections below in order, then use the buyer checklist at the end. If you would rather ask, send the weight of your heaviest pallet on WhatsApp and we will recommend a model.

Electric vs semi-electric vs hand pallet truck

An electric pallet truck drives and lifts under power, a semi-electric pallet truck drives under power but lifts with a manual pump, and a hand pallet truck is pushed and pumped by the operator. Choose by how many pallets you move per shift and how often you lift a loaded pallet.

For repeated lifts, long runs, ramps within the rated gradient and tail-lift work, a fully electric truck removes the pumping and pushing strain. Where the work is mostly pushing a loaded pallet across a large floor with few lifts, a 2000 kg Semi-Electric Pallet Truck does the job with less to charge. For occasional short moves, and as the backup when an electric truck is charging, a 2500 kg Hand Pallet Truck is enough and needs no charging at all.

The comparison table on this page sets the three types side by side. Our semi-electric pallet trucks and hand pallet trucks and pump trucks each have their own category page.

Which capacity do I need: 1500 kg or 2000 kg?

Match the heaviest pallet you move, plus a margin, and 1500 kg covers most grocery, confectionery, household and dry goods pallets. Go to 2000 kg for drinks, flour, rice, sugar, cooking oil, tinned goods and mixed heavy pallets.

Typical pallet weights by product type

• Crisps, cereals, paper goods and light packaged grocery: well under 1000 kg.
• Mixed cash and carry grocery pallets: usually 600 kg to 1200 kg.
• Canned drinks, bottled water and soft drinks: often 1000 kg to 1400 kg.
• Flour, rice, sugar and cooking oil in sacks or drums: often 1200 kg to 1800 kg.

These are typical figures, not a promise about your goods. Weigh your heaviest pallet, or ask your supplier for the pallet weight on the delivery note, before you decide. If any pallet sits above 1500 kg, order the 2000 kg Lithium Electric Pallet Truck. If every pallet sits comfortably below it, the 1500 kg Lithium Electric Pallet Truck is the everyday choice. Many sites order one of each. Loads above 2000 kg belong on the 2500 kg hand pallet truck.

Fork sizes and pallets

Our electric pallet trucks have forks sized for the two pallets UK cash and carries and wholesalers use every day: the Euro pallet, 1200 x 800 mm, and the UK standard pallet, 1200 x 1000 mm. The exact fork length and width for each model are on the spec sheet supplied with your quote.

Standard forks enter a Euro pallet across the 800 mm side and a UK pallet across the 1000 mm side. Check which way your pallets are racked and which way your lorries are loaded, because the fork entry direction decides how the truck approaches the pallet.

Some sites need something different: long forks for two pallets end to end, wide forks for UK pallets entered across the long side, or low-profile forks for closed-bottom pallets. These are not in the launch range. Tell us on WhatsApp what you need to lift and we will check what our factory partners can supply and quote it.

Electric pallet truck battery: lithium-ion vs lead-acid

Choose lithium-ion. Both of our electric pallet trucks use lithium-ion batteries, and a charger is included with each truck. Lithium-ion charges faster than lead-acid, needs no water top-ups, holds its voltage until the pack is nearly empty and is not harmed by partial charging, so the truck can be topped up during breaks.

Lithium-ion or lead-acid: the practical differences

• Charging: lithium-ion accepts a partial charge; lead-acid should be fully charged each time to avoid sulphation.
• Maintenance: no water top-ups or acid checks on lithium-ion.
• Weight: lithium packs are lighter for the same energy, which helps on tail-lifts.
• Fumes: lithium-ion does not gas while charging, so no dedicated charging room is needed for a pedestrian truck.
• Life: lithium packs are rated for many more charge cycles than lead-acid.

The battery voltage, capacity, charge time and hours per charge for each model are on the spec sheet supplied with your quote. We do not publish figures we have not confirmed. Charge on a hard floor away from combustible goods, follow the manual and your own fire risk assessment, and use only the charger supplied with the truck.

