Material Handling Equipment: Complete Guide
Material handling equipment includes the tools, machines, storage structures and systems used to move, position, store, protect and control materials as they travel through manufacturing, warehousing and distribution operations. Choosing the right equipment is not simply a matter of finding something capable of carrying a load; it requires matching the load, movement pattern, throughput, workspace, employees and future operating requirements to the right handling method.
For a warehouse or manufacturing facility, that can mean everything from pallet racking and industrial shelving to lifting equipment, cranes, hoists, workstations, loading dock equipment and specialized handling devices.
This guide explains how the major material handling functions fit together, how to evaluate equipment, which factors facilities commonly overlook and how to approach equipment selection as part of a complete material-flow system.
What Is Material Handling Equipment?
Material handling equipment is the physical equipment and related systems used to support the movement, positioning, storage, protection and control of materials and products throughout an industrial operation.
MHI defines material handling more broadly as the movement, protection, storage and control of materials and products throughout manufacturing, distribution, consumption and disposal.
Quick Answer
The right material handling equipment depends on what is being handled, where it must move, how often it moves, how it must be stored or positioned, who interacts with it and what physical constraints exist in the facility. Equipment should therefore be selected as part of an operating system rather than as isolated products.
Key Takeaways
Start with the material and the required movement—not with an equipment catalog.
Weight capacity alone is not enough; dimensions, shape, center of gravity, handling frequency and load condition also matter.
Fixed routes, variable routes, storage tasks and positioning tasks often require fundamentally different equipment.
Facility dimensions, aisle clearances, doors, turns, ceilings and floor conditions can eliminate otherwise attractive options.
Ergonomics and safety should influence equipment selection from the beginning.
Lifecycle cost can be more useful than purchase price when comparing alternatives.
Material Handling Equipment Is Part of a System
A common equipment-selection mistake is to optimize one task while ignoring what happens immediately before and after it.
Consider a palletized product entering a facility. It may need to move through:
Receiving → inspection → storage → retrieval → production or picking → staging → shipping
Improving one step does not automatically improve the entire process.
A faster piece of transport equipment, for example, may simply deliver material to the next bottleneck more quickly. Higher-density storage can conserve floor space but may be a poor tradeoff when rapid access to many different stock keeping units is the priority. An efficient lifting device may still perform poorly if the load must first be manually wrestled into position.
The better question is:
What handling method creates the best flow through the whole process?
MHI's material handling principles include planning, standardization, work reduction, ergonomics, unit loads, space utilization, systems thinking, automation, environmental considerations and lifecycle cost. Those principles reinforce the idea that equipment selection should support the entire operation rather than a single isolated move.
Major Functional Categories of Material Handling Equipment
There is more than one way to categorize material handling equipment.
Many commercial guides use four broad groups such as storage and handling equipment, industrial trucks, bulk material handling equipment and engineered systems. MHI's educational taxonomy instead organizes material handling equipment around five functions: transport, positioning, unit-load formation, storage, and identification and control.
For facility planning, the functional approach is useful because it begins with what the material needs to do.
1. Transport Equipment
Transport equipment moves material from one location to another.
Examples across industry include:
Conveyors
Industrial trucks
Hand trucks and carts
Cranes
Tuggers
Pallet-moving equipment
The fundamental design question is whether movement follows a fixed, repetitive route or varies from move to move.
MHI's equipment-selection guidance notes that conveyors generally fit continuous movement over fixed paths, while cranes and hoists support intermittent movement within a defined area and industrial trucks provide greater route flexibility.
That difference matters more than the equipment name.
2. Positioning Equipment
Positioning equipment changes the orientation, elevation or working position of material at a particular location.
Examples can include:
Lift tables
Tilt tables
Hoists
Balancers
Manipulators
Turntables
Work positioners
Positioning is especially important when employees repeatedly bend, reach, lift or rotate material to complete a task.
MHI describes positioning equipment as equipment that places material in the correct position for subsequent handling, machining, transport or storage.
3. Unit-Load Formation Equipment
Unit-load equipment combines or restrains items so they can be handled as a single load.
Common examples include:
Pallets
Totes
Bins
Containers
Skids
Crates
Load restraints
The objective is often to reduce the number of individual handling actions while maintaining the stability and protection of the material.
