A hand truck, also known as a Hannibal lectern, two wheeler, stack truck, dolly, trolley, trolley truck, sack barrow, sack truck, or bag barrow, is an L-shaped box-moving handcart

Cart

A cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...

 with handles at one end, wheel

Wheel

A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...

s at the base, with a small ledge to set objects on, flat against the floor when the hand-truck is upright. The objects to be moved are tilted forward, the ledge is inserted underneath them, and the objects allowed to tilt back and rest on the ledge. Then the truck and object are tilted backward until the weight is balanced over the large wheels, making otherwise bulky and heavy objects easier to move. It is a first-class lever.

Some hand trucks are equipped with stairclimber

Stairclimber

A stairclimber is a type of trolley fitted with rotating wheels or tracks so that it can be pushed or pulled up or down a stairway. Stairclimbers can be manual or battery-powered, and are commonly found in wheel, track, and walker variants....

 wheels, which, as the name implies, are designed to go up and down stairs. Stairclimber wheels can sometimes be problematic when trying to turn on flat ground as four wheels in a fixed position will be in contact with the ground.

Hand trucks are fabricated from many different types of materials, tube steel, aluminum tube, aluminum extrusion and high impact plastics. Most commercial hand trucks that are used for beverage and food service deliveries are rugged and very light weight. They are usually designed from two extruded aluminum channel side rails and cast aluminum or magnesium parts.
Some of the options that may be considered are the types of wheels, stair climber, handle type and size of wheels.

Hand trucks are sometimes used as baggage cart

Baggage cart

Baggage carts, luggage carts or trolleys are small vehicles pushed by travelers to carry individual luggage, mostly suitcases. There are two major sizes: One for big luggage and one for small luggage...

s by porters

Porter (carrier)

A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...

 in train station

Train station

A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...

s and skycaps

Skycap

A skycap is a porter employed by an airport and provides the following service to airline passengers:* Handles luggage* Perform curb side check-in* Works for tips...

 at airports.

See also

• Trolley (disambiguation)
  Trolley (disambiguation)
  Used in isolation, trolley may refer to:* a gurney, a form of wheeled stretcher* a flatbed trolley* a hand-truck* a shopping cart* a tram, cable car, or streetcar * a trolleybus, an electric bus...