Distribution Trucks: Shelved Trucks for Multi-Drop Picking and Despatch
A distribution truck is a shelved, sided truck built for a round rather than a single move. Where a flat platform truck carries one load from A to B, a distribution truck carries a whole picking or despatch round on separate levels, so stock stays sorted and nothing gets stacked on top of anything fragile. That difference matters more than the load rating for most buyers: if your operators are dropping to several locations per trip, shelves are the specification, not capacity.
We stock the GPC Industries heavy duty range in manual and locking versions, plus the Apollo UK powered range for sites where the round is long enough that pushing it by hand has become the bottleneck.
Heavy Duty Manual Distribution Trucks
Two configurations share the same chassis:
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DT1010Y — open front and back. The standard truck. Open access at both ends makes it fastest to load and unload from either side of an aisle.
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DT1020Y — security model. The same truck with a locking enclosure, for rounds that pass through areas where stock cannot be left unattended on open shelves.
Both are supplied with a base shelf included, and additional shelves are available. They run on four 200 mm rubber castors — two fixed and two swivel, with two braked — and require some assembly on arrival. Typical lead time on the range is 10–15 days.
Read the two load figures separately. The truck is rated at 500 kg evenly distributed overall, but each shelf is rated at 30 kg. The shelf figure is the one that governs day-to-day use, and it is the number people most often miss when they compare a distribution truck against a flat platform truck. If individual items in your round weigh more than that, you want a platform truck or a roll container rather than a shelved truck. Our guide to load ratings, UDL and SWL explains why the per-level and whole-unit figures behave differently.
Apollo Powered Distribution Trucks
The Apollo range is UK manufactured, built on a strong steel frame powder coated in anthracite grey with heavy duty timber decks in a durable painted finish. It runs on two swivel 200 mm rubber castors and two fixed pneumatic drive wheels.
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Capacity: 600 kg UDL — quoted for use on a level, even surface. That qualification is part of the published rating, not a footnote; slopes, ramps and broken floors are outside it.
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Shelves: heavy duty steel-framed shelves rated at up to 100 kg each, adjustable in 100 mm increments.
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Battery: a 6-hour charge to full gives a 2.5 to 6 mile range depending on load. GPC's own instruction is not to let the battery run flat — worth building into the shift routine rather than leaving to chance.
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Controls: a powered controller with forward and reverse levers, an adjustable speed toggle and an emergency stop, plus a cable management system to prevent snags.
Sizes and configurations
The range splits on height and shelf count. The 1100 mm models (1340 mm overall height) carry two shelves; the 1500 mm models (1740 mm overall) carry three. Each height is available in 1000 mm and 1200 mm deck widths, and in sides-only or sides-and-back configurations. Model codes run PWDT301Y to PWDT312Y — select the configuration from the dropdown on the product page.
Manual or Powered? A Distance-and-Frequency Test
Capacity rarely decides this. Two questions do:
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How far is the round, and how many times a day? A 500 kg manual truck is fine over short, flat, occasional runs. Once the same operator is doing several long laps a shift, the cumulative pushing effort — not the peak weight — is what causes problems.
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Is the floor genuinely level? Powered units earn their keep on long flat runs. Ramps, thresholds and uneven yards change the picture for both types.
The Health and Safety Executive's manual handling guidance treats pushing and pulling as manual handling in its own right, not just lifting. Our guide to manual handling equipment works through how to design the effort out of the job rather than train people to absorb it.
Related Ranges
If the load is palletised, look at pallet trucks instead. If it needs to be enclosed and secure, see wire mesh trucks or our storage cages. For towed loads behind a tug, see Ackerman trucks and trailers and electric tugs. Our guides to box and distribution trolleys and platform trucks and warehouse trolleys compare the formats side by side.
All units are manufactured by GPC Industries Ltd in the UK. Call us if you need shelf counts, deck sizes or lead times confirmed for a specific configuration before you order.
See also our guide to electric tugs and powered trolleys for a fuller comparison of powered handling formats.
Distribution truck FAQs
What is a distribution truck?
A shelved, sided truck built for a picking or despatch round, carrying stock on separate levels so it stays sorted and nothing is stacked on fragile items.
What is the difference between the DT1010Y and DT1020Y?
They share a chassis. The DT1010Y is open front and back. The DT1020Y is the security model with a locking enclosure.
What are the load ratings on the manual trucks?
500 kg evenly distributed overall, and 30 kg per shelf. The per-shelf figure governs day-to-day use.
What wheels do the manual trucks have?
Four 200 mm rubber castors, two fixed and two swivel, with two braked. Some assembly is required on arrival.
What is the lead time on the manual range?
Typically 10 to 15 days.
What are the Apollo powered trucks rated for?
600 kg UDL on a level, even surface, with steel-framed shelves rated at up to 100 kg each, adjustable in 100 mm increments.
What is the battery range?
A 6 hour charge to full gives a 2.5 to 6 mile range depending on load. GPC instructs not to let the battery run flat.
What sizes do the Apollo trucks come in?
1100 mm models (1340 mm overall height) have two shelves and 1500 mm models (1740 mm overall) have three. Each is offered in 1000 mm and 1200 mm deck widths, sides-only or sides-and-back, as PWDT301Y to PWDT312Y.
When should I choose powered over manual?
When the round is long and repeated, since cumulative pushing effort rather than peak weight is the issue. Powered units suit long, level runs.
