Walkie vs Rider Pallet Jack: 4 Questions That Decide It (With OSHA Rules and Real Prices)

A walkie pallet jack is the right buy when the runs are short, the floor is flat, and the truck has to fit inside a trailer or a tight aisle. A rider pallet jack is the right buy when the same operator spends the shift moving pallets across the building, and the dock plate and the ramps will carry a truck that weighs 1,720 to 2,400 pounds before the load goes on. On Warehouse Gear Hub, the EKKO EP18JLIC lithium walkie is $3,066.60, the EP20LI lithium walkie is $4,843.10, the EP30A walkie rider is $12,918.10, the EP30A-LI lithium rider is $13,402.60, and the EPC30A center-controlled rider is $14,533.10. The four questions below take you from the length of the run to the part number, with the operator rules quoted from 29 CFR 1910.178, the Class III lift codes from OSHA's own eTool, and every speed, weight and battery figure from EKKO's spec sheets.

Does OSHA treat a walkie and a rider pallet jack differently?

Not in the rule itself. Both are powered industrial trucks. 29 CFR 1910.178(a)(1) covers "fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, and other specialized industrial trucks" that are "powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines." A walkie is a motorized hand truck. A rider is a motorized hand truck with a platform. Every paragraph of 1910.178 that follows, from operator training to the daily inspection, applies to both.

Where OSHA does separate them is in its Powered Industrial Trucks eTool, which lists the industry classes and lift codes. Class III is "Electric motor hand trucks or hand/rider trucks," and under it sit "Lift Code 2: Low Lift Walkie Pallet," "Lift Code 4: Low Lift Walkie/Center Control," and "Lift Code 8: Low Lift Walkie/Rider Pallet and End Control." Those three lines are the three trucks in this guide: the EKKO EP18JLIC and EP20LI are Lift Code 2, the EPC30A is Lift Code 4, and the EP30A and EP30A-LI are Lift Code 8.

The lift codes matter for one practical reason. 1910.178(l)(3)(i)(A) requires training on "Operating instructions, warnings, and precautions for the types of truck the operator will be authorized to operate," and 1910.178(l)(4)(ii)(D) requires refresher training when "The operator is assigned to drive a different type of truck." A rider carries a platform, a 3 kW drive motor and a 1,720 pound frame that a walkie does not. Treat the move from Lift Code 2 to Lift Code 8 as a different type of truck and run the refresher. Question 4 covers what that involves.

Question 1: How long is the run, and how many times a shift?

This is the question the purchase turns on, and the spec sheets answer it in miles per hour. Per EKKO's EP18LI/EP20LI spec sheet, the EP20LI walkie travels 3.3 mph empty and 3.0 mph loaded. Per EKKO's compact walkie brochure, the EP18JLIC travels 2.8 mph empty and 2.6 mph loaded. Per EKKO's EP30A spec sheet, the EP30A walkie rider travels 4.97 mph empty and 4.66 mph loaded, which the metric column lists as 8 and 7.5 km/h.

Turn those into seconds over a 200 foot run. At 3.0 mph, which is 4.4 feet per second, the EP20LI takes about 45 seconds to carry a pallet 200 feet. At 4.66 mph, which is 6.8 feet per second, the EP30A takes about 29 seconds. Add the empty return at 3.3 mph and 4.97 mph and the round trip is roughly 87 seconds on the walkie against 57 seconds on the rider. That is 30 seconds a pallet. Forty round trips in an hour gives you back 20 minutes of that hour, and the operator covers the distance standing on a platform instead of walking it. That walk is where a walkie shift goes: 3.0 mph loaded is a brisk pace, held for eight hours.

The battery tells the same story. EKKO lists the EP18JLIC at 24V/40Ah and the EP20LI at 24V/60Ah, both lithium iron phosphate. The EP30A carries a 24V/280Ah battery that weighs 550 pounds on its own, with a 24V/50A charger per EKKO's product announcement through MHEDA, and the EPC30A carries 24V/360Ah. The EP30A-LI replaces that pack with a 24V/150Ah lithium battery per its product page. A rider's battery is sized for continuous travel. A walkie's is sized for a truck that stops and starts all day.

