If you work in or are part of a warehouse then chances are you have come across fifty five gallon drums
. They are commonly used for transporting many different liquid materials for oil products to concentrated juices. You can fit four of these monster drums onto one pallet for easy storage and maneuvering but what happens when you only need one of those heavy drums? You may even need to tap one to get to what is inside.
Moving one fifty five gallon drum all by yourself can be impossible and dangerous, not to mention you can easily hurt yourself or someone else. They weigh an average of 450 pounds and regular hand trucks are not set up for moving one of these beasts! You are going to need a drum truck. These specialty tools look very similar to regular hand trucks but they are much different. They are built even tougher. Upon closer inspection you will see that they are made from a thicker gauge pipe and have a different wheel set-up.
Drum trucks have a special bracket that grabs the upper rim of the drum and locks it into place allowing you to have both hands free. You are going to need them because it can take a little bit to get that 450 pound drum tilted and onto the wheels of the truck. Once you have got it tilted back moving it is a snap. Most drum trucks have a built in cradle. When you get the drum where you want it, just pull the truck all the way down and it will be supported by the cradle. Now you are ready to tap that drum and get what is inside.