Action Steps to Buy the Right Utility Cart
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find suppliers of janitorial carts

Janitorial carts make it easier for your cleaning staff to get the job done. They feature easy-to-clean surfaces and storage for chemicals and supplies in a light-weight, easy to maneuver frame.

I recommend: Rubbermaid janitorial carts, available from High Performance Cleaning Products, offer convenient and secure storage for cleaning products. Add a bag, available from Papersmith, to haul refuse. Clean Freak offers a cart with a built-in vacuum cleaner that runs on electricity or battery.

Choose the right plastic cart

Plastic carts are resistant to rust and chipping. They are easy to clean with a surface that resists denting and peeling. They are used for transporting items in health care, food service, audio visual and office settings.

I recommend: Easy Rack offers a utility cart by Rubbermaid for offices or food service use. It features quiet operation, molded handles and a 200-pound load capacity. Component
Marketing carries a range of carts with sturdy foam construction and rounded edges for easy maneuverability and less damage to walls and furniture.

Locate wire carts

Wire carts are available in chrome, zinc and powder-coated finishes with many shelving options. They are sturdy and lightweight, a good choice for carrying supplies and files in health care facilities, delivering mail and supplies in an office setting and transporting equipment in office or industrial environments. They are often customizable with baskets that fit into the frame or locking cabinets.

I recommend: W.W. Grainger offers a range of wire carts in zinc and chrome. Correct Products offers wire-angled shelf carts, four-shelf carts, mobile security carts as well as heavy duty standard wire utility carts.

Choose metal rolling carts

Metal carts are resilient, sturdy and easy to sanitize. They're a good choice for audio visual departments, offices, hospitals and other health care provider offices.

I recommend: DR Instruments provides a large selection of metal carts for health care professionals, including medication carts and medium and heavy duty utility carts. Heaster Lawson Business Products features a wide selection of steel carts available in 15 different colors.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If space is limited, choose a folding utility cart. Folding utility carts fold and unfold easily for easy storage and use.

Guide to Utility Carts

Get the job done with minimum risk using high-quality utility carts and material handling carts

By Greg Brown

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

A utility cart must fit the job first

Utility carts are basic, but the details make them productive according to each task. A plastic cart with a lip is good for small parts, for instance, but a flat utility cart is better for carrying heavy tools. A wire utility cart is best for hospitals, since they are easier to clean, while materials handling carts are often specially made for the job it performs.

I recommend: See a broad selection of carts at vendors of industrial carts and utility carts Uline, CLD Handling Systems, and Global Industrial.

An industrial cart is the most heavy-duty of utility carts

In factory or heavy-duty warehouse settings, nothing but the strongest materials will hold up over time, compared to plastic carts, for instance. Here, the trade off when buying industrial carts is ease-of-use for durability of the utility cart.

I recommend: Take a look at heavy steel utility carts at industrial cart vendors DC Graves and Big Dog Warehouse.

A folding utility cart is a good choice in tight work space

Hospitals, schools and other institutional settings often require the occasional use of industrial carts and materials handling carts. Yet they often have to be stored away quickly.

I recommend: Consider a sturdy yet space-efficient folding utility cart. Check out LK Goodwin and HandTrucks.com for some choices on folding utility carts.

Material handling carts are specialized by industry, task

Dirty sheets, biohazard waste, hotel room supplies, any job stocking or cleaning requires often specially built carts for moving to and from each task. Materials handling carts come in dozens of varieties, each designed for the industry and task at hand.

I recommend: See a selection of materials handling carts at Materials Handling Solutions and The Material Handling Store. See the additional Business.com resources at directory pages on dollies, roller dollies, appliance hand trucks, and stair climbing hand trucks.

A plastic cart is often the cheapest, but plastic carts can be durable, too

A rigid plastic cart is lighter and easier to handle but often just as tough as some metal industrial carts. They are best, though, for light industrial and cleaning work, where the job involves pushing a utility cart nearly all day. Plastic carts save back strain.

