5 Material Handling Tools That Actually Belong in Your Warehouse

Every warehouse is different, but the good ones have a few things in common—people know where things are, how to move them, and they aren’t constantly wasting time doing it. That starts with the right equipment. Not the expensive, overbuilt stuff. Just the basics that pull their weight day in and day out.

Here are five pieces of material handling equipment that show up in real warehouses because they actually work.

1. Pallet Jacks

If you’re moving pallets and don’t have pallet jacks, you’re making life harder than it needs to be. Pallet jacks are easy to use, don’t require a license, and don’t take up space. Use them to unload trucks, move product to storage, or shuffle things around during a reset. No bells. No whistles. Just solid utility.

1. Hand Trucks

You’ll reach for this more than you think. Boxes, buckets, odd-shaped gear—it doesn’t matter; a hand truck lets one person move what would normally take two, and it saves your team’s backs in the process. If you’ve got tight aisles or frequent small-load transfers, this one’s a no-brainer.

1. Racking That Actually Fits What You Stock

This one gets skipped more than it should. If your storage doesn’t match your inventory, you’re setting your team up to fail. Tall racking, low shelves, bin storage—what matters is that it fits the product and makes it easy to grab, restock, and keep clean. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the backbone of a functional warehouse.

1. Carts That Roll Smooth and Don’t Wobble

Not all carts are created equal. The cheap ones get loud, jammed up, or tilt under real loads. You want carts that roll clean, turn tight, and don’t rattle apart after six months. Good carts are useful for everything—order picking, packing supplies, maintenance runs. Keep a few on every side of the floor.

1. One Good Lift Table

Even in a warehouse that doesn’t move heavy machinery, there’s always something that needs to be lifted, held, or adjusted. A solid lift table at your pack station or repair bench cuts down on awkward lifts and saves your team from repetitive strain. Doesn’t have to be fancy—just has to work.

Forget the overhyped gear. These are the tools that make the job easier without getting in the way. Keep it simple. Keep it smart.