Food plants rarely ship only full pallets. Sub-dealers, grocery stores, mini-mart chains and the restaurant channel usually order a few cases per SKU: five cases of energy drink, three of milk, two of biscuits. The warehouse must build these cases into mixed pallets for each delivery route. An order picker for a beverage warehouse is built exactly for this work.
What case picking in food and beverage looks like
- Heavy, repetitive cases: cases of water, beer crates and cartons of milk are heavy, and pickers bend and lift hundreds of times per shift.
- Many SKUs at low levels: each SKU’s pallet sits at floor or first rack level, and pickers move along the aisle to collect.
- Tight delivery windows: orders close late in the day and trucks leave early in the morning, so picking piles up on the night shift.
- Expiry-driven stock: the right location and batch must be picked to avoid shipping short-dated goods.
Low-level versus high-level picking is explained in the order picker guide. In food and beverage stores most goods sit at low level, so this article focuses on low-level trucks.
STILL models for food and beverage stores
STILL OPX 20-25: the workhorse for long picking routes
STILL explicitly names the food industry as an application of the STILL OPX. It carries up to 2.5 tonnes, enough for two mixed beverage pallets; 12 km/h travel with the STILL Easy Drive steering wheel lets the driver steer, lift and drive without changing grip. An optional elevating platform raises the cab to a picking height of 2.80 m. Battery capacity reaches 620 Ah; the Li-Ion version charges during breaks for 24-hour availability, which suits night-shift picking.
STILL OPX-L 12: raising goods to waist height
With heavy cases, placement height is a health issue. The STILL OPX-L 12 has a mast that lifts picked goods, up to 1,200 kg in total, to a maximum working height of 786 mm, so pickers do not bend low when placing cases on the pallet. Its compact size suits narrow aisles. According to STILL, it reduces getting on and off by up to 75 %.
STILL OPX 20-25 iGo neo: a truck that follows the picker
The STILL OPX iGo neo offers an autonomous assistance mode: the truck follows the picker along the aisle and identifies the operator with hybrid tracking, even during Z-picking on both sides of the aisle. According to STILL, it removes up to 75% of tiring getting on and off and shortens walking distances with goods. If the 500 mm safety distance is not maintained, the truck readjusts when restarting.
Other models, including the EK-X high-level picker, are in the order pickers category.
Order picker selection table
| Stage | Type/model | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed dealer orders, long routes | STILL OPX 20-25 | 2.5 t, 12 km/h, 24-hour Li-Ion |
| Heavy cases, less bending | STILL OPX-L 12 | Lifts goods to a 786 mm working height |
| Many SKUs, picking both sides | STILL OPX 20-25 iGo neo | Follows the picker, supports Z-picking |
| Picking from the first rack level | OPX with elevating platform | Cab rises to a 2.80 m picking height |
Designing the picking area in a food warehouse
- Slot SKUs by velocity: fast-moving, heavy SKUs near the start of the route and at floor level reduce travel and lifting.
- Separate replenishment from picking: reach trucks or stackers bring pallets down to pick faces outside peak hours, avoiding congestion in the aisle.
- System integration: the OPX offers an interface into customer processes and FleetManager 4.x for operator management and impact detection. See forklift fleet management.
Other stages of plant and warehouse are summarised on food & beverage forklift solutions.
Frequently asked questions
Does a beverage warehouse need order pickers, or are pallet trucks enough?
If orders are mostly full pallets, electric pallet trucks are enough. When orders contain many cases across many SKUs, an order picker with a platform and higher speed cuts travel time and getting on and off significantly.
Does OPX iGo neo require changes to the warehouse?
The truck follows the picker in existing aisles. Fit with the rack layout and other traffic should be surveyed before deployment.
Is there enough battery for a long night shift?
The OPX offers battery capacity up to 620 Ah; the Li-Ion version supports charging during breaks for continuous operation.
Want to raise picking productivity for dealer orders? Call 0902 63 79 70 or send daily order and SKU counts via the quote page.