Principles of important principles of material handling:

1. Planning principle: All handling activities should be planned.

2. Systems principle: Plan a system integrating as many handling activities as possible and coordinating the full scope of operations (receiving, storage, production, inspection, packing, warehousing, supply and transportation)

3. Space utilization principle: Make optimum use of cubic space.

4. Unit load principle: Increase quantity, size, weight of load handled.

5. Gravity principle: utilize gravity to move a material whenever practicable.

6. Material flow principle: Plan an operation sequence and equipment arrangement to optimize material flow.

7. Simplification principle: Reduce combine or eliminate unnecessary movement and/or equipment.

8. Safety principle: Provide for safe handling methods and equipment.

9. Mechanization principle: Use mechanical or automated material handling equipment.

10. Standardization principle: Standardize method, types, size of material handling equipment.

11. Flexibility principle: Use methods and equipment that can perform a variety of task and application.

12. Equipment selection principle: Consider all aspect of material, move and method to be utilized.

13. Dead weight principle: Reduce the ratio of dead weight to pay load in mobile equipment.

14. Motion principle: Equipment designed to transport material should be kept in motion.

15. Idle time principle: Reduce idle time/unproductive time of both MH equipment and man-power.

16. Maintenance principle: Plan for preventive maintenance or scheduled repair of all handling equipment.

17. Obsolescence principle: Replace obsolete handling methods/equipment when more efficient methods/equipment will improve operation.

18. Capacity principle: Use handling equipment to help achieve its full capacity.

19. Control principle: Use material handling equipment to improve production control, inventory control and other handling.

20. Performance principle: Determine efficiency of handling performance in terms of cost per unit handled which is the primary criterion.