Forklift transport in Adelaide
A forklift packs most of its weight into a short body, and it isn’t built for the road. We move warehouse and yard forklifts between sites, to the repairer and to buyers on our tilt tray.
4.8 on Google from 41 reviews
In short
You don’t need a second forklift at either end. SA Best Towing, from Angle Park in Adelaide, tilts its tray to the ground. Its owner, Ghulam, holds a forklift licence and reverses a running forklift up the tray himself, and the winch draws up one that won’t run. Text a photo of the data plate to 0457 300 057.
What we move
- LPG and diesel counterbalance forklifts
- Electric warehouse forklifts
- Yard forklifts on pneumatic tyres
- Older forklifts with tall masts
- Order pickers and stock pickers
- Walkie stackers and pallet stackers
- Forklifts sold at auction or online
- Forklifts going to and from the repairer
An order picker with its mast up
This older order picker sits on the tray with its tall mast upright, the top standing far above the roof of our Hino. It’s a warehouse cousin of the forklift, built to lift its operator up to the racking. A hire company sticker sits on its body near the headboard. Chains run from its base back to the tail of the tray. A mast like that stays tall even when it’s closed, so give us the closed height when you call.
How forklifts go onto the tray
The tray tilts until its tail touches the road. Here’s the order it goes in for forklifts.
The weight sits at the back
Most of a counterbalance forklift’s weight sits in the counterweight over the rear wheels. The data plate lists what the machine itself weighs, so send us a photo of it and we’ll work out whether it suits the tray.
Counterweight up first
Ghulam holds a forklift licence, so he reverses a running forklift up the tilted tray himself, forks low and pointing down the slope. That puts the heavy counterweight up near the headboard. A dead one comes up the same way on the winch, hooked to the towing pin in the counterweight.
Mast down before loading
Have the mast lowered all the way before the truck arrives, so the forks can sit flat on the deck. Tell us the height to the top of the mast or overhead guard, whichever stands taller.
Chained through the right points
We chain the forklift at the counterweight and at the mast or front axle, keeping chains off the hydraulic hoses and tilt rams.
What the driver watches for
Solid tyres on a steel deck
Solid and cushion tyres grip a warehouse floor but slide on a wet or oily steel deck. The winch stays hooked on while the forklift goes up the tray.
Closed mast height
A mast that clears a warehouse door can still meet a bridge once it rides on a tray. Two-stage and three-stage masts list a closed height on the data plate or in the brochure, and that’s the number we need.
Batteries and gas bottles
An electric forklift’s battery needs to stay locked in its tray. An LPG forklift travels with the cylinder valve turned off.
What changes the price
Every job is priced on the phone before it’s booked. These are the things that move the number.
- Distance from our Angle Park yard to the pick-up and drop-off
- Whether the forklift drives or has to be winched dead
- Machine weight from the data plate
- Loading docks, tight warehouse aisles and gates with height bars
- Waiting on site while sale or hire paperwork gets signed
“Good services and fast this guy will do the job all for you”
Questions about forklifts
Answers to common questions. If yours isn’t here, ring and ask.
Can you move a forklift without a forklift at the other end?
Yes. With the tray tilted down to the ground, Ghulam reverses the forklift up it himself, or the winch draws it up. At the drop-off the tray tilts again, and he drives it off or lets it down on the winch. He holds a forklift licence, so you don’t need your own licensed operator for the loading. Both ends need level ground and room for the truck.
How heavy a forklift can a tilt tray carry?
Ours carries up to 4 tonnes, and forklifts weigh more than they look. The data plate shows what the forklift can lift and what the machine itself weighs, and we need the second number. A forklift rated to lift 2.5 tonnes can weigh close to 4 tonnes on its own. Text a photo of the plate to 0457 300 057 and we’ll give you a straight answer.
Can you take a forklift to the repairer and back?
We pick up broken forklifts from warehouses and yards, drop them at the repairer’s workshop, then bring them back once they’re fixed. Let the repairer know we’re coming, and check they have someone to sign for the machine and room to roll it off.
I bought a forklift online. Can you pick it up?
We can collect it from the seller. Send us the address, the make and model, and a photo of the data plate. Check with the seller that the forklift drives or at least rolls, and that someone will be there with the key. We drop it where you need it around Adelaide, as long as the truck can get in.
Can you move a forklift with a flat or damaged tyre?
Yes. A solid tyre that’s chunked or worn down still rolls up the tray on the winch. A flat pneumatic tyre can make the forklift lean, so tell us which wheel it is and the driver can plan the load around it.
Can you move a forklift between our two sites?
We carry it across and bring it back when you’re done. Moving stock between warehouses often means needing the forklift at the new site for a day or a week. Ring 0457 300 057 with both addresses and the times that suit.
Also on the tray
Scissor lift transport
Scissor lifts and small site gear moved between sites, depots and hire yards, with toilets pumped out first.
Tractor transport
Tractors carried on the tilt tray, from working farm machines to vintage restorations, driven or winched up by us.
Light truck towing
Light trucks carried on our tilt tray, from pantechs to small tippers, with the height worked out before we book.