Folding warehouse trolleys: which pattern to buy, and when fixed is better

What is a folding warehouse trolley, and what actually folds?

A folding warehouse trolley is an ordinary wheeled platform or mesh cart with one difference: a hinge and a catch that let part of it drop flat when the trolley is not working. The frame is steel, stainless steel or a steel frame with plastic panels, it runs on four or five castors, and it carries a rated load on its label in the same way a fixed trolley does.

Three folding patterns turn up in the warehouse trolley range, and they save different kinds of space:

• The handle folds forward onto the deck. The trolley keeps its footprint but loses its height, so trolleys nest into each other and stack against a wall.
• The mesh sides drop inwards. A cage cart becomes a flat deck in a few seconds, which suits stores that move cartons out and flat stock back.
• The upper tier collapses on a two tier picking cart, turning a two shelf trolley into a single low deck.

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Which jobs suit a folding trolley, and which do not?

Folding pays for itself when the trolley spends more of the week idle than loaded. That is the pattern in a shop backroom with no room to spare, in a cash and carry that only pushes trolleys out during a delivery window, in van and market work where the trolley travels with the stock, and in seasonal work where a run of trolleys comes out for the Christmas trade and goes away again in January.

It also suits returns and reverse logistics. A mesh sided foldable trolley from £87 ex VAT, bulk price holds loose returns behind its sides on the way in, then drops flat so the same trolley carries banded cartons back out.

Fixed is the better buy in three cases. First, continuous shuttle work on goods in, where a trolley is loaded and emptied all shift and a latch is just one more thing to check. Second, awkward long loads that need the whole deck clear and rigid. Third, anywhere the equipment gets handled roughly by a lot of different people, because a hinge is the first thing to suffer. For those jobs a 200 kg castor trolley from £37 ex VAT does the work with nothing to unlatch.

Comparison: folding patterns, rated load and guide price

Read the prices as starting points for the specification shown on each product page. Freight, VAT and the price for your quantity are confirmed on your written quote, which stays valid for 30 days.

Mesh sides, two tiers or a flat deck: which pattern to specify

Match the pattern to what you carry, rather than to the lowest figure on the price list. Loose, light and awkward stock wants sides, so a mesh cart is the answer and the sides can drop when you need a flat deck instead. Boxed stock picked in sequence wants two tiers, because a picker walking an aisle wants two working heights rather than one tall stack. Heavy single items want a flat deck and a low load height.

Finish matters as much as the fold. Zinc plated and painted steel are fine for dry warehouse and shop floor work. For chilled rooms, wash down areas and anywhere near food, specify the stainless steel mesh two tier folding cart at 300 kg from £44 ex VAT, bulk price, because plated steel will pit where trolleys are hosed down.

If almost everything you move is a full cage of stock that goes onto a lorry, a folding trolley is the wrong tool and a roll cage is the right one. Folding trolleys earn their place on the internal moves either side of that.

How much space does a folding warehouse trolley really save?

Measure it before you commit, because the saving depends entirely on the pattern. A trolley whose handle folds down keeps its deck footprint, so the gain is vertical: trolleys nest and a row of them stands against a wall instead of blocking an aisle. A trolley whose sides or upper tier collapse loses most of its volume, which is what matters when trolleys go into a van or a cage overnight.

Two figures are worth asking for on your quote: the folded depth of a single trolley, and whether the trolleys nest when folded. A trolley that folds flat but will not nest saves you far less than the brochure suggests. Also check the folded unit still rolls, because a folded trolley you have to carry gets left where it was dropped.

One practical point for van work: make sure the catch holds the trolley folded as well as open. A trolley that unfolds itself on a corner is a hazard in a loaded van.

What to check before you buy a folding warehouse trolley

Work through this list before you send the order request, and put the answers on the written quote so there is no argument later:

• Rated load and how it is measured. The figure applies with the trolley locked open and the load spread over the deck. Ask for the rating in kg and specify it on the quote.
• The hinge and the catch. This is the only part a fixed trolley does not have. It should lock positively open, lock folded, and be operable with one hand while the other holds stock.
• Castors. Ask for the diameter, the tread and the arrangement. Two fixed and two swivel tracks straighter on long runs; four swivel turns in tight aisles. Specify at least one braked castor if the trolley is loaded on a slope or in a lift.
• Deck size against your stock. Measure the cartons or the part pallet you actually move, including the 1200 mm by 800 mm footprint if you break down euro pallets, and check the deck takes it without overhang.
• Finish for the environment. Stainless steel for wash down and chilled, zinc plated or painted steel for dry areas.
• Handle height and push force. A handle that is too low means staff stoop, and a stooping picker moves less stock.
• Spares. Castors are the wear item on any trolley. Check a replacement castor can be ordered later and note it on the quote.

Under PUWER 1998 the trolleys are work equipment, so they need to be suitable for the job and kept in good repair. In practice that means a quick weekly look at castors and hinges, and taking a trolley out of use when a catch stops holding. Send the list to our sales team and you will get one quote covering the mix you need.