Free Sample
The Complete Handbook of Office Carts
A practical reference for buyers, owners, and sellers of office carts — from specification to maintenance to business
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: Understanding Office Carts
An office cart is, at its most basic, a platform on wheels designed to move a load from one point to another within a building or campus. That definition is simple, but it obscures a great deal of engineering and design variance. In a modern office, a cart might be a small, two-shelf metal unit moving a paper shredder, or it could be a heavy-duty, 48-inch utility cart hauling a server. It could be a specialized laptop cart with a locking top and power management for a training room, or a dumbwaiter-style cart for moving mail between floors. The term "office cart" is a category, not a single product, and the difference between getting the right one and getting a wrong one is the difference between a smooth workflow and a recurring daily frustration.
The simplest way to understand office carts is to break them down into their core physical systems. A cart has three main parts: the structure (frame and shelves), the mobility system (casters or wheels), and the user interface (handles, push bars, and any locking mechanisms). Each of these parts affects how the cart performs in a real environment.
The Structure
The structural frame is what gives the cart its strength and determines its weight limit. Most office carts are made of one of two materials: steel or plastic. Steel carts are strong, heavy, and relatively inexpensive. They can carry a substantial load without flexing or cracking. A standard two-shelf steel utility