Utility carts have been transporting loads of supplies, food, and equipment for years. While these pieces of equipment may not be noticed by customers, they are well-known by back-of-the-house staff as they make transporting much easier and less straining. Utility carts offer various use-cases making them extremely multifunctional. With their versatility, a cart is pushed and pulled many times throughout a day putting in hours of work to help foster efficient operations. While many transportation tasks utilize the pushing mechanism, there are many tasks where the pulling mechanism may be a good fit. Here, the two maneuvering mechanisms of pushing and pulling will be reviewed to showcase when it is best to use each.
When to Push:
Pushing offers many benefits to the cart operator allowing this mechanism to be chosen most commonly for moving a cart from one place to the next. Pushing a cart allows for full visibility of items on the cart to ensure they stay on the cart during transport while also offering an ideal body position that can help reduce strain on the operator. Moving heavy loads should always warrant pushing compared to pulling as the heavy load can cause injuries if pulled. There are many times pushing is the optimal mechanism for transport, so let’s go over a few of those.
If a cart is ever going to be going down a decline, be sure to push. If an operator were to lose control of the cart while going down a decline, pushing a cart would help ensure the operator’s safety so as to not have the cart fall back onto them. Aside from this blanket guideline, any other heavy loads should ideally be pushed. Restocking a bar with new bottles of liquor and wine can be a straining task. Utility carts allow this task to be completed efficiently and safely. A cart full of heavy bottles should be pushed to keep the operator’s well-being in mind. Another example of a time when pushing works best is transporting large produce deliveries. Produce can be extremely heavy, especially in large quantities. Pushing a fully loaded cart filled with produce is a best practice. Moving warming pans from the kitchen to the catering venue or to the buffet line is another prime example of when to use the pushing mechanism as these loads can become quite heavy. Pushing offers many different benefits and can be the best transport mechanism for various foodservice tasks.
When to Pull:
Pulling utility carts is an alternative way to maneuver during transport. While pushing is more commonly used, pulling a cart can be beneficial for certain tasks. In general, heavy loads should be pushed. If a light load needs to be transported, pulling is a good option as it allows you to see your path to avoid any accidents of running into things. Various transporting tasks can be done efficiently using the pulling method. So, what are some examples of when to pull?
Restocking a bathroom or sink area with new paper products is an optimal time to pull a cart due to the light nature of these items. While this task is not customer facing, bringing new flatware and napkins to cleaned and cleared tables is. With these items having a lighter weight, pulling can offer an ideal transport mechanism to bring these items from back-of-house to front-of-house all while making sure not to interrupt guests’ experiences. Deliveries come in nearly daily for foodservice operations, with some being lighter loads and some being heavier. When lighter loads come in, pulling these items on a cart can be very efficient. Pulling may not be the option that is typically chosen, but there are times and places where this mechanism shines.
Transporting supplies and food is a daily task in the foodservice industry. Finding the best way to maneuver carts can help increase efficiency and reduce operator strain. Pushing a cart and pulling a cart both come with their advantages with each working optimally for various tasks. Lakeside recently launched the new Easy-Pull cart that allows for easy pushing and pulling of a cart with an unlocked pull-down handle. Make transporting a breeze with the Easy-Pull here!