4. Storage Equipment
Storage equipment holds or buffers material until it is needed.
Examples include:
Pallet racks
Industrial shelving
Drawer cabinets
Bins
Storage platforms and mezzanines
Specialized racks
Storage design is not simply a contest to fit the most product into the least floor space.
Selectivity matters.
A high-density system may be appropriate when many identical pallets are stored together, while a facility that needs immediate access to many different SKUs may require a different configuration.
MHI's selection guidance specifically identifies unit-load characteristics, selectivity, throughput, handling-equipment interaction and building configuration as factors that influence rack selection.
5. Identification and Control Equipment
Modern material handling also depends on knowing what the material is, where it belongs and what should happen next.
Identification and control can include technologies such as:
Barcodes
RFID
Scanners
Sensors
Controls
Inventory-location systems
Equipment controls and communication systems
MHI includes identification and control as a material handling function because information coordinates the physical flow of materials through a facility.
Common Material Handling Needs and Equipment Options
The same facility may need several equipment categories working together.
Operational NeedTypical Equipment OptionsImportant Selection IssueStore palletized inventoryPallet racksPallet size, weight, SKU count, selectivity and throughputStore cartons or partsShelving, bins, drawer cabinetsItem dimensions, picking frequency and organizationMove material horizontallyCarts, trucks, conveyors or other transport equipmentDistance, route variability and move frequencyLift material verticallyLift tables, hoists, cranes or other lifting systemsLoad, lift height, frequency and operator interactionPosition workLift/tilt equipment, positioners, workstationsWorking height, reach and repetitive motionHandle long productsCantilever or specialized storageProduct length, support points and retrieval methodHandle drumsDrum trucks, handlers, palletizers or attachmentsDrum type, contents, movement and dispensing requirementsTransfer freight at docksLevelers and other dock equipmentTrailer interface, dock geometry, traffic and operating frequencyGain usable vertical spaceMezzanine or elevated platformBuilding structure, clear height, access and intended useOrganize point-of-use workWorkstations and storageTask sequence, tools, components and ergonomics
The general equipment examples above describe industry categories; they should not be interpreted as a statement that Fredon supplies every product type listed.
How Fredon's Product Families Fit Into Material Handling
Fredon's current product offering spans multiple points in a material handling system.
Pallet Storage
For palletized loads, Fredon offers pallet racking systems including selective rack, drive-in/drive-thru rack, pallet flow and cantilever configurations.
Those systems serve different operating priorities. Selective rack emphasizes direct pallet access; higher-density arrangements can favor storage density; pallet flow supports first-in, first-out movement; and cantilever rack accommodates long or irregular products.
Shelving and Parts Storage
Fredon's industrial shelving systems include open and closed shelving options, while its modular drawer cabinets provide another option for organized small-parts storage.
The best choice depends on what is being stored, how frequently employees need it and how much item-level organization is required.
Work Areas
Industrial workstations can help organize tools, components and materials around the point of use. Fredon's current workstation line includes modular configurations with stationary and mobile options.
Lifting and Positioning
Fredon also offers hydraulic lifts as part of its material handling product range. For a specific lifting application, capacity, load geometry, travel, operating frequency and employee interaction should be established before selecting a model.
Overhead Material Handling
Fredon's crane systems and hoists include workstation bridge cranes, jib cranes, gantry cranes and monorail systems, with both pre-engineered and customized crane-system options listed on its current site.
Overhead handling can be particularly useful when a load must be lifted and positioned within a defined working area rather than transported along a single fixed floor path.
Drum Handling
Drums introduce a specialized combination of lifting, moving, positioning, pouring and sometimes rotating requirements.
Fredon's drum handling equipment includes drum trucks, dollies, palletizers, forklift attachments, rotators, rollers, mobile drum handlers and other specialized devices.
Loading Dock Operations
At the receiving and shipping ends of material flow, Fredon's loading dock equipment includes hydraulic dock levelers, mechanical dock levelers, edge-of-dock levelers, vehicle restraints, dock locks, dock seals and dock shelters.
Using Vertical Space
Where floor space is constrained, industrial mezzanine systems can create additional usable levels for storage, manufacturing, equipment platforms or other applications. Fredon describes structural steel mezzanines as a way to use overhead space and expand manufacturing or warehouse capacity.
