Are forklift operators endangered?

Technology advances hold the promise of making homo sapiens an endangered species for some kinds of standard lift truck load handling.

By -- Modern Materials Handling, 10/1/2000

Driverless load handling isn't new. Control and guidance technology for automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) has been around for a generation. New control technology, however, offers the promise of both increasing the kinds of handling functions that AGVs can perform as well as further extending this technology to operating standard forklifts without a driver.

Are forklift drivers an endangered species?

In terms of handling functions, I see a four-stage evolution of the control systems necessary to make it feasible to completely replace the human operator, at least those working with unit loads. We're part of the way there:

• Horizontal unit load travel (including pickup and putdown) between fixed points. (AGVs have had this capability for a considerable time.)

• Both horizontal and vertical unit load travel between a fixed point and certain types of storage systems. (Again, these abilities now exist.)

• Handling unit loads between a general dock staging area and a storage system. (This function starts to be addressed by the new technology.)

• Loading and unloading of transport vehicles. (This capability is currently available in specialized applications. But it is the last major hurdle to overcome before general replacement of forklift drivers for unit loads is possible).

Order picking, with the exception of full pallet handling, is still beyond the reach of driverless technology at this time, however.

Much as often occurs when adopting any new technology, new skills are required. Instead of requiring trainers for forklift drivers, we may need trainers for the lift trucks of the future. Yes, you read that sentence right. Instead of training the driver, we will now train the truck.

What amazes me is the apparent limited attention these technologies have received in North America to date. In a larger installation, one using several forklifts in a three-shift operation, payback periods significantly under 2 years, and possibly as short as 1 year, appear possible.

To make a simple assessment of whether you should start examining these driverless technologies, look at your present forklift fleet and the kinds of handling functions it performs.

When a driverless forklift needs to perform only one or two tasks the chances for a successful application tend to be greater than when a workhorse lift truck serves multiple purposes.

For instance, a good viable example would appear to be in manufacturing where a driverless forklift would move loads from an operation such as centralized palletizing stations to storage.

Also, when you have more control over operational factors, as in moving loads inside a facility, use of driverless vehicles appears feasible. But in receiving and shipping, where many outside factors beyond your control come into play, the chances of success are fewer. A driverless forklift may not be capable of dealing with a variety of truck types and sizes, trailers with or without air ride suspensions, and the like.

Another complexity for driverless technology to deal with is controlling load travel beyond the warehouse or plant walls. For example, can one of these forklifts do outside yard work affected by weather conditions? Can it drive over dry asphalt and hard ground one day, then in mud for part of the next, and rainy, day?

Also, the objects handled must be capable of being palletized or unitized. If the forklift must handle garden rakes or random lengths of pipe, we are back to relying on good old homo sapiens.