One caution, because "riders are faster" is a rule that depends on the model. Per EKKO's EPC30A brochure, the center-controlled rider travels 3.41 mph empty and 3.23 mph loaded, a fraction ahead of the EP20LI walkie. The EPC30A's case is not top speed. It is the stand-on platform, the 360Ah battery and the power steering for an operator who is on the truck all shift, which Question 2 covers.

Our line: runs under 100 feet and a few dozen pallets a day, buy the walkie. Runs that cross the building and an operator who is on the truck for most of the shift, buy the rider. Between those, count the pallets, multiply by 30 seconds, and decide whether that time is worth the price gap. Three signs settle the middle ground in favor of the rider: the heaviest pallets travel more than 100 feet each way, the truck is moving for more than half the shift, and travel is the longest part of the pick cycle. One sign settles it for the walkie: the truck sits idle between moves.

Model we stock	OSHA Class III lift code	Capacity	Travel speed, loaded / empty	Battery	Service weight	Turning radius	Price as listed
EKKO EP18JLIC lithium walkie	Lift Code 2, walkie pallet	4,000 lb	2.6 / 2.8 mph	24V/40Ah lithium iron phosphate	346 lb	57.5 in	$3,066.60
EKKO EP20LI lithium walkie	Lift Code 2, walkie pallet	4,400 lb	3.0 / 3.3 mph	24V/60Ah lithium iron phosphate	680 lb	55 in	$4,843.10
EKKO EP30A walkie rider	Lift Code 8, walkie/rider, end control	6,600 lb	4.66 / 4.97 mph	24V/280Ah, 550 lb pack	1,720 lb with battery	81.34 in	$12,918.10
EKKO EP30A-LI lithium rider	Lift Code 8, walkie/rider, end control	6,600 lb	Not listed on the product page	24V/150Ah lithium	Not listed on the product page	Not listed on the product page	$13,402.60
EKKO EPC30A center-controlled rider	Lift Code 4, walkie/center control	5,000 lb	3.23 / 3.41 mph	24V/360Ah, 680 lb pack	2,400 lb with battery	89.68 in	$14,533.10

Read the speed column against the weight column. The EP30A is faster than the EP20LI by 1.66 mph loaded and heavier by 1,040 pounds. Both numbers come from the same decision: a truck built to be ridden across a building for a shift.

Question 2: Where does it have to turn: the aisle, the dock, or the trailer?

Read the length and the turning radius before you read the capacity. Per the spec sheets, the EP18JLIC is 64 inches long overall with a 57.5 inch turning radius, and the EP20LI turns in 55 inches. The EP30A is 88.58 inches long and 35.83 inches wide with an 81.34 inch turning radius. The EPC30A is 99.09 inches long and 31.81 inches wide with an 89.68 inch turning radius. Subtract the forks and the difference is in the body: about 19 inches of truck behind the fork heels on the EP18JLIC, 40.55 inches to the fork face on the EP30A, and a 58.82 inch body on the EPC30A. The riders also add about two to three feet of turning radius. Put a 48 inch pallet on the EP30A's 48 inch forks and the loaded truck is about 7.4 feet long, and that 7.4 feet, swung on an 81.34 inch radius, is what has to turn inside a trailer or between rack rows.

End control and center control is the other half of this question, and it is the difference between the two riders. The EP30A is OSHA's Lift Code 8, walkie/rider with end control. The platform sits at the tiller end of the truck, and per EKKO's announcement the truck works as a walkie or a rider, so one operator can step off and walk it into the nose of a trailer, then step on and ride it to staging. The EPC30A is Lift Code 4, center control. Its brochure lists the operator position as stand-on, with power steering, and the truck is built for an operator who rides the whole shift and does not get off. Forks are 27 x 48 inches on the EP30A and 27 x 45 inches on the EPC30A, both with steel entry wheels for pallet entry.

Direction of travel is written into the rule as well. 1910.178(n)(6) reads: "The driver shall be required to look in the direction of, and keep a clear view of the path of travel," and 1910.178(n)(4) adds: "If the load being carried obstructs forward view, the driver shall be required to travel with the load trailing." A stacked pallet on 48 inch forks blocks the view past it, so the loaded truck runs power unit first with the pallet behind it. On an end rider that puts the operator at the leading end of the truck with the path in front of them, which is the layout that suits dock and trailer work. On a center rider the operator stands inside the body of the truck, and with an 89.68 inch turning radius that layout is built for the long, straight runs of a main aisle rather than the tight turns at a dock door.

