Essential Material Handlers for Every Construction Site

The ability to move materials quickly, safely and accurately is a non-negotiable requirement for meeting deadlines and maintaining a competitive edge. It can help you with various aspects of the construction process, as you easily transport materials from one location to another. This speeds up the building process and allows contractors to save time that can be used on other parts of the process, such as designing and interior finishes.

This guide highlights the key material handling and powered access equipment that every modern construction site needs to operate at peak performance. We’ll cover everything from telehandlers to forklifts, outlining why each piece of machinery has improved site logistics.

The Best Material Handlers For Construction

Telehandler

A telehandler’s telescopic boom can extend both vertically and horizontally, enabling it to lift and place materials in difficult-to-access areas, such as over obstacles or into the upper floors of a building. This capability makes them invaluable on construction sites and in agricultural settings where space is often limited and the terrain is uneven. They come in a range of sizes, allowing you to reach small heights or extreme ones, so nothing is ever out of reach for moving your materials.

Forklift

Forklifts are an exceptional solution for material handling due to their versatility, power and efficiency. These compact machines are specifically designed to lift and move heavy goods on pallets, significantly reducing manual labor and the risk of injury. Their ability to navigate tight spaces allows forklifts to streamline the process of loading and unloading trucks, organising inventory and transporting materials over short distances. They also have a great range of attachments.

Booms

Booms have great ability to reach over obstacles and into high places, which make them invaluable for tasks like placing materials or moving equipment over uneven terrain. This enhanced reach and maneuverability significantly increases a project’s efficiency and safety, as it reduces the need for manual handling in difficult areas and minimises the risk of accidents. They are usually available in 48m in height and with over 200kg platform capacity.

Trailer Mounted Booms

Trailer-mounted versions can be easily towed to different job sites by a standard vehicle, making them a cost-effective solution for companies that work across multiple locations. They offer a great balance of height and reach, enabling workers to safely access elevated areas for tasks like placing materials on high shelves. Their compact outrigger footprint also allows them to be set up in tight spaces where larger equipment might not fit, providing an efficient way to handle materials in confined or congested work environments.

Scissor Lifts

If you want to reach heights with your materials, scissor lift hire can offer secure space for workers and materials which makes it ideal for tasks that require lifting items to a specific height. Their unique mechanism allows for straight vertical movement, which is essential for reaching items in high racks or for working on building facades. Many scissor lifts are also compact enough to be used in tight indoor spaces, like warehouses and factories. This makes them a versatile and safe choice for a wide range of material handling applications.

Super MEWPs

Usually ranging up to 66m in height, super MEWPs are excellent at moving materials up to extreme heights. With high lifting capacities and stable platforms, they are a safe and efficient solution for delivering materials to hard-to-reach areas, streamlining workflow and enhancing overall productivity on large-scale construction sites. They’re a level up from traditional sized booms and scissor lifts, giving you a higher reach advantage.

Loaders

Loaders are equipped with a large front bucket that makes them ideal for scooping, lifting and transporting a wide range of bulk materials. Their robust design and powerful hydraulic systems allow them to move massive amounts of material quickly and efficiently, significantly reducing the time and manual labor required on a job site. The ability to switch out the bucket for various attachments, such as forks, grapples or snowplows, expands their utility and makes them an adaptable asset for a variety of tasks.

Hoists

Unlike manual lifting, which can be slow, hoists utilise mechanical advantage to handle loads far beyond human capability. This not only enhances worker safety but also dramatically improves productivity by speeding up the movement of materials from one level to another. They are also incredibly versatile, with various types and configurations that can be customised for specific tasks and environments. They are one of the most efficient ways to lift and move heavy materials vertically across the entire construction site.

Cranes

Cranes are excellent for material handling because they offer unparalleled lifting and mobility capabilities on a construction site. They have great vertical and horizontal reach which minimises the need for manual labour and the use of less-efficient equipment. This dramatically improves safety by reducing the risk of worker injury. Cranes can also efficiently service a large area from a single position, streamlining the movement of materials and accelerating the overall construction timeline.

Pallet Trucks

Excellent for moving heavy loads over short distances on a flat surface, pallet trucks eliminate the need for manual lifting and reduce the risk of injury. Their compact design allows them to navigate tight spaces in warehouses and factories where larger equipment like forklifts can’t operate. Both manual and powered versions are available, making them a cost-effective and efficient solution for a wide range of tasks, from stocking shelves to loading and unloading delivery trucks.

Conveyors

Their ability to handle a wide range of materials, from small components in assembly lines to bulk materials like grain and ore, makes conveyors a highly versatile choice for the construction site. Modern conveyor systems can be integrated with sorting and scanning technologies, streamlining logistics and improving overall operational speed and accuracy in manufacturing, warehousing and distribution centers. While they aren’t designed to transport goods across the entire construction site, they are great for small spaces to get goods from one side of the warehouse to the other with minimal effort.

Dump Trucks

Designed for transporting and depositing bulk materials, dump trucks have hydraulic lift systems that raise the truck’s bed and allow it to carry very heavy loads. It’s a very controlled way of lifting and moving materials like sand, gravel and soil that is needed for various types of builds. They have great self-unloading capabilities too, which reduces the need for extra equipment like forklifts or pallet trucks. This saves time on the construction site and reduces operating costs, which greatly improves the overall efficiency. Dump trucks are also built with robust frames and powerful engines, so they can get across difficult terrain with ease.