I recommend: A selection of plastic carts can be seen at plastic cart and utility cart vendor Grainger, ProMed, and Gilmore Kramer.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Budget carefully. A flimsy plastic cart, while cheaper, will not last in places where an industrial cart is a better choice. An overbuilt, metal utility cart could be too hard to use in an office or healthcare situation.
• •  Folding utility carts are a great choice where a utility cart is an occasional need, but they are not best moving heavy items.
• •  Material handling carts, like a plastic cart or utility cart, should be matched to its task carefully for maximum effectiveness.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get metal or plastic carts that are the right size for the load

Check the weight capacity. This is one of the most important qualities to look for in a cart. Heavy duty carts are needed when you have to carry heavy items. Carts without enough capacity won't be able to handle the load. Carts that are made for heavier loads may be more difficult to maneuver if they are only used to carry light items.

I recommend: Get a two-shelf ergonomic utility cart with an adjustable handle and 2,400 pound capacity from EasyRack. Get a heavy-duty wire rack with 1,000 pound capacity from Uline. For lighter capacity, check out colored utility carts with a 300-700 pound capacity from ShortOrder.

Save space with a folding utility cart

Folding carts can be used in medical, food service and office settings. When not in use, they fold up for easy storage.

I recommend: MedexSupply offers a folding steel cart for medical records and supplies that folds up easily. For food service needs, The WEBstaurantstore offers an easy folding polyethylene cart with sturdy aluminum rods.

Get special features, like secure cabinets or an electric utility cart

Electric carts and carts with other special features make moving and hauling easier. Carts with locking drawers and cabinets are necessary in medical and other environments where security is important. While they are higher in price than other carts, these carts can offer ease of use, extra utility and security.

I recommend: EZ-International motorized utility carts ease worker fatigue and prevent injuries. C&H Distributors offers a cart with a lift table platform that is raised and lowered with an electric linear actuator. It's powered with a 12-volt DC battery and features an on-board charger. For locking carts, check out a stainless steel version from Armstrong Medical or a Rubbermaid tool cart from Instawares.

Add accessories to rolling utility carts

Adding the right accessories will make your cart more useful and can help to organize items. You can upgrade the wheels to make your cart more sturdy.

I recommend: Custom design a cart with parts and accessories, like casters, pneumatic utility cart wheels, grommets, non-skid mats, electrical assemblies and straps from DR Instruments. Foodservicedirect carries refuse and utility bins for Rubbermaid carts. Get trays, bins and drawers for carts from W.W. Grainger.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When choosing wire carts, look for powder coated finishes that are easy to clean.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Platform cart

Most utility carts have one or two trays on the top and a handle to push them. Platform carts differ in design. They have handles and a low platforms that make it easy to move loads. Platform trucks are useful for transporting long, bulky items.

I recommend: Check out Hand Trucks R Us to get an overview of platform carts. They carry platform carts in several different designs and construction materials.

NSF Certification

Some utility carts that are used in health care or food service applications are labeled 'NSF Certified.' This means they meet national standards for food handling because of their ability to be easily cleaned and resist germs and bacteria.

I recommend: Find out more about NSF International and its policies and standards. NSF focuses on food, water, indoor air and the environment.

Plastic

Many utility carts are made from plastics -- particularly Polypropylene, Polyurethanes, and Polystyrene. The various types of plastics have different properties, including load capability.

I recommend: PlasticsIndustry provides properties and information about the many types of plastics.

Stainless steel

Some utility carts are made of stainless steel. They can be used in almost any environment, including offices, health care facilities and food service. Stainless steel carts are usually lightweight and easy to clean. Since they resist stains, they are a good choice for transporting food and other materials.

I recommend: Fante's Kitchen Wares Shop gives a thorough definition of stainless steel, including its safety features and other benefits.

Casters

Casters are the wheels on the bottom of a utility cart and an important component. They help to determine how much weight the cart can easily transport. Many utility carts can be retrofitted with stronger or larger casters.

I recommend: Durastar Casters and Wheels gives advice for choosing the right caster and information on using and troubleshooting caster performance.

Utility cart accessories

Some utility cart accessories include non-skid mats, safety straps and electrical assemblies. A cart can be customized with accessories.

I recommend: DR Instruments carries a wide selection of utility cart accessories. Browse their listings to get an idea of some of the accessories that are available for utility carts.