If you are a sod farmer, you know that having a good market for your product is 50 percent of success. Being able to transport your product safely and efficiently is the other half. But investing in the right equipment for the task can be a nerve-racking enterprise.

Fortunately, there is a forklift design that stands out when it comes to transportation, maneuverability, and stability. The information below will provide you everything you need to know about the advantages of truck-mounted forklifts. And it includes a discussion of the best piggyback forklift brand for the sod-farming industry.

Reducing the time and labor it takes to get your product out to golf courses, sporting complexes, and other landscaping projects means a lot. It translates to cost-savings and more clients for your business. If you need to transport your products faster and with less man-power, a piggyback forklift may be what your business needs.

What Are Piggyback Forklifts?

Piggyback or “truck-mounted” forklifts are what their name suggests: a forklift you can load onto the bed or the back of a truck or trailer. They go anywhere your transportation trailer does. These forklifts can hoist heavy loads, and they remain stable on almost any semi-level surface.

Developments in piggyback mounting technology have come a long way. It now means a single worker can load, unload, operate, and reload the machine without help. Likewise, the forklifts themselves have become lighter and more agile, while still able to lift heavy materials.

While conventional forklifts have four wheels, piggyback forklifts have three: two in the front and one in the back. The mast, carriage, and forks of the machine sit between the front two wheels. This means that the load center is directly above these wheels, rather than out in front like on a traditional forklift.

What Are the Advantages of Piggyback Forklifts?

An obvious advantage of piggyback forklifts is the ability to transport them. They are compact and lightweight, and you can install a loading system on almost any truck or trailer. But there are other pros as well, including many different choices in the mounting system configurations.

Mounting System Options

The most common mounting composition is a hook system where the forklift rides off the back of the trailer. You can install these on any variety of truck, including on a box trailer or dump bed mount. One big advantage of this configuration is that the mounted forklift takes up very little cargo space on the truck.

But there are other mounting options as well, like top-mounted sliding kits that allow the forklift to ride on top of the flatbed. And you can adjust most mounting kits to accommodate different size hitches or rails. In short, there is no need to buy a special trailer to transport your piggyback forklift.

Efficiency and Reduced Labor

The ability to take your forklift along to any location where you are delivering sod means it can do the bulk of the heavy lifting, so to speak. This affords a huge advantage for jobs that would otherwise require workers to unload cargo by hand. It also means that a single worker can dismount and mount the forklift from the truck, and move materials closer to where they need to be delivered. 

All this translates to reduced personnel costs with a faster turn-around. You will save money on labor and from greater efficiency.

Stability

Another big advantage of piggyback forklifts is their stability. Their design gives them a better center of gravity since it does not rely on counterweights. This can be particularly useful in farming environments, where ground conditions may not be as stable as those in a warehouse.

This also means increased safety. There are more than 7,000 forklift-related injuries every year in the United States. Piggyback forklifts can help reduce the likelihood of accidents and related injuries.

Maneuverability

The ability to move around with ease is another big plus of truck-mounted forklifts. Unlike many traditional forklifts, piggybacks do not need a specific loading dock and can move materials around to almost any location.

This includes to and from the trailer bed itself. Whether you are delivering pallets of sod in a confined delivery space or navigating narrow warehouse aisles, agility is a huge asset.

It is worth noting that, despite their reduced weight and compact size, piggyback forklifts still have high lift capacities. So, performance is not sacrificed for the sake of these other benefits.

What Is the Best Piggyback Forklift Brand?

There are many truck-mounted forklift manufacturers on the market today, but a few stand out above the rest. Two of the most reputable brands of piggyback forklifts are Moffett and Princeton. They both offer a wide range of sizes, designs, and varying pricepoints.

Moffett is the brand named after the original developer of this forklift design. Cecil Moffett was an Irish engineer who wanted a forklift that he could transport on a loading truck. In 1986, he invented the Moffett Mounty, which became popular throughout the United States and Europe.

The company is still going strong today and is considered the gold standard for truck-mounted forklifts. In 2013, they launched the world’s first lithium-ion powered piggyback forklift. 

Princeton Delivery Systems is another popular piggyback forklift manufacturer. They are an American company that has been making sod-harvesting equipment since 1972.

Princeton prides itself on offering the widest range in lift capacities–from 3,300 to 8,000 pounds–of any three-wheel forklifts on the market. They also are known in the industry for their innovations in mounting systems that are efficient and easy to operate.

Is a Piggyback Forklift Right for Your Sod Business?

Hopefully, the information above gives you a better idea of what piggyback forklifts can do and what advantages they might bring to your sod-farming business.

At Equipment Remarketing we carry a variety of pre-owned Moffett and Princeton truck-mounted forklifts. We can help you select the best piggyback forklift brand for your business. We also have an extensive inventory of trailers that include forklift mounting kits.

We offer compelling financing options for truck-mounted forklifts, trailers, and mounting systems alike. So, we can help set you up with the right equipment that is suitable for your budget.