How to Choose Material Handling Equipment
The best material handling equipment is the equipment that fits the application, not necessarily the product with the greatest capacity or most features.
Before comparing models, define the operation.
Selection FactorQuestions to AnswerWhy It MattersLoadWhat is the maximum weight? Size? Shape? Center of gravity? Is it fragile, palletized, loose or awkward?Determines capacity, support method and equipment geometryTaskIs the load being stored, transported, lifted, positioned, rotated or transferred?Defines the basic equipment functionFrequencyHow many moves occur per hour or shift? What happens during peak demand?Separates occasional-use solutions from high-throughput systemsRouteIs movement fixed or variable? How far does material travel?Affects fixed versus mobile handling choicesAccessDoes every SKU need immediate access?Strongly affects storage-system designFacilityWhat are the aisle widths, turns, doors, columns, clear heights and floor conditions?Equipment must physically operate in the buildingEmployeesWhere do lifting, bending, reaching, pushing or pulling occur?Helps identify ergonomic opportunitiesEnvironmentIndoor or outdoor? Wet, dusty, corrosive, cold, hot or washdown?Can change equipment materials and configurationIntegrationWhat equipment handles the load immediately before and after this step?Prevents interface problemsGrowthCould volume, SKU mix, product size or layout change?Helps avoid premature obsolescenceLifecycle CostWhat will installation, operation, maintenance, downtime and modification cost?Purchase price alone may misrepresent the true cost
MHI's equipment-selection guidance likewise starts by matching equipment characteristics to the required application rather than choosing technology first.
Start With the Load
Before requesting a quote, document the load.
Useful information includes:
Maximum and typical weight
Length, width and height
Shape
Center of gravity where relevant
Pallet, tote or container dimensions
Whether loads are uniform or variable
Whether the material is fragile
Whether loads can be stacked
How operators currently grip or access the load
How the load arrives and how it leaves the operation
A statement such as “we need to move 1,000-pound loads” is not a complete equipment specification.
A compact 1,000-pound pallet and a long, unstable, irregular 1,000-pound component can create entirely different handling requirements.
Examine the Movement Pattern
Next, map where the material actually travels.
Ask:
Where does the move start?
Where does it end?
Is the destination always the same?
Is travel horizontal, vertical or both?
How frequently does the move occur?
Can the route change?
Does the route cross pedestrian or vehicle traffic?
Must other equipment pass through the same area?
What happens during peak production?
MHI's comparison guidance illustrates why this matters: fixed-path continuous movement, intermittent overhead movement and variable-route mobile movement have different equipment requirements.
A highly efficient solution for a fixed repetitive route can become a constraint when the process changes every week.
Look at Throughput, Not Just Capacity
Capacity answers:
Can the equipment handle the load?
Throughput asks:
Can the system handle the operation?
Those are different questions.
A piece of equipment can have more than enough weight capacity and still become a bottleneck because of:
Slow loading or unloading
Excessive travel
Operator waiting
Congestion
Poor staging
Repeated repositioning
Insufficient access
Material arriving in the wrong orientation
An upstream or downstream process that cannot keep pace
For high-use operations, document actual or estimated moves per hour, peak periods, queueing and shift volume rather than relying only on average daily demand.
Match Storage Density to Selectivity
More storage density is not automatically better.
A storage system must balance:
Cubic space utilization
SKU count
Inventory rotation
Pallet or container accessibility
Replenishment frequency
Picking method
Handling equipment
Throughput
A facility with many pallets of only a few SKUs may value density differently from one holding thousands of SKUs that need immediate access.
Fredon's pallet-racking options demonstrate this tradeoff: selective rack emphasizes direct access, while drive-in/drive-thru and pallet-flow configurations address different density and inventory-flow needs.
Consider Manual, Powered and Engineered Handling Carefully
Manual equipment can be simple, flexible and economical for appropriate applications.
Powered equipment becomes increasingly valuable when:
Moves are frequent
Travel distances increase
Loads are difficult to handle manually
Vertical movement is required
Repeatability matters
Employee physical demand becomes excessive
Fixed or engineered systems can make sense when the process is sufficiently stable and repetitive to justify dedicated infrastructure.
The mistake is assuming that one approach is inherently superior.
The right choice depends on the application.
A rarely moved light load may not justify powered equipment. A frequently handled heavy or awkward load may make continued manual handling a poor operating strategy.
