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Quick Order Picker Platform Customization for National Distribution Center Network
October 14, 2026
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Categories: Case Studies
For distribution centers, a heavy-duty order picker platform can mean more warehouse vertical capacity — and that means fewer bottlenecks in fulfillment lines. The BHS Order Picker Platform (OPP) delivers that functionality: It attaches to an order picker truck for upper-shelf picking to pallets, or for inventory replenishment directly from pallet loads.
But specialized material handling equipment doesn’t always work cleanly with standard fleet infrastructure. That’s an especially significant concern when that infrastructure is part of an expansive distribution network.
A nationwide grocery chain recently encountered that challenge; a work platform met their needs, but wasn’t compatible with their standard pallet clamps. The company worked with BHS to find a solution.
The Challenge: Finding an Order Picker Platform to Work with Existing Fleet
Efficient grocery distribution requires high-volume order picking workflows that rely heavily on order picker trucks. At an Indiana distribution center, operations managers wanted to use the BHS Order Picker Platform equipped with casters to improve throughput.
However, the 15-½-inch spacing between the fork pockets couldn’t clear the standard 16-inch wide pallet clamps. BHS engineers decided to address the issue with a quick (but substantial) redesign.
The Solution: Custom Engineering with Quick Lead Times
Our team quickly determined that widening the spacing on the standard 42"-wide Order Picker Platform wasn’t an option. The new pockets would interfere with the casters, which were essential to the platform’s functionality.
Instead, engineers upgraded the end user to a larger 48”x48" platform while honoring the original contract. The added width allowed engineers to reposition the structural fork pockets, clearing the 16-inch pallet clamps completely without compromising the placement or mobility of the industrial casters.
Modifying the base footprint allowed for the deployment of a custom BHS Order Picking Platform, built with custom-engineered fork pockets and precise height adjustments to match the truck flush-points.
Related: BHS Provides Custom Tilt Table for an Automotive Manufacturing Line
Some design modifications require minor updates to fork pocket spacing — some require a much more extensive set of customizations. In 2020, BHS worked with Knapheide to create a prototype Tilt Table that could reposition vertically oriented truck bodies to a convenient, ergonomic angle.
The result: A custom industrial tilt table, built to the precise specifications of the business.
“BHS’ dedication to the customer has been second to none. They went above and beyond, and this has continued to drive the relationship.”
Learn more: BHS, Inc. Provides Custom Tilt Table for a Knapheide Manufacturing Line
The Result: Scalable Fleet Standardization
The engineered redesign ensured that the Order Picker Platform was fully compatible with the distribution center's existing fleet. That made it scalable, which made it more functionally useful for the brand: Nine other OPPs have been deployed across multiple logistics hubs.
While this project was relatively straightforward, lead times were important. At BHS, we engineer and manufacture all of our custom material handling solutions at a 148,000-square-foot facility in St. Louis, Missouri.
We draw on more than 45 years of custom manufacturing experience to cut out common bottlenecks in the process — namely, we don’t make assumptions about important specifications. By getting accurate measurements of the pallet clamps and learning how the end user intended to utilize the OPP, we were able to create a solution that didn’t sacrifice stability or functionality.
All of our custom models are also replicable: Once the designs go into production, they’re cataloged so that enterprise clients can re-order them when needed without going through the redesign process a second (or third, or sixth) time.
Custom Material Handling Solutions from BHS
Our approach provides warehouses with a reliable way to standardize their material flow, increase equipment uptime, and provide personnel with safe, ergonomic material handling equipment.
From custom forklift work platform attachments to lift tables, bin dumpers, and operator-aboard battery extractors, BHS engineers equipment to keep materials flowing — and to work with your current fleet and operational infrastructure.
Let’s Build a Solution for Your Fleet
Contact BHS or call 1-800-BHS-9500 to discuss your next project.
