Ask anyone who pushes a pallet truck all day what makes the job easier or harder and the answer is often the wheels. The wrong wheel material on the wrong floor makes a loaded truck heavy to start, noisy to move and tough on the surface underneath. This guide explains the parts of a pallet truck that touch the floor, how the common materials compare and how to match them to your site.
The wheels on a pallet truck
A hand pallet truck carries its load on two sets of wheels. Steering wheels sit at the tiller end, under the pump unit, and take the weight of the truck and part of the load. Load rollers sit at the fork tips and carry the rest. They are often fitted as tandems, two small rollers linked together, which helps the fork tip ride over thresholds and floor joints when it goes in and out of a pallet.
Sizes are model-specific. For example, our VULCAN galvanised and stainless steel pallet truck runs on 200 x 50mm nylon steering wheels with 80 x 70 nylon front rollers, while our reel handling pallet truck uses 200 x 50mm steering wheels and 82 x 70mm roller tandems. Always check the specification for the truck you are buying.
Nylon vs polyurethane wheels
| Material | Generally suits | Points to weigh up |
|---|---|---|
| Nylon | Smooth, clean, hard floors | Hard and durable. Can be noisier and less forgiving over debris or uneven joints. |
| Polyurethane | General warehouse and mixed floors, noise-sensitive areas | Softer, quieter and kinder to floor surfaces. Can wear faster than nylon under heavy, constant use. |
| Pneumatic | Rough, uneven or soft outdoor ground | Absorbs bumps and rides over gravel and potholes. Heavier trucks and tyre maintenance. |
These are general characteristics. Hardness and quality vary between manufacturers, so treat the table as a starting point and confirm with the supplier.
Matching wheels to your floor
Start with the surface. Power-floated concrete, resin and sealed floors suit hard wheels. Older, cracked or patched floors and areas with grit or debris are better with a softer material that can take the knocks. If staff complain about noise, or the floor surface is easily marked, ask about polyurethane. If the truck leaves the building and crosses a yard, the wheels are the wrong question: you need a purpose-built rough terrain pallet truck. Ours runs on pneumatic wheels on sealed-bearing hubs, with forks that adjust out to 580mm wide to take pallets up to 1200mm.
Wet, cold and washdown areas
In food, pharmaceutical and washdown environments the wheel is not the only thing at risk. A painted truck frame will corrode, so these sites specify galvanised or stainless steel trucks. Our stainless and galvanised pallet trucks suit damp and wet conditions, and for weighing in a wet area see our weigh scale pallet trucks.
When to replace pallet truck wheels
Look for cracks, flat spots, chunks missing from the tread, wheels that no longer turn freely and threads or debris wrapped around the axle. A truck that has become harder to push or steer is telling you something. Wheels should be part of the regular inspection of the truck under PUWER, and our pallet truck maintenance guide covers the routine checks. Our PUWER guide explains the duty to keep work equipment suitable and maintained.
Choosing the right truck for the job
If you are still deciding between trucks, read our guide to manual vs electric pallet trucks and browse the full pallet trucks range. Powered options are in powered pallet trucks. For the wider question of wheels on trolleys and mobile equipment, see choosing castors and wheels.
For the other parts of a truck, see what a pallet jack is and how it works.
Pallet truck wheel FAQs
What wheels does a pallet truck have?
A hand pallet truck has two steering wheels at the tiller end and a pair of load rollers, often in a tandem arrangement, at the fork tips. Both sets can be nylon, polyurethane or another material depending on the floor.
Are nylon or polyurethane pallet truck wheels better?
Neither is better everywhere. Nylon is hard and suits smooth, clean floors. Polyurethane is softer, usually quieter and kinder to floors, and copes better with minor surface imperfections. Match the material to your floor and noise needs.
What size are the wheels on a standard pallet truck?
It varies by model. On our VULCAN galvanised and stainless truck the steering wheels are 200 x 50mm nylon and the front rollers are 80 x 70 nylon. Our reel handling truck uses 200 x 50mm steering wheels and 82 x 70mm roller tandems.
Which pallet truck is for rough ground?
A rough terrain pallet truck. Ours, the GPC VULCAN Rough Terrain Pallet Truck, runs on pneumatic wheels on hubs with sealed bearings.
What are tandem rollers?
Two small rollers linked together on each fork tip. They help the fork tip ride over thresholds and floor joints as the truck enters or leaves a pallet.
Do I need different wheels for wet areas?
Corrosion resistance matters more than tread. Galvanised and stainless trucks, such as our VULCAN galvanised and stainless range, are built for damp and washdown areas.
When should pallet truck wheels be replaced?
When they are cracked, flat-spotted, badly worn, or the truck becomes noticeably harder to push or steer. Include wheels in your regular PUWER inspection.
Can I upgrade the wheels on my pallet truck?
Check with the manufacturer first. Wheel size and fitting are part of the design, and the truck is plated to a standard such as EN 1757-2.