Which lifting aids and transport equipment do you need? Hand truck, plate carrier, suction cups and more

Anyone who moves a lot of material soon finds that the best lifting aid is the load you do not have to lift. A cart, a carrier or a suction cup takes the weight off you, prevents damage to the material and saves your back. But which aid suits which load? In this buying guide we compare the most important lifting aids and transport equipment, show what you can do with them and explain where lifting and hoisting begins and the professional is needed.

👷 Calling in a professional or carrier is never superfluous. Heavy, high or fragile loads, for example a bath on an upper floor, glass panels or a large boiler, call for hoisting equipment, experience and sometimes a VCA-certified company. A lifting aid makes the work lighter, but it does not replace a professional's knowledge.

First the question: what do you need to move?

Before you choose an aid, decide four things:

1. Weight. More than about 25 kilos? Then an aid or a second person is needed.
2. Shape. Is it a bag, box, sheet, long beam or a fragile object such as glass?
3. Route. Flat floor, stairs, threshold, sand or gravel? That decides the wheels and size.
4. Distance and height. A few metres over a floor or up to another floor? Anything off the ground quickly becomes hoisting.

Overview: which aid for which load?

Hand truck and sack truck

A hand truck (or sack truck) is the workhorse for boxes, bags and stacks. You slide the plate under the load, tilt it towards you and roll it away. Ideal for bags of plaster, adhesive and cement, boxes of tiles and paint buckets. Choose a truck with pneumatic tyres or wide wheels if you travel over sand, gravel or a building site. A hand truck is not suitable for long, flat or glass loads.

Flat transport cart and workshop trolley

For loads you want to move flat, such as toolboxes, boxes and small machines, a trolley with shelves is handy, such as a workshop trolley with three shelves. That way you lift nothing up and down, and you take everything to the job in one go. For large tiles, natural stone and sheets there is a special cart, such as the Tyrrel MkII transport cart for tiles and slabs, which supports the sheet flat and stable on rubber. A Raimondi Easy Move transport trolley is a sturdy trolley for heavier materials and packages.

Plate carrier and tile carrier

Large sheets, such as plasterboard, wooden boards and large tiles, are best not carried with your arms wrapped around the sheet. With a plate carrier or a vacuum carrier such as the Raimondi Easy Move tile carrier with vacuum gauge you lift a sheet by the side, with a straight back and a low load. For fragile large tiles and glass-like sheets, protect the edges with an Edge Saver corner protector for large tiles and slabs.

Suction cups

Suction cups work by negative pressure. With a Raimondi RV175 vacuum suction cup with pressure gauge or Raimondi Easy Move suction cup with vacuum gauge with a pressure gauge you grip smooth, clean, non-porous surfaces such as glass, mirrors or tiles with a closed surface. Always check the gauge, test with a small lift and never let anyone stand under a hanging load. Porous or rough surfaces, such as rough natural stone, are not suitable. Use suction cups only according to the instructions and up to the maximum load marked on the cup.

Straps and elastic

A strap with double hook or set of straps with double hook secures a load on a cart, in a van or on a roof rack. An elastic strap is only meant for light loads that you hold together, not for loads that you must anchor safely. Check the strap for wear and sharp edges and never use it above its marked maximum tension.

Wheelbarrow

A wheelbarrow is ideal for sand, rubble, bags and tools over rough terrain. Put the heaviest load just above the wheel, so that you can keep the wheelbarrow well balanced. Avoid overloading: a full wheelbarrow of wet sand quickly weighs 100 kilos or more.

Roller board and rollers

With a roller board (a platform on wheels or rollers) you slide heavy furniture, cabinets or a fridge without lifting. Use it only on flat floors and always keep an eye on it: a roller board is not suitable for stairs.

Pallet and pallet truck

Anyone who buys a lot of material at once often gets it on a standard pallet, secured with transparent stretch film. A pallet truck, such as the electric pallet truck 1,500 kg, moves the entire pallet in one go over a flat surface. Use a pallet truck only if you have experience or have had instruction, and only on a flat floor with sufficient load capacity. The electric pallet truck in our range is intended for professional use and requires knowledge of the safety rules.

