Yale Lift Truck Technologies announces the Yale Route Runner™ direct-store-delivery solution has been recognized as the Material Handling Innovation of the Year by the SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards. Yale Route Runner is an innovative direct-store-delivery system engineered to improve efficiency and ergonomics by reducing product touches and minimizing manual material handling throughout the delivery process. It combines an electric walkie pallet jack with a detachable, nested motorized sled and specialized pallets to give drivers the functionality of two machines in one compact solution.

“In direct-store or last-mile delivery applications, every extra touch, transfer and step cost workers valuable time and increases physical strain,” said Kevin McWilliams, Director of Major Accounts, Yale Lift Truck Technologies. “The Route Runner was designed as a more efficient, ergonomic approach, purpose-built by a materials handling company to help delivery personnel move product from truck to shelf with fewer steps, less effort and minimal facility damage.”

Traditional delivery methods often rely on drivers manually transferring product from pallet jacks to handcarts, while other single-truck alternatives tend to be bulky and heavy, creating a higher risk of facility damage and making them difficult to maneuver in tight environments. The Route Runner solution allows drivers to use the pallet truck to bring inventory to the front of a store, where they can detach the sled and navigate tight indoor spaces with ease. This avoids manual transfer product from one piece of equipment to another and helps reduce the risk of damaging the facility due to bulky equipment. The motorized sled also helps address the risk of back strains and injuries by providing an ergonomic power assist when navigating inclines or traversing thresholds and raising the load platform approximately 18 inches during restocking.

The two-in-one design of the Route Runner helps save valuable space in the delivery trailer, eliminates the need for separate equipment and reduces manual handling by up to 50%. This simplification of the material handling process saves time, reduces fatigue and enables drivers to lift 27,000 fewer pounds and reclaim up to 63 minutes over the course of a typical nine-stop route. That efficiency creates the potential to add an additional delivery to each shift and, in turn, reduce required labor and delivery fleet size.