{"id":88,"date":"2019-12-19T16:18:36","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T16:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"\/blog\/?p=88"},"modified":"2025-06-19T12:38:50","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T11:38:50","slug":"what-is-a-hand-truck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/blog\/what-is-a-hand-truck\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a hand truck?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

First invented in the 1700s for making heavy lifting easier, hand trucks<\/a> are used for the same reason today. Speeding up the transportation of items in a variety of shapes of sizes, they\u2019ve become an important tool in warehouses, factories and storerooms, as they can simplify the process of moving almost any item.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Available with or without the option to fold away for\neasy storage, they\u2019re built in an L-shape, with a flat sheet along the bottom\nthat can easily slot underneath whatever you want to move. It can then be\ntilted backwards on a wheel at the rear of the truck, offering easy movement to\nwherever the object needs to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For your own safety, it\u2019s worth learning the most effective way to use a hand truck. In this blog, we look at other considerations around using a hand truck, such as ensuring that the tyres are in good condition and not exceeding the advised weight limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is a hand truck called a dolly?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many different names for a hand truck, and while some are shaped for carrying specific items, they\u2019re all a variation on the same thing. Hand trucks are also often referred to as sack trucks, sack barrows, bag barrows, trolley trucks, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

stack trucks, two-wheelers, box\ncarts, trundlers or simply trolley. They are sometimes also known as a dolly,\nwhich is a word often used in relation to any piece of equipment that\ntransports items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The origin of a hand truck being\nreferred to as a dolly is unclear, but there are theories as to why it became a\npopular nickname. These include it being used as slang to mean a smaller\nversion of a trolley, and how it resembles a doll in railroad hand carts due to\nhaving arms and legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to inflate hand truck tyres<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tyres on a typical hand truck are strong enough to\nsupport the weight of most items. After excessive use, your hand truck\u2019s tyres\nmay need to be reinflated, but it\u2019s easy to do this yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for inflating the tyres on your hand truck:<\/p>\n\n\n\n