Lifting and hoisting: what can you do yourself and when is a professional needed?

As soon as a load has to leave the ground, we enter the area of hoisting. The risk increases, because a falling load can cause serious or fatal injury. What can you do yourself? Raising light loads with a sturdy rope or strap connection and an aid designed for the purpose, such as a hand hoist with a valid inspection label, can in some cases be done by an experienced DIYer. The load must then be well below the working load limit (WLL) marked on the aid. When do you leave it to a professional?

• When the load is heavier than about 25 kilos and has to go up.
• When people stand or walk under or beside the load.
• When hanging a bath, boiler, large window or a heavy wall on an upper floor.
• When using cranes, demolition lifts (material hoists), ladder lifts or hoists attached to a structure.
• When the structure you want to hang from is not known for certain, or the load has to hang from a roof or beam.

What does the law require of professionals? Hoisting equipment such as lifting slings, chains, hooks and hoists must have a clear working load limit (WLL), be inspected regularly (often annually) by an expert and be used only by trained persons. Companies working on building sites provide VCA-certified staff, a work plan and a fenced-off danger zone. If you want to use a hoist yourself, have a professional assess it. Never use damaged hoisting equipment and never hoist over people.

⚠️ Never let people stand or walk under a hanging load. Never hoist with a knot in the strap or chain. If in doubt, call in a professional or certified hoisting company.

Common mistakes

• Overloading a cart, so that it tips or the wheels jam.
• Using a suction cup on a rough or dirty surface, or ignoring the gauge.
• Letting straps run over sharp edges without protection.
• Driving a load on a cart over a threshold without securing it.
• Using an elastic cord for a heavy load.
• Hoisting a load without knowing the maximum load.

Personal protective equipment

All transport equipment goes with PPE:

• work gloves with nitrile coating for grip and protection when grabbing and steering, especially with rough pallets and sharp edges. See our buying guide for work gloves.
• A low S3S safety shoe protects your feet from falling loads and from being run over by a cart or pallet truck. See our blog on choosing safety shoes.
• A safety helmet for hoisting work or wherever work takes place overhead.
• safety goggles when opening packaging or cutting strap and film.
• knee pads when working low, for example when laying tiles from a cart. You can read more about tiling a floor in our blog on tiling a floor.

On the building site, the rules in our blog on safe working on the construction site apply and, for professionals, the client's VCA requirements.

How do you choose? Quick guide

• Bags and boxes over a floor: hand truck or sack truck.
• Tiles and sheets: tile cart or plate carrier, with suction cups for glass.
• Many boxes and tools: workshop trolley or flat cart.
• Sand, rubble, rough ground: wheelbarrow.
• Heavy furniture or cabinets on a smooth floor: roller board.
• A whole pallet: pallet truck, only for those with experience.
• A load from the ground upwards: hoisting equipment, preferably by a professional.

Read also: Transporting timber and long materials, Transporting tiles and slabs safely and Transporting ladders and scaffolding safely.

Frequently asked questions

Which aid do I need first?

For most DIYers that is a hand truck or a flat cart. With it you move boxes, bags and tools without lifting them yourself. Straps come next, and for large tiles a plate carrier or suction cups.

May I hoist with a hoist myself?

Only light loads, well below the working load limit, with an inspected aid and a sturdy fixing. In doubt, with people under the load or with structures, have a professional do the work.

What does WLL mean?

WLL stands for Working Load Limit, the maximum working load. It is the weight that the hoisting equipment may safely carry, under the conditions it was designed for. You can read it on the label.

Are suction cups safe for glass?

Yes, provided you use them properly: clean, smooth surface, keep an eye on the gauge and never above people. For heavy or large panes, call in a glazier.

Where can you find everything for this job?

At Saniso, the online store for DIYers and professionals, you will find tools, materials and personal protective equipment for your job.

• Browse our construction tools and our workwear and safety.
• Create a customer account and order easily.
• Working on a bigger project or want to hand over the job? Request a project quote.
• Book a showroom visit, at least 24 hours in advance.
• Not sure which material suits your job? Get in touch with us.

In doubt about the approach? Feel free to call in a professional.

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