There are hundreds of different varieties of carts available on the market with a wide variety of uses serving a plethora of industries and businesses. Perhaps the most versatile and useful of them all is the traditional metal utility cart, a staple of the food service and healthcare industries all over the world.
Metal utility carts are so common because from a functional standpoint they are hard to compete with. They simply are able to do a lot of things very well, without the need for specializations or extra features.
Many other varieties and styles of carts are made with one or maybe two specific purposes in mind, whereas the typical metal utility cart is something of a jack-of-all-trades. It can be used for a multitude of purposes and is designed to be used just about anywhere in a commercial or light industrial setting.
When looking for a cart that covers the most needs, especially in a place of business such as a restaurant, it’s almost expected that the metal utility cart will be the preferred choice. There’s something about their sturdy frame and sleek profile that enables them to perform so many tasks so well. You’re just as likely to find one carrying dozens of entrees in a five-star restaurant as you are to see one hauling around medical equipment in the corridors of a massive city hospital.
There’s really an extensive list of practical reasons why you would want or need a metal utility cart for your place of business or specific task, whether you are in a commercial or industrial setting. Not only are they heavy-duty, they aren’t cumbersome and can be easily maneuvered, especially compared to some other models of utility cart.
Not all businesses and industries make use of the iconic metal utility cart, but for those that do, it’s one of the crucial components that keep the everyday activities and tasks of their business running smoothly. It’s hard to imagine a bakery without a cart to carry baked goods from the kitchen to the storefront, or a doctor’s office without a cart to transport crucial equipment from one room to another swiftly and efficiently.
From school cafeterias to hospital storage rooms, and hundreds of other locations in between, it’s clear that these metal carts are an essential part of business and everyday life. If you’re looking for a true all-purpose solution to many common logistical conundrums in your business, you’ve likely come to the realization that you either need a few of these carts, or you need better ones to replace the ones you already have.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at exactly how these carts are used and how they might be able to assist you in your particular industry.
Where Carts are Used Most
The typical stainless steel utility cart can be found just about anywhere, but there are a few select industries and businesses where you will see it more often and used on a fairly routine basis.
These include hospitals and private practices, restaurants of all shapes and sizes, storage areas of factories and other light industrial settings, hospital and school cafeterias, the hospitality industry, sports complexes, and workshops for various industries such as painters and landscapers.
The fact that the above industries are so varied tells you how truly useful a utility cart is. There is certainly no shortage of tasks they are fit for. It’s important to note that while other kinds of carts are sometimes used in these industries as well, you’ll often see them right alongside the standard utility cart because their practical nature makes them suitable for tasks many other kinds of equipment either can’t do or can’t do as well.
One perfect example is the hospitality industry, including hotels and bed and breakfasts. You will often see a variety of carts being used in these locations, because of the wide variety of needs there are in order to make sure everything in the building is running like clockwork, and that the guests are happy. You might see a laundry cart, a plastic utility cart designed for cleaning supplies and towels, as well as a metal utility cart carrying around a variety of items from place to place, as well as aiding in serving food and delivering room service to guests.
Schools are another location that rely heavily on utility carts to transport equipment, serve food in the cafeteria, and also provide useful shelving in the nurse’s station. It’s almost hard to picture a school cafeteria without a metal cart full of food trays being pushed around.
Another common use for these carts can be found in the backrooms of different businesses around the country, from supermarkets delivery areas to post offices and police stations. Most businesses make use of utility carts to carry packages and other mail on, and indeed some businesses actually deliver interoffice mail using a metal cart. They simply make what would otherwise be a very arduous process quite simple.
This is one of the ways you know that the metal utility cart has become integral to how we do business and manage our everyday lives because you really don’t often think of just how many practical applications they have. It’s easy to say they are only used in hospitals for example, but in reality, they can be found just about anywhere, in any setting.
They even serve a myriad of residential purposes as well. For anyone with a garage or barn packed with thousands of items and pieces of equipment, you might find that a cart such as the ones we carry here at Wholesale Utility Carts can clean up your space and make finding and transporting what you need a whole lot easier. Just the basic idea of reliable, sturdy shelving that you can move around can ease so many everyday tasks, you might wonder how you managed without one.
