When you talk about material handling equipment, most people immediately think, “Oh, forklifts.” And yeah, forklifts are everywhere, but that’s kind of like saying “cars” when you mean transportation. Material handling is way bigger than that. Material handling is one of those subjects that seems simple from the outside – move something from here to there – but anyone who has worked in a warehouse, distribution center, or factory knows it’s a layered world.
The equipment a business chooses can make a big difference, not just in how much gets done, but in how safely people work and how smoothly the company can grow. Too often, though, the focus stops at forklifts. In reality, material handling is so much more. It’s a whole ecosystem of machines, tools, and systems that help move, store, protect, and manage goods every step of the way.
At Forklift Toronto, we work closely with all types of material handling equipment, however we specialize in Forklifts. For decades, we have been helping businesses find the right warehouse equipment, making sure operations run smoothly every step of the way, with our forklift repairs, flexible forklift rentals in the GTA, reliable maintenance, and a full lineup of new and used forklifts ready to roll. This guide pulls apart that ecosystem piece by piece. We’ll look at the main categories of equipment, how they differ, when each is used, and what factors matter in choosing them. Think of it as a roadmap: by the end, you’ll not only know the types of equipment, but also how they fit into real-world operations.
Why Material Handling Equipment Matters
Before diving into the Types of Material Handling Equipment, it’s worth stepping back. Why obsess about equipment in the first place? Because handling materials is not a side task, it’s at the core of supply chain efficiency. Every item in a warehouse is touched multiple times: received, moved into storage, retrieved, packed, and shipped. The tools used for each step affect speed, cost, safety, and even product quality.
A single misfit piece of equipment can bottleneck the entire system. Forklifts that can’t fit through aisles, conveyors that don’t match package sizes, or pallet jacks that can’t carry enough weight—these are not just annoyances, they’re operational risks in the material handling systems.
The Five Broad Categories
Material handling equipment usually falls into five main categories. These overlap at times, but the framework is simple enough:
1. Transport Equipment – for moving items from one location to another.
2. Positioning Equipment – for handling materials at a single point, changing orientation, or positioning for use.
3. Unit Load Formation Equipment – for combining items into larger loads, such as pallets or containers.
4. Storage Equipment – for holding materials until they’re needed.
5. Bulk Material Handling Equipment – Moves, stores, and controls loose materials like grain, sand, powders.
Each of these categories contains many subtypes. Let’s walk through them in depth.
1. Transport Equipment
Transport equipment is what most people think of first. It covers everything that gets materials from point A to point B inside a facility, or sometimes outside. But the methods vary widely.
Manual Transport
Not every warehouse needs complex machines; sometimes simple storage and handling equipment suffices. For short distances, simple manual equipment works:
- Hand Trucks (Dollies) – For boxes, barrels, and small loads. Incredibly simple but effective.
- Pallet Jacks – The step before a forklift. Manual or electric, used for moving palletized goods short distances.
These tools are inexpensive, require little training, and excel in tight spaces. Their limitation is obvious: distance, weight, and efficiency.
Powered Industrial Trucks
Forklifts dominate here, but they’re not alone.
- Counterbalance Forklifts – The most common type, with forks in front and weight at the back.
- Reach Trucks – Built for narrow aisles, able to extend forks forward.
- Order Pickers – Lift the operator with the load for piece-picking at height.
- Tow Tractors – Used in airports, assembly plants, and large facilities to pull multiple carts.
Each subtype has strengths. For instance, a counterbalance forklift is versatile, but in a warehouse with narrow aisles, it’s almost always better to invest in reach trucks. To learn more about the types of forklift + uses and differences, check out our full guide. For example, before choosing between a 3-wheel forklift or a standard model, it’s important to think about your operational needs, like whether you’ll be working mostly indoors or switching between surfaces.
Conveyors
Conveyors are the silent movers. Once installed, they don’t need breaks and keep material flowing continuously. They come in many flavors:
- Roller Conveyors – Gravity or powered, great for boxes.
- Belt Conveyors – Better for irregular loads or packages that can’t roll.
Overhead Conveyors are common in manufacturing, especially for assembly lines, to improve workflow.
Cranes and Hoists
For loads too heavy for forklifts or conveyors:
- Bridge Cranes – Move along tracks overhead.
- Jib Cranes – Smaller, rotating arms mounted on walls or columns.
- Hoists – For vertical lifting, chain or wire rope based.
These are indispensable in steel plants, shipyards, and heavy industries.
2. Positioning Equipment
Positioning equipment doesn’t transport materials long distances. Instead, it keeps them in the right place for machining, assembly, or inspection.
- Lift Tables – Hydraulic or electric platforms that raise or lower items to ergonomic heights, minimizing strain during handling.
- Turntables – For rotating materials without manual strain.