For the hours-per-charge answer see electric pallet trucks. Whether the pack on a given model can be removed and charged off the truck is answered in the FAQ below.

How much does an electric pallet truck cost in the UK?

The price of an electric pallet truck depends on its rated capacity, battery, fork size and whether it is fully or semi-electric, and we quote every model as a trade price ex VAT on WhatsApp. We do not publish prices on the site yet, because every order is made to order at our factory partners and freight moves with the order.

What decides the price

What the quote covers

• The truck, with charger included on the lithium models.
• Delivery to your door by pallet carrier, with the delivery charge confirmed on the quote.
• Warranty as stated on the product page.
• VAT at 20% is added to the trade price for UK business customers.

Ask for a trade price on WhatsApp with the model, quantity and delivery postcode. UK limited companies and LLPs can apply for a trade account with trade credit, subject to checks. Read how the minimum order works across the pallet trucks range.

New or used electric pallet truck?

Buy new. On an electric pallet truck the battery is the largest single cost, and a used truck's battery has an unknown number of cycles behind it, often no charger of the right type, and no warranty. A new truck arrives with a fresh lithium-ion pack, the matching charger and the warranty stated on the product page.

What to check on any second-hand lithium truck

• Battery age, cycle count and whether the original charger is included.
• Fork straightness, wheel wear and tiller play.
• Whether the manual and the maker's declaration of conformity are present.
• Whether a thorough examination report exists and when the last one was.

We sell new equipment only. We do not sell used trucks and we do not hire. If the budget is the issue, a semi-electric or hand pallet truck bought new is usually the better answer than a fully electric truck bought used.

Electric pallet truck training requirements in the UK: PUWER and licences

No licence is needed to drive a pedestrian electric pallet truck in the UK, but the employer must provide adequate training and check the operator is competent under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), regulation 9. The same duty applies to semi-electric and hand pallet trucks.

What is a PPT licence?

A PPT licence is an operator certificate for pedestrian powered pallet trucks issued after an accredited course, usually through RTITB or ITSSAR. It is not a government licence and no law names it. It is the usual way an employer proves the training PUWER requires, and most insurers and larger customers expect to see it.

What the employer should record

• Basic training: how the truck works, the controls, the pre-use check.
• Job-specific training: your pallets, your floor, your lorries and tail-lifts.
• Familiarisation: supervised use on site before the operator works alone.
• A record of who was trained, by whom, when, and on which truck.
• For hand pallet trucks, basic recorded instruction and a place in the risk assessment.

We supply new trucks. We do not run training courses. The licence question is also answered in the FAQ on electric pallet trucks.

LOLER thorough examination, daily checks and servicing

Pallet trucks are lifting equipment, so in practice they need a thorough examination under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), and HSE guidance at hse.gov.uk treats them that way. LOLER sets 12 months as the interval for equipment that does not lift people. Book examinations through your usual inspection provider.

Daily pre-use checks by the operator

• Forks straight and undamaged, no cracks at the heel.
• Wheels and rollers free, no flats or embedded debris.
• Tiller, horn, brake and emergency reverse (where fitted) working.
• Battery charge level and charger lead condition.
• Lift and lower under a light load, no creep down.

Servicing

Follow the maker's service intervals in the manual: wheels, hydraulics, drive unit, brake and battery connections. Keep a simple log with the truck's serial number. A truck that fails a pre-use check is taken out of use until it is fixed. The LOLER answer for the category is on electric pallet trucks as well.

Pallet truck wheels and floors

Polyurethane wheels suit most cash and carry and warehouse floors: quiet, kind to smooth concrete and resin, and resistant to flat-spotting. Nylon rolls with the least effort on smooth dry concrete and suits hand pallet trucks pushed by hand. Rubber grips best on rough, wet or outdoor surfaces and is the softest on the floor.