Safety and Ergonomics Should Be Design Inputs
Safety should not be something added after the equipment has already been selected.
For general industry, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.176 requires sufficient safe clearance where mechanical handling equipment operates, including aisles, loading docks, doorways and turns. OSHA also requires aisles and passageways to remain clear and requires stored materials to be stable and secure against sliding or collapse.
Other equipment may be governed by additional requirements. OSHA Subpart N separately addresses powered industrial trucks, overhead and gantry cranes, derricks and slings, among other equipment categories.
Those are regulatory requirements.
Ergonomic design is a related but broader planning issue.
OSHA's ergonomics guidance recommends designing manual material handling tasks to reduce excessive weight, range of motion and frequency, and identifies approaches such as adjusting pallet or shelf height and using carts or conveyors for horizontal movement where appropriate.
NIOSH likewise recommends examining work for warning signs such as fatigue, awkward or repetitive tasks, production bottlenecks, malfunctioning equipment and unnecessary or duplicated material movement—and specifically recommends involving workers in identifying improvements.
A good material handling review therefore asks both:
Can the equipment move the load?
and:
How does the employee interact with the load before, during and after the move?
Evaluate the Facility Before Selecting Equipment
A product that looks ideal on paper can fail because it does not fit the building.
Document at least:
Aisle widths
Door dimensions
Turning areas
Ceiling and clear height
Columns
Building obstructions
Floor conditions
Floor elevation changes
Loading dock geometry
Pedestrian routes
Vehicle routes
Work cells
Existing racks and storage
Utilities or infrastructure that could interfere
When powered or mechanical handling equipment is involved, required operating clearances deserve special attention. OSHA specifically addresses safe clearances through aisles, dock areas, doors and turns.
For structural systems such as mezzanines or some storage installations, appropriate engineering and code review may also be necessary.
Map Material Flow Before Buying Equipment
A simple current-state flow map can reveal problems that an equipment catalog will never show.
Follow a representative material or product from arrival through departure.
Record:
Where it arrives
Every time it is moved
Every place it waits
Every time it changes containers or carriers
Every time an employee lifts or repositions it
Every storage location
Every inspection or processing step
Where queues form
Where damage occurs
Where it ultimately leaves
Then ask:
Which movements actually add value to the process?
A facility may discover that its largest opportunity is not moving material faster. It may be eliminating an unnecessary move entirely.
Measure Lifecycle Cost Instead of Purchase Price Alone
Purchase price is important, but it is only one part of an equipment decision.
A meaningful comparison may include:
Equipment purchase cost
Freight
Installation
Building modifications
Electrical, structural or other site work
Employee training
Energy or charging requirements where applicable
Preventive maintenance
Replacement parts
Downtime
Inspection requirements
Consumables
Future relocation or modification
Expected useful life
Space consumed by the solution
Lifecycle cost is one of MHI's established material handling principles.
Rather than asking only “Which option costs less?”, ask:
“Which option produces the lowest acceptable cost over the period we expect to operate it while still meeting capacity, safety and throughput requirements?”
What Facilities Often Overlook
Several details routinely deserve more attention during material handling planning.
Equipment Interfaces
Every handoff matters.
Will the pallet fit the rack?
Can the lifting device reach the required position?
Does the material arrive at the workstation at the correct height?
Can a load be transferred without an employee manually repositioning it?
Does dock equipment interface correctly with the trailers and vehicles actually used?
Solving one handling problem while creating another at the next step does not improve the system.
Peak Conditions
Designing around an average day can hide the period when the operation actually fails.
Consider seasonal demand, shift changes, batch releases, inbound scheduling and production peaks.
Future Product Changes
Equipment selected for today's load mix may have to handle:
Different pallets
Larger components
More SKUs
Different packaging
Higher volumes
New production lines
A rearranged facility
Flexibility has economic value when change is likely.
Worker Knowledge
Employees performing the work often know exactly where unnecessary reaches, re-handling, awkward turns, delays and bottlenecks occur.
NIOSH specifically recommends talking with workers, supervisors and managers when evaluating manual material handling problems.
Maintenance Access
Equipment must not only operate—it must also be inspected, maintained and repaired.
Consider access to service points, replacement-part availability, downtime consequences and who will maintain the equipment before finalizing a decision.
