Why the comparison exists
Buyers arriving from search results meet two machines that both "lift pallets onto racking" and reasonably ask which is right. The honest answer is that they are built for different halves of the warehouse: the reach truck is a racking specialist whose mast reaches forward over its outriggers to place pallets in narrow aisles at height; the counterbalance truck is the generalist that carries pallets from yard to dock to rack without caring what is under them. The comparison resolves on two numbers: aisle width and lift height.
What each machine gives up to get its advantage
- Reach truck: buys narrow-aisle racking at height by giving up yard capability, ground clearance, load span flexibility and (usually) speed between zones. It lives indoors on good floors and in its aisle.
- Counterbalance: buys universal pallet handling — docks, yards, trucks, ramps — by carrying its counterweight everywhere, which costs aisle width.
Neither is a lesser version of the other. Sites that try to use one for both jobs pay in either aisle (counterbalance in narrow racking) or capability (reach truck at the dock).
The boundary on your site
| Site condition | Points to |
|---|---|
| Racking above roughly 5–6 m in narrow aisles | Reach-truck territory; a counterbalance cannot serve the top beams |
| Mid-height racking (to ~5 m) in aisles a counterbalance cannot turn in | ST20 straddle stacker — the narrow-aisle answer without reach-truck cost |
| Dock, yard, truck loading, ramps, mixed zones | EP-series counterbalance — the generalist |
The middle row is the one buyers miss. Between "counterbalance fits" and "reach truck required" sits the straddle-stacker band, where racking reaches 3,000 mm standard and up to 5,300 mm on the ST20 while the aisle stays narrow. Many warehouses that believe they need a reach truck actually need the band below it; the high-rack solution and the aisle-width guide walk the measurements that tell you which band you are in.
Granvolt's range, stated plainly
We build the counterbalance and warehouse-handling halves of this decision — the EP lithium counterbalance line and the ST walkie and straddle stackers — and we do not currently list a true reach truck. Where your measurements land in reach-truck territory, our RFQ response will say so plainly rather than stretch a straddle stacker past its geometry; that honesty is worth more than the order, because a reach truck sold short is a racking system sold short. Where you land in the straddle band or the counterbalance zone, the equipment set and the charging arithmetic — opportunity charging across the EP line — are fully covered from our side.
One page summary for the file
Measure the aisles and the top beam. Under about 5 m with narrow aisles: test the straddle stacker first. Above it, narrow-aisle racking is genuine reach-truck territory. Everything outside the aisles — docks, yards, trucks, ramps — is counterbalance country, and on our EP platform it is electric country too, with the duty-cycle reasoning in the electric versus diesel guide closing the power-type half of the same decision.
Running the numbers on a real site
The boundary this article draws becomes a decision with two site measurements and one count. Measure the racking aisles face to face and the top beam height; count the moves that happen outside the aisles — docks, trucks, staging — in a typical week. Aisle too narrow for counterbalance and beams above the straddle band: that zone is reach-truck territory, served best by a reach-truck specialist. Everything else: the EP line and ST series cover it, and the mixed fleet — counterbalance outside, stacker or reach truck inside — is what most mature warehouses converge on. The count matters because it sizes the specialist: a reach truck bought for two hours a day of racking work is expensive per move; the same truck at six hours is the cheapest pallet in the building.
A word on fleets that own both
Where the measurements land on both sides of the boundary, the mature answer is a fleet on both sides — counterbalance outside the aisles, specialist inside — and the fleet’s design questions shift from "which truck" to "how they hand over". Handover points need space, charging follows the zones per the opportunity-charging pattern, and operators either cross-train or specialise by zone, with the training basics covering either choice. The fleet that solves the handover deliberately gets the best of both machines; the fleet that solves it by accident gets its exercise in the collision aisle. Draw the handover on the same site plan that carries the aisle measurements, and the two-truck answer runs as smoothly as the one-truck answer felt simpler.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a reach truck and a counterbalance forklift?
A reach truck is a narrow-aisle racking specialist whose mast reaches forward to place pallets at height; a counterbalance truck is the generalist for docks, yards and open floors. The boundary is aisle width plus lift height.
Do I need a reach truck for 5-meter racking?
Not necessarily — mid-height racking in narrow aisles is straddle-stacker territory, where the ST20 reaches 3,000 mm standard and up to 5,300 mm maximum without reach-truck cost.
Does Granvolt sell reach trucks?
No — we build the EP counterbalance and ST warehouse lines, and we state the reach-truck gap plainly when your measurements land there.
Can a counterbalance truck work in narrow aisles?
Only if the aisle exceeds its turning geometry. Measure face to face at the worst point and compare against the model requirement — see the aisle-width guide.
Which is cheaper to run?
It depends on the zone served. A matched fleet — counterbalance outside the aisles, stacker or reach truck inside — usually beats forcing one truck into both jobs.