- Dock Levelers – Bridge the gap between dock and truck for safe loading.
- Manipulator Arms – More advanced, sometimes robotic, designed for repetitive positioning tasks in bulk material handling.
In ergonomic terms, this category is critical. Poor positioning equipment often translates directly into worker injuries or slower operations.
3. Unit Load Formation Equipment
Instead of moving items one by one, it’s more efficient to group them. That’s where this equipment comes in.
- Pallets – The universal load base. Standardized, reusable, easy to handle with forklifts.
- Skids – Similar to pallets but without bottom deck boards.
- Slip Sheets – Thin alternatives to pallets, handled with special attachments.
- Crates, Bins, and Containers – Useful for protecting fragile items or consolidating irregular loads.
- Stretch Wrappers and Strapping Machines – Secure goods to pallets or in bundles.
This category is often underestimated. Choosing between pallets and slip sheets, for example, affects storage density, transport costs, and even environmental impact.
4. Storage Equipment
Once goods arrive, they rarely move straight out the door, often needing to be organized on shelves or stacked for better access. Storage equipment keeps them organized and accessible.
Static Racks
- Selective Pallet Racks – The most common type, allowing direct access to every pallet.
- Drive-In/Drive-Through Racks – Higher density, forklifts enter the rack structure.
- Cantilever Racks – Ideal for long loads like pipes or lumber.
Dynamic Systems
- Push-Back Racks – Pallets stored on carts that move backward as new ones are added.
- Flow Racks – Use gravity rollers for first-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory.
Automated Storage
- AS/RS (Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems) – Computer-controlled cranes or shuttles that store and retrieve loads automatically.
- Carousels and Vertical Lift Modules – Bring items to the operator, saving space and time.
Storage equipment is as much about design as machinery. Choosing the right system depends on SKU count, turnover, and available floor space.
5. Bulk Material Handling Equipment
Not everything moves around in boxes or on pallets. In some industries—like agriculture, mining, or food processing—you’re dealing with materials that pour, pile, or flow. Think grains, sand, powders, or pellets. These aren’t things you can just throw on a forklift.
That’s where bulk material handling equipment comes in. It’s designed to move large volumes of loose material efficiently, with as little mess (and dust) as possible.
Conveyors for Bulk Material
These aren’t your standard belt or roller systems.
- Screw Conveyors (Augers): A rotating screw moves material through a tube—great for things like flour, grain, or even cement powder.
- Bucket Elevators: These lift materials straight up using a series of buckets. You’ll often see them next to silos.
- Pneumatic Conveyors: Use air pressure or suction to move fine materials through pipes. Common in food and chemical production where cleanliness is key.
Storage for Bulk Materials
You don’t stack bulk material, you contain it and control its flow.
- Hoppers: Funnel-shaped containers that hold material and release it steadily when needed.
- Bins and Silos: Tall storage units that hold tons of loose material like grain or gravel. Designed for volume and easy dispensing.
Stackers and Reclaimers
When you’re working with large stockpiles—especially outdoors or in industrial yards—you’ll often see:
- Stackers: These machines build up piles of bulk material in an organized way.
- Reclaimers: Do the opposite, they recover the material and send it back into the system.
Bulk Bag Handling
When bulk material is stored in big soft-sided bags (often called super sacks), you need the right tools to manage them.
- Bulk Bag Unloaders: Help empty out heavy bags without spills or strain.
- Bulk Bag Fillers: Load material into the bags quickly and evenly for storage or shipping.
Bulk material handling may not show up in every warehouse, but in the industries that need it, it’s essential. The right equipment keeps things flowing smoothly, and helps avoid mess, waste, and downtime. If your materials don’t come in tidy packages, this is the gear that keeps things under control.
What Actually Helps When You’re Figuring Out What to Buy
Let’s be real: buying equipment isn’t easy. There’s no universal answer, and every warehouse is its own beast. What works in one space might be totally wrong for the next. And the catalogs? Sure, they’ve got specs. But they won’t tell you how something actually feels when it’s in your space, under pressure, with real people using it.
That’s why, if you can, start by listening to the folks on the floor. They’re the ones who know what’s slowing things down or putting people at risk. Maybe a pallet jack isn’t holding up. Maybe workers are lifting too high too often. They see what needs fixing, even if they don’t call it out. Also, try not to just shop for today. If you’re growing or hoping to, you don’t want to outgrow your equipment in six months. A little extra flexibility now can save a lot of stress later.
And here’s a small tip that makes a big difference: try it first. If you can rent something for a week, do it. Let your team use it, see how it flows, and then decide. That trial run might tell you more than any sales pitch ever could. More than anything, work with people who take time to understand your space and your goals. Not just selling you the “most popular model” but helping you figure out what actually fits your operation. You’ll know when someone’s genuinely trying to help, you’ll feel it.