Dock work has its own rules in 1910.178 and they apply to any truck that boards a trailer. 1910.178(k)(1) reads: "The brakes of highway trucks shall be set and wheel chocks placed under the rear wheels to prevent the trucks" from rolling while a powered industrial truck boards them. 1910.178(k)(3) says fixed jacks "may be necessary to support a semitrailer and prevent upending during the loading or unloading" when the trailer is not coupled to a tractor. A 6,600 pound pallet on an EP30A driven to the nose of an uncoupled trailer is the case that paragraph is written for.

Question 3: What will the ramp and the dock plate carry?

Service weight is the number buyers skip, and it is the one that decides whether the rider can go where the walkie went. Per the spec sheets, the EP18JLIC weighs 346 pounds and the EP20LI weighs 680 pounds. The EP30A weighs 1,720 pounds with its battery, per the EP30A sheet we host, and the EPC30A weighs 2,400 pounds with its battery, per the EPC30A sheet we host. Add the rated load and the dock plate sees 8,320 pounds under an EP30A at capacity, 7,400 pounds under an EPC30A, 5,080 pounds under an EP20LI, and 4,346 pounds under an EP18JLIC. Those rated loads are ceilings, not targets: 1910.178(o)(2) reads, "Only loads within the rated capacity of the truck shall be handled," so a 6,000 pound pallet rules out the 5,000 pound EPC30A before any other question is asked.

1910.178(n)(11) reads: "Dockboard or bridgeplates, shall be properly secured before they are driven over," and goes on to require that they be driven over carefully and slowly and that their rated capacity never be exceeded. Pull the rating off the plate before the rider arrives. A plate that has carried a walkie and a pallet for years has never seen 8,320 pounds on four polyurethane wheels.

Ramps are a separate check. The EP30A sheet lists gradeability at 5 percent loaded and 15 percent empty. The EPC30A sheet lists 3 percent loaded and 6 percent empty. Measure your ramp as rise divided by run, times 100. A dock ramp that climbs 1 foot over 15 feet is a 6.7 percent grade, which the EP30A will climb empty and will not climb at 6,600 pounds, and which the EPC30A, at 3 percent loaded and 6 percent empty, will not climb either way. 1910.178(n)(7) adds the operating rule: "Grades shall be ascended or descended slowly." 1910.178(n)(7)(i) continues: "When ascending or descending grades in excess of 10 percent, loaded trucks shall be driven with the load upgrade," and (n)(7)(iii) requires the load to be raised only as far as necessary to clear the surface. The EP30A's minimum ground clearance is 0.905 inches per its sheet, so dock plate lips and expansion joints are part of the walk-through too.

If the ramp is steeper than the loaded gradeability on the sheet, the answer is a walkie on the ramp and the rider on the flat, or a different route. No training fixes a grade the motor cannot climb.

Question 4: Who is going to drive it, and are they trained for a rider?

The training rule is the same for both trucks and it is not optional. 1910.178(l)(1)(i) requires the employer to ensure that each operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck "safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in this paragraph (l)." The required topics in (l)(3)(i) include "Truck controls and instrumentation: where they are located, what they do, and how they work," plus "Vehicle capacity" and "Vehicle stability." 1910.178(l)(4)(iii) requires an evaluation of each operator "at least once every three years," and (l)(6) requires a certification record with "the name of the operator, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation" and the identity of the trainer. Our electric vs manual pallet jack guide covers how that rule reaches a walkie in the first place.

What changes with a rider is the content of the training, and that is why the lift codes matter. The operator is now on a platform, steering 1,720 to 2,400 pounds at up to 4.97 mph, with a stopping distance to learn. 1910.178(n)(8) reads: "Under all travel conditions the truck shall be operated at a speed that will permit it to be brought to a stop in a safe" manner. 1910.178(n)(4) reads: "The driver shall be required to slow down and sound the horn at cross aisles and other locations where vision is obstructed." Neither sentence has a number in it, which means the number comes from your floor, your traffic and your truck, and the only way an operator learns it is on that truck. That is the refresher (l)(4)(ii)(D) asks for.

