Comparative Costs of Handling Apples at Packing and Storage Plants

Excerpts from the report Summary: In recent years, apple packinghouse operators in the Pacific Northwest have become concerned over increasing costs involved in receiving, packing, and loading out fruit. Many operators using conventional handling methods are searching for materials-handling equipment which will handle the same volume of fruit with fewer workers, at lower cost, and with minimum bruising and other damage to fruit. This report shows the relative labor and equipment costs of performing handling operations by use of various types of currently used equipment in 1- and 2-floor plants for different volumes of business. Types and combinations of types of equipment considered in this report are: (1) Clamp-type 2-wheel hand trucks alone on 1 floor; (2) 36-box electric industrial clamp lift trucks on 1 floor; (3) 48-box electric industrial forklift trucks on 1 floor; (4) clamp-type 2-wheel hand trucks and belt conveyors on 2 floors; and (5) 24-box electric industrial clamp lift trucks and belt conveyors on 2 floors