What is an Aisle Master?
Aisle Master is a range of articulated narrow aisle forklifts, now part of the Combilift group. The truck bends in the middle: the front section carrying the mast and forks pivots so the forks can face the racking on either side, while the rest of the truck stays straight in the aisle. That is what lets an Aisle Master stack pallets in aisles far narrower than a counterbalance truck needs.
Unlike most narrow aisle trucks, an Aisle Master is not limited to the racking. It can drive out to the loading bay or yard and unload a lorry, then take the pallet straight into storage. The Order Picker version keeps all of that and adds a way for the operator to pick at floor level.
How the Aisle Master Order Picker works
The articulation comes from a patented chain steering system that turns the front of the truck through more than 205°. In a narrow aisle, that means the operator can face either side of the racking without needing room to turn the whole truck.
For picking, the operator stands on a step-through platform just 280 mm off the floor and can step on and off from either side in a single step. A presence-detection pad in the floor applies the parking brake as soon as they step off, and a programmable joystick handles both driving and the hydraulics.
In practice, one Aisle Master can bring a pallet down from bulk storage, place it at the pick face and then be used to pick from it, with no swap to a second truck.
Aisle Master vs other narrow aisle order pickers
Most narrow aisle order picker lift trucks are built for one job. Low level order pickers carry the operator along the pick face at floor level, and man-up very narrow aisle order pickers lift the operator to pick from high racking. Neither can unload a lorry or put away full pallets at height.
The Aisle Master Order Picker works the other way round. The operator picks at floor level, while the forks lift pallets to as much as 12.1 metres, and the truck can go outside to load and unload vehicles. For a warehouse doing a mix of pallet handling and case picking, that usually means fewer trucks overall.
If most of your picking is at height in very narrow aisles, a man-up truck from our order pickers range is the better choice. If you need a narrow aisle truck that can also pick, the Aisle Master is hard to beat.
Aisle Master Order Picker at a glance
- Capacity: 1,500 kg to 2,500 kg, depending on model.
- Lift height: up to 12.1 m.
- Aisle width: from 1,650 mm.
- Platform: stand-on, step-through, 280 mm floor height, single-step access from both sides.
- Steering: patented chain steering with more than 205° of articulation.
- Controls: multifunctional programmable joystick for traction and hydraulics, adjustable to suit the operator.
- Safety: operator presence-detection floor pad that applies the parking brake when the operator steps off.
- Power: AC electric.
Figures are taken from Combilift’s published launch information for the Aisle Master-OP. We will confirm the exact capacity at your lift height and the right model for your racking before quoting.
Where the Aisle Master Order Picker works best
Mixed pallet and case operations. Wholesalers and distributors that put away full pallets and pick cases from the same narrow aisle racking.
Replenishment. Bringing pallets down from bulk storage to the pick face, then picking from it, without changing trucks.
Smaller sites with a yard. Units where one Aisle Master needs to unload deliveries, put them away and pick orders, and there is not enough work for a separate truck for each job.
The rest of the Aisle Master range
If you only need pallet handling, the AC Electric Aisle Master is the standard seated model. For chilled and frozen stores, the Cold Store Aisle Master adds a heated, enclosed cab. You can compare all three on our Aislemaster forklifts page, which also sets an Aisle Master against a reach truck for narrow aisle work.
Hire, leasing and servicing
The Aisle Master Order Picker can be bought outright, taken on contract hire or lease, or hired short term. A short hire is a sensible way to see how an Aisle Master fits your aisles and pick rates before committing. See our hire and leasing options.
Our own engineers carry out planned maintenance, breakdown repairs and LOLER thorough examinations. See servicing and repairs, and ask about forklift telematics if you want to track usage and impacts across shifts.