Riding has its own line. 1910.178(m)(3) reads: "Unauthorized personnel shall not be permitted to ride on powered industrial trucks," followed by "A safe place to ride shall be provided where riding of trucks is authorized." On a rider pallet jack the platform is that safe place, and it is for the operator. A second person on the platform, or anyone on the forks of a walkie, is the violation the paragraph was written against.

Two more paragraphs apply the day the truck arrives. 1910.178(q)(7) reads: "Industrial trucks shall be examined before being placed in service, and shall not be placed in service if the examination" shows a condition affecting safety, and "Such examination shall be made at least daily." 1910.178(m)(5)(ii) defines unattended as the operator being 25 feet or more away from a truck that remains in view, "or whenever the operator leaves the vehicle and it is not in his view," at which point (m)(5)(i) requires the forks fully lowered, controls neutralized, power off and brakes set. A walkie parked at the end of an aisle and a rider parked at the dock are both covered.

Charging is the last piece. 1910.178(g)(1) reads: "Battery charging installations shall be located in areas designated for that purpose." The EP30A's 280Ah pack and the EPC30A's 360Ah pack need that designated area and the charger that ships with the truck. The EP30A-LI's lithium pack charges from its own included charger. Our electric vs propane forklift guide covers the rest of paragraph (g).

Which pallet jack should you buy?

Match the operation to the line that describes it.

• Short runs, pallets to 4,000 lb, tight aisles, smallest budget: EKKO EP18JLIC lithium walkie ($3,066.60). 2.6 mph loaded, 24V/40Ah lithium battery and charger included, 346 lb, 64 in long, 57.5 in turning radius, pinwheel capability.
• Short to medium runs, pallets to 4,400 lb, charger you never have to find: EKKO EP20LI lithium walkie ($4,843.10). 3.0 mph loaded, 24V/60Ah lithium battery with the 24V/15A charger built in, 680 lb, 55 in turning radius.
• Heavier walkie loads to 5,500 lb: EKKO EP25E walkie ($7,750.10) or EP25E-Li lithium walkie ($8,557.88). Call for the spec sheet before you decide between them.
• Long runs and tight aisles in the same building: run both. A rider on the dock-to-staging run and a walkie for the trailer nose, the rack aisles and the ramp keeps each truck on the ground it was built for, and the EP30A's walk-or-ride design covers the handoff on its own when the budget allows one truck.
• Runs that cross the building, trailer work on the same shift, loads to 6,600 lb: EKKO EP30A walkie rider ($12,918.10). 4.66 mph loaded, 24V/280Ah battery and 24V/50A charger, 1,720 lb, 81.34 in turning radius, 5 percent loaded gradeability, walk it or ride it.
• The same rider with a lithium pack: EKKO EP30A-LI ($13,402.60). 6,600 lb, 24V/150Ah lithium, charger included, same 27 x 48 forks and 9.17 in lift height.
• Operator on the truck all shift, loads to 5,000 lb, center control: EKKO EPC30A ($14,533.10). Stand-on platform, power steering, 3.23 mph loaded, 24V/360Ah battery, 2,400 lb, 89.68 in turning radius, 3 percent loaded gradeability.
• A ramp steeper than 5 percent on the route: call before you buy. The riders above will not climb it loaded, and the fix is a route change or a walkie on the grade, both of which we will talk through.

Every model above is in the electric pallet jacks collection, alongside the semi-electric and narrow-fork walkies, and the manual trucks are in the pallet jacks collection. Warehouse Gear Hub is an authorized EKKO dealer, which means the 3 year limited warranty on every truck above is the factory's. If the operation lands between two lines, call 1-800-794-1049, 8 AM to 4 PM Central, with the longest run in feet, the heaviest pallet, the dock plate rating and the ramp grade. We will size it in one call, match any authorized dealer's price, and send a written quote for a single truck or a fleet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a walkie and a rider pallet jack?

A walkie is an electric pallet jack the operator walks behind or beside. A rider adds a platform the operator stands on, a larger drive motor and a larger battery. OSHA's Powered Industrial Trucks eTool lists both under Class III, "Electric motor hand trucks or hand/rider trucks," as Lift Code 2 (walkie pallet), Lift Code 4 (walkie/center control) and Lift Code 8 (walkie/rider pallet and end control). On the EKKO trucks we stock, that is the difference between a 680 pound EP20LI at 3.0 mph loaded and a 1,720 pound EP30A at 4.66 mph loaded.

Is a rider pallet jack a forklift under OSHA?