When a Single Piece of Equipment Is the Wrong Answer
Sometimes the problem is not missing equipment.
It is poor system design.
Buying another cart will not necessarily solve excessive travel.
Adding storage may not solve poor inventory organization.
A faster lift will not eliminate a queue caused by the next operation.
Adding high-density rack may increase storage capacity while making frequently accessed inventory harder to retrieve.
Before purchasing equipment, determine whether the root cause is:
Insufficient capacity
Excessive travel
Poor storage location
Inappropriate layout
Too many material touches
Poor task sequencing
Inadequate staging
An ergonomic problem
An equipment bottleneck
A process bottleneck
Only then select the equipment.
Questions to Answer Before Requesting a Quote
A supplier can provide much better guidance when the application is clearly defined.
Before requesting a quote, prepare answers to these questions:
What material or product are we handling?
What are the minimum, typical and maximum load dimensions and weights?
What must the equipment do—store, lift, move, position, rotate, stage or transfer?
How many moves occur during a normal hour or shift?
What happens during peak demand?
Where does the movement begin and end?
What are the relevant aisle, doorway, ceiling and floor constraints?
How do employees currently interact with the load?
What equipment must the new solution interface with?
What operational changes are expected over the next several years?
What safety, environmental or regulatory considerations apply?
What problem are we actually trying to eliminate?
Those answers are often more valuable than arriving with a specific model already selected.
Selecting Material Handling Equipment With Fredon Handling
Fredon Handling supplies equipment across multiple material handling functions, including storage, lifting, overhead handling, work areas, drum handling, loading docks and facility-space utilization.
Because material handling problems frequently span more than one equipment category, the best starting point is often the application itself.
Instead of asking only:
“Which lift table do I need?”
or:
“Which rack should I buy?”
start with:
“Here is our load, our process, our building and the problem we need to solve.”
That creates an opportunity to compare equipment around the actual operating requirement.
For help selecting, configuring or sourcing equipment for your facility, contact Fredon Handling with information about the load, task, workflow, facility constraints and expected throughput.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is material handling equipment?
Material handling equipment includes equipment and systems used to move, position, store, protect and help control materials throughout industrial and distribution operations. Examples range from storage racks and shelving to lifting, transport, positioning and loading-dock equipment.
What are the main types of material handling equipment?
Classification systems vary. MHI's educational taxonomy groups material handling equipment into transport equipment, positioning equipment, unit-load formation equipment, storage equipment, and identification and control equipment. Many commercial guides use a four-category framework instead, so the terminology may differ even when many of the same equipment types are being described.
How do I choose the right material handling equipment?
Start by defining the load, task, movement pattern, required throughput, facility constraints, employee interaction and equipment interfaces. Then compare equipment capable of meeting those requirements rather than choosing a product category first.
Is a forklift material handling equipment?
Yes. Forklifts are powered industrial trucks and are a form of material handling equipment used for transporting, lifting, stacking, loading and unloading materials. In workplaces covered by OSHA's general-industry rules, powered industrial trucks are specifically addressed under 29 CFR 1910.178.
What factors affect material handling equipment cost?
Cost can be affected by equipment type, capacity, configuration, controls, installation requirements, facility modifications, accessories and application complexity. Buyers should also evaluate operating, maintenance, downtime and future-modification costs rather than comparing purchase price alone.
When should a facility reduce manual material handling?
Manual handling deserves review when work involves excessive force, awkward positioning, repetitive movements, high frequency, worker discomfort or unnecessary movement. OSHA and NIOSH ergonomic guidance both support evaluating the task and considering engineering or mechanical methods where appropriate rather than assuming manual handling is always the best approach.
How often should material handling equipment be inspected?
There is no universal inspection interval that applies to every type of material handling equipment. Inspection and maintenance schedules should follow applicable regulations and standards, manufacturer instructions, the equipment's service conditions and the facility's maintenance program. Certain equipment categories have specific requirements, so those requirements should be checked for the actual equipment being used.
What information should I give a material handling equipment supplier?
Provide load dimensions and weights, what the equipment must accomplish, movement distance, frequency, throughput, facility dimensions, operating environment, current equipment interfaces and anticipated future needs. Photos, drawings and facility layouts can also help a supplier understand the application more accurately.