If you are looking for a utility cart for your business, there’s a good chance that this is the kind of cart you’re going to need. Whether you are in the healthcare industry, the hospitality industry, or are simply looking for a reliable and easy way to transport your tools around your workshop, you can’t really go wrong with a professional-grade utility cart constructed out of stainless steel.
Metal vs Plastic Carts
In your search for just the right utility cart, you may notice that there are quite a few plastic carts on the market. Each variety of cart has specific uses that make them better suited for one industry or purpose than another.
For example, it’s common for AV carts or carts that carry computer equipment to be constructed with plastic trays to accommodate delicate equipment that you wouldn’t want sliding around.
On the other hand, many plastic carts are squatter and have wider profiles, which would make them cumbersome and impractical in the middle of a busy kitchen or hospital room. In many cases, where metal carts excel the most is in areas where normal wall shelving is needed, as well as mobility where necessary. It’s easy to push a metal utility cart flush against a wall and out of the way until it’s needed. This is one of their many advantages.
What cart you ultimately need is wholly dependent on the tasks at hand. Are you carrying an assortment of desserts through a crowded restaurant? Transporting heavy packages from one end of a hospital to another? You have to look at all the pros and cons of each kind of cart and decide based on their features.
The truth is, in most all-purpose cases, a metal utility cart is more than likely what you will need to best get the job done. Their simple and efficient design, heavy-duty frame, easy maneuvering, and slim profile enable them to be used in hundreds of different settings, for a wide range of tasks.
Where many plastic carts tend to be specialized for one or two highly specific tasks, the right metal cart can handle a much broader scope of tasks and duties. They are also far more reliable as consistent shelving, as opposed to a smaller plastic utility cart, which would never be used as spare shelving.
One of the most important factors in your decision is in foot traffic and confined spaces. If you are going to be moving many items around in a crowded place, that sounds like a job for a metal utility cart. If you are aiming to use the cart to carry and transport office packages from the mailroom, or to carry your tools around the garage or factory floor, you might want one as well.
Another underrated aspect of this kind of utility cart is the ease with which they create synergy when used together. Most carts are designed to use alone, whereas metal utility carts are often part of a fleet. For busy restaurants, school cafeterias, and similar locations, using multiple such metal carts at once is the only way the business would be able to properly function. At the end of the day or during downtime, they are easy to line up in front of one another for easy compact storage.
Perhaps the last important aspect of metal carts vs their plastic counterparts is in how easy they are to clean. Stainless steel carts are a breeze to wipe down and clean, which is often in stark contrast to plastic carts. Due to the nature of plastic itself as well as all the compartments, they tend to have, plastic utility carts are much more difficult to clean and maintain. Metal carts make cleaning an extraordinarily simple process, which is apt. They are much more likely to get food and other materials and debris on them.
This makes them the clear and obvious choice for transporting plates of food as well as dirty dishes and trays, along with used medical supplies and dirty tools. This is just another example of how truly versatile they are.
How to Find the Right Metal Cart Online
There are plenty of places you can purchase utility carts online and elsewhere for that matter, but if you want lasting quality from brands you can trust, all at wholesale prices, we here at Wholesale Utility Carts might just have what you’re looking for. Nowhere else will you find a team of such dedicated experts who want to make sure you find what you are looking for and are completely satisfied.
The material and construction of a utility cart plays a huge part in how functional it is. You need to be able to rely on your utility cart to do the tough jobs and perform consistently every day. Flimsy construction and stuck wheels aren’t going to allow you to get the job done when you need it, and in fact could just make your tasks more difficult than they need to be. This is why it’s essential that you not only get the right cart for the job but also purchase one from a reputable source that knows the industry and is able to deliver exactly what you want.
We at Wholesale Utility Carts are ready to help you find exactly the right metal carts for your needs, whether you are looking for ways to deliver room service at your hotel or an answer to your aging and inefficient carts at your school cafeteria. We have the utility solutions you’re looking for. If you have questions or are interested in finding a cart that’s perfect for your job, please feel free to reach out to us here at 888-777-4707 or email us at customersupport@nfsstore.com.