It is a powered industrial truck, which is the category OSHA regulates, and it carries the same obligations as a forklift. 29 CFR 1910.178(a)(1) covers "fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, and other specialized industrial trucks," and OSHA's eTool lists walkie and rider pallet jacks under Class III, "Electric motor hand trucks or hand/rider trucks." The practical result is that operator training, the three year evaluation, the daily inspection and the dock rules in 1910.178 apply to a rider pallet jack exactly as they apply to a sit-down forklift.

What is a walkie rider pallet jack?

A walkie rider is an electric pallet jack with an operator platform at the tiller end, so the operator can walk behind it for short moves and stand on it for long ones. OSHA's eTool lists it as Class III Lift Code 8, "Low Lift Walkie/Rider Pallet and End Control." The EKKO EP30A is the walkie rider we stock: 6,600 lb capacity, 4.66 mph loaded, 24V/280Ah battery, 1,720 lb service weight, and per EKKO's announcement it "can be used as a walkie or a rider truck." The EP30A-LI is the same truck with a 24V/150Ah lithium pack.

How fast does a rider pallet jack go?

Per EKKO's spec sheets, the EP30A walkie rider travels 4.97 mph empty and 4.66 mph loaded, and the EPC30A center-controlled rider travels 3.41 mph empty and 3.23 mph loaded. The EP20LI walkie travels 3.3 mph empty and 3.0 mph loaded, and the EP18JLIC compact walkie travels 2.8 mph empty and 2.6 mph loaded. OSHA sets no speed in miles per hour; 1910.178(n)(8) requires a speed that lets the truck be brought to a stop in a safe manner under all travel conditions.

Does OSHA require training to operate a rider pallet jack?

Yes. 29 CFR 1910.178(a)(1) covers "motorized hand trucks," which includes walkie and rider pallet jacks, and 1910.178(l)(1)(i) requires every operator to complete the training and evaluation in paragraph (l) before operating. 1910.178(l)(4)(ii)(D) requires refresher training when "The operator is assigned to drive a different type of truck," and (l)(4)(iii) requires a performance evaluation at least once every three years. A certification record under (l)(6) names the operator, the training date, the evaluation date and the trainer.

Can a second person ride on a pallet jack?

No. 1910.178(m)(3) reads: "Unauthorized personnel shall not be permitted to ride on powered industrial trucks," and requires a safe place to ride where riding is authorized. On a rider pallet jack the platform is the safe place and it is for the operator. A walkie has no platform, so riding on its forks or frame is not authorized at all.

What is the difference between an end rider and a center rider pallet jack?

Where the operator stands. OSHA's eTool lists the end rider as Lift Code 8, "Low Lift Walkie/Rider Pallet and End Control," with the platform at the tiller end of the truck, and the center rider as Lift Code 4, "Low Lift Walkie/Center Control," with the operator standing in the truck. On our shelf the EKKO EP30A is the end rider: 6,600 lb, 88.58 in long, 81.34 in turning radius, walk it or ride it. The EKKO EPC30A is the center rider: 5,000 lb, 99.09 in long, 89.68 in turning radius, power steering, built to be ridden all shift.

When should you switch from a walkie to a rider pallet jack?

When the run, not the load, is what the operator spends the shift on. Our line is that runs under 100 feet with a few dozen pallets a day stay on a walkie, and runs that cross the building with an operator on the truck for most of the shift move to a rider. In between, do the time math: on EKKO's published speeds the EP30A rider saves about 30 seconds per 200 foot round trip against the EP20LI walkie, so 40 round trips an hour returns 20 minutes of that hour. Before you order, confirm the dock plate rating covers 8,320 pounds and the ramp is no steeper than 5 percent, because a rider that cannot reach the trailer saves nothing.

How much does a rider pallet jack cost?

On Warehouse Gear Hub as of this writing, the EKKO EP30A walkie rider is $12,918.10, the EP30A-LI lithium rider is $13,402.60, and the EPC30A center-controlled rider is $14,533.10, each with charger included and a 3 year limited warranty. The walkies run from $3,066.60 for the EP18JLIC to $4,843.10 for the EP20LI and $7,750.10 for the 5,500 lb EP25E. The gap between the EP20LI and the EP30A is $8,075.00, which at 30 seconds a pallet is the number to put against your pallet count.