Material Handling Glossary | S

Sideloader

A high lift industrial truck able to work in very narrow aisles and equipped to reach forward to pick up or deposit long, heavy loads (such as steel bars) or pallets. Also sometimes used in reference to sidereach vehicles like the Raymond Swing-Reach.

Single Deep

A storage system designed to give maximum selectivity, generally using single deep-type pallet storage racks.

Stockkeeping Unit (SKU)

Represents one unique inventory item.

Slot

A warehouse location with a specific address, or the front-to-back or side-to-side positioning of product on a carousel shelf.

Stacker

A stacker is a machine that combines features of a walkie or walk-behind pallet jack with features of a lift truck where an operator would typically sit or stand while driving like a counterbalanced, reach or straddle lift truck. These combination forklifts are typically referred to as walkie stackers.

Stand-Up Counterbalanced Forklift

The most common type of forklift equipment, counterbalance forklift trucks feature forks that protrude from the machine’s front. There are no outrigging legs or arms. That lets the operators drive such trucks all the way up to the exact location of the load or racking.

Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)

The classification system developed by the United States Department of Commerce for business activities. There are eleven primary divisions classified by two digit codes. Further divisions occur within the primary categories and can reach up to seven digits for the most specialized categories of business activity.

Stock Picker

Also known as an order picker, a stock picker is an electric lift truck specifically designed for filling individual customer orders which require piece-part or case picking, rather than full pallets or unit loads.

Storage Costs

The sum total of all costs associated with storage. It includes inventory costs, warehouse costs, administrative costs, deterioration costs, insurance, and taxes.

Straddle Truck

A high-lift truck with a wide enough BLO (base leg opening) to straddle a pallet and engage the load.

Swing Reach Truck

Raymond truck family that includes operator-up turret trucks that provide high-level orderpicking and load handling versatility. Also known as a turret truck.