What Is an Order Picker Forklift?
An order picker forklift, sometimes called a cherry picker forklift or picker lift truck, is a specialized type of forklift used to raise a warehouse worker to elevated racking to hand-pick items. Unlike pallet trucks designed to move full pallets, this machine supports piece-by-piece order picking—ideal for fulfillment centers, warehouses, and retail distribution hubs.
Models like the Crown or Raymond order picker or stand-up cherry picker allow operators to safely access tall storage zones and handle individual products without ladders or scissor lifts. These forklifts are essential to modern material handling strategies.
Understanding the Types of Order Pickers
Electric Order Picker
An electric order picker is designed for clean indoor use. Powered by lead acid batteries, it offers quiet operation, lower emissions, and smart features like speed control and optimized travel speeds. They are often used in narrow aisle applications and pair well with custom-built order picker equipment.
Cherry Picker Lift Truck & Picker Machines
Terms like cherry picker lift truck, picker machine, and picker forklift are often used interchangeably to describe the same functionality: lifting the operator and cart into place for product selection. A high level order picker can reach 30 feet or more and is essential for vertical storage strategies in modern distribution centers.
Narrow Aisle & Warehouse Cherry Picker
Facilities with tight spaces benefit from a narrow aisle order picker or warehouse cherry picker, which allows safe operating in aisles as narrow as 60 inches. These machines provide the vertical access of a lift truck while navigating limited floor space.
Matching the Right Cart with Your Order Picker Forklift
A key part of the order picking process is the cart. Nutting Carts & Trailers designs and manufactures custom stock picker carts to fit directly onto the order picker lift truck. Our carts are built to:
- Attach securely to a cherry picker order picker platform
- Support various lift heights and load capacities
- Handle small packages or bulky goods like appliances
- Feature shelves, flush decks, or superstructures based on the picking need
Whether you’re using a picker truck, order picker machine, or stock picker lift truck, Nutting builds for compatibility, safety, and durability. Our solutions support forklift operators in improving accuracy, reducing strain, and maintaining control across various SKUs.
Final Tips for Choosing Your Setup
- Choose a picker lift based on rack height, aisle width, and weight needs
- Pair with a Nutting cart customized to your exact forklift model (like a Toyota cherry picker)
- Consider features like speed control, platform space, and compatibility with order selector forklifts or other order pickers forklift models
Conclusion
Selecting the proper forklift is about more than reach; it’s about safety, workflow, and equipment integration. With Nutting’s custom stock picker forklift carts, you can optimize how your team works at every level. From level order pickers to warehouse picker machines, we build for your operation, forklift, and long-term success.
Ready to improve your picking efficiency? Contact Nutting today to get started.