TLDR Comparative Table: Common Equipment Types
| Category | Examples | Best For | Limitations |
| Transport | Forklifts, Pallet Jacks, Conveyors, Cranes | Moving goods across a facility | Cost, space requirements |
| Positioning | Lift Tables, Dock Levelers, Manipulator Arms | Ergonomic handling, assembly tasks | Limited to point-specific operations |
| Unit Load Formation | Pallets, Slip Sheets, Crates, Containers | Bulk handling, load stability | Requires compatible handling equipment |
| Storage | Racks, AS/RS, Carousels, Vertical Lift Modules | Organization, space optimization | Higher investment, system complexity |
| Bulk Material Handling | Screw Conveyors, Silos, Bucket Elevators, Bag Fillers | Moving and storing loose materials | Dust, spillage, specialized equipment |
Factors to Consider When Choosing Equipment
Choosing equipment isn’t just about what looks good in a catalog. The decision depends on several intertwined factors:
- Load Characteristics – Size, weight, fragility.
- Flow Requirements – Distance, frequency, volume.
- Space Constraints – Aisle widths, ceiling height, dock layout.
- Cost – Not just purchase, but maintenance, training, and energy.
- Safety – Compliance with OSHA and local regulations.
- Scalability – Will the equipment still work if demand doubles?
A mistake here can lock a business into inefficiency for years.
The Role of Automation
Automation deserves its own spotlight. Increasingly, facilities are integrating:
- AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) – Driverless transporters that follow markers or sensors.
- AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) – Smarter than AGVs, navigating dynamically.
- Robotic Arms – For picking, packing, or palletizing in advanced material handling systems.
While upfront costs can be high, automation through automated systems reduces labor requirements, improves consistency, and supports scalability. Still, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, small operations may not see ROI immediately. Warehouse automation trends are evolving every day and it’s crucial for every forklift operator or warehouse worker to be regularly updated on these matters to know what’s best for any operation.
When the Equipment Just Doesn’t Work for You
You ever work around a piece of equipment so much that it just becomes part of the routine? Like a forklift that barely fits the aisles, or a rack that makes you reach too far every time? It’s not broken, exactly, but it’s also not helping. It’s just there, making the job harder than it needs to be.
The right equipment doesn’t fight your workflow, it fits into it, and makes everyone’s day smoother. And honestly? When the job feels easier, people notice. They move better. They feel better. And the whole place runs better, without anyone having to push so hard.
We stock and service all the top brands at Forklift Toronto, with options tailored to your operation, including the best forklift to buy for your needs. You can check our online inventory of forklifts for sale in Toronto, including Raymond forklifts for sale, or Bobcat forklifts for sale.
If you’re looking for long-term reliability and solid resale value, sticking with a well-known name like Toyota or Hyster, often ranked among the best forklift brands, can make a big difference.
Cost Breakdown Table: Manual vs. Automated
| Type | Initial Cost | Maintenance | Labor Need | Long-Term ROI |
| Manual (Hand Trucks, Pallet Jacks) | Low | Minimal | High | Low |
| Semi-Automated (Forklifts, Conveyors) | Medium | Moderate | Medium | Medium |
| Fully Automated (AGVs, AS/RS) | High | High | Low | High (over time) |
Safety and Compliance
Every category comes with risks. Forklifts tip, conveyors pinch, cranes drop. Proper training, PPE, and compliance with standards (OSHA, ANSI, CSA in Canada) are non-negotiable.
Safety isn’t just about protecting workers, it’s about avoiding downtime, lawsuits, and insurance spikes. Equipment that looks “cheaper” can be more expensive if it increases risk. No matter what kind of warehouse you work in or what forklift model you use, it’s crucial to know the 10 Rules for Forklift Safety for a safe and peaceful operation. So if anyone tries to convince you that forklift safety is “just an expense,” remember this: it’s one of the smartest investments you’ll ever make.
Sustainability in Material Handling
Sustainability is no longer optional. Companies are adopting:
- Electric Forklifts instead of propane.
- Reusable Containers instead of one-way packaging.
- Slip Sheets to reduce pallet waste.
- Energy-Efficient Conveyors with smart sensors.
Beyond environmental impact, sustainable choices often lower costs in the long run.
Final word
Material handling equipment is vast, but the principle is simple: the right tool for the right task within engineered systems. From the simplest dolly to the most advanced robotic shuttle, every piece has its place. The challenge is aligning choices with operational needs, space constraints, budgets, and growth plans.
A warehouse that invests carefully in material handling solutions is not just more efficient, it’s safer, more scalable, and better positioned for the future. Looking to upgrade your warehouse equipment in the GTA? Reach out to Forklift Toronto for expert advice, rentals, repairs, and top-tier forklifts tailored to your operation.