The 2500 kg hand pallet truck is available with polyurethane or nylon wheels; the polyurethane or nylon answer for hand pallet trucks is on the hand pallet trucks and pump trucks page. The wheel material fitted to each electric model is on the spec sheet with your quote.

Ramps, tail-lifts, lorries and outdoor use

An electric pallet truck can climb ramps within the gradient limit printed in its manual, and compact pedestrian trucks are used inside lorries and on tail-lifts every day. The limit is stated as a percentage, laden and unladen, on the spec sheet supplied with your quote. Do not guess it.

Before you use a truck on a tail-lift

• Add the truck's service weight to the heaviest pallet and check it against the tail-lift's rated load.
• Check the tail-lift platform is long enough for the truck plus the pallet.
• Lower the forks before the platform moves and keep the operator off the platform where the vehicle operator's rules say so.

Outdoors and uneven ground

Electric pallet trucks are designed for smooth, dry, level floors. A short run across a smooth yard is normal; gravel, potholes, kerbs, wet leaves and steep external ramps are not. Small drive and load wheels stop dead on a kerb edge, and a lithium truck is not sealed against standing water. If pallets regularly cross rough ground, plan a hardstanding or use a different machine for that leg.

How much does an electric pallet truck weigh?

A pedestrian lithium electric pallet truck weighs a few hundred kilograms with its battery fitted, and the exact service weight of each of our models is on the spec sheet supplied with your quote. A semi-electric truck is lighter than a fully electric one, and a hand pallet truck is lighter again.

The service weight matters for three things: the rated load of your tail-lift, the floor loading in a mezzanine or lift, and the carrier's handling on delivery. Add the truck weight to your heaviest pallet before you check any of them. We publish only the weights our factory partners have confirmed, so ask on WhatsApp for the figure on the model you are considering.

Buying for a cash and carry, wholesaler, food distributor or warehouse: the checklist

Answer these seven points and you have the order. Send them to us on WhatsApp and we will confirm the model, the trade price ex VAT and the lead time in writing.

1. Capacity: the heaviest pallet you move, plus a margin. 1500 kg or 2000 kg.
2. Forks: Euro 1200 x 800 mm, UK 1200 x 1000 mm, or something else.
3. Battery: lithium-ion with the charger included; where the truck will charge.
4. Floor: smooth concrete, resin, cold room, yard; the wheel material to match.
5. Tail-lift: its rated load against truck weight plus pallet.
6. Training: who is trained, who trains them, where it is recorded.
7. Minimum order: mix electric, semi-electric and hand models in one order. Minimum order applies. Mix models in the range to reach it.

Is there a best electric pallet truck?

The best electric pallet truck is the one whose rated capacity, forks, battery and service weight match your pallets, floor and lorries. A badge does not move a pallet. Judge any truck, ours included, on the spec sheet, the warranty, the charger supplied and the availability of spares, and buy from a seller who puts all of that in writing before you pay.

Where to buy: how ordering works

Order on WhatsApp. Made to order at our factory partners and delivered to your door by pallet carrier. Typical lead time 8 to 12 weeks from order confirmation. Deposit 30% on order, balance before despatch.

1. Send the model, quantity and delivery postcode on WhatsApp or to [email protected]. We reply with a written quote: trade price ex VAT, delivery charge, lead time and warranty.
2. Confirm the order and pay the deposit. The order is placed with our factory partners.
3. Production and sea freight. Air freight is quoted on request. Orders cannot be cancelled once in production.
4. Pay the balance before despatch. Delivery is kerbside by tail-lift to UK mainland addresses; London and the M25 delivered by us where possible. See delivery.

Business customers only. Sales only: we do not hire and we do not sell used. Trade credit is available to UK limited companies and LLPs through a trade account, subject to checks. Browse the range on electric pallet trucks or go straight to the 1500 kg Lithium Electric Pallet Truck and the 2000 kg Lithium Electric Pallet Truck. Need to weigh pallets on arrival? See our 2000 kg pallet scale.