Vertical-access metal-shelf utility carts have a built-in ladder for reaching high areas in warehouses, stock rooms, and similar locations. Also known as stock-picker trucks or ladder trucks, vertical-access carts save workers from having to carry or move a separate ladder for their work. The ladder has a spring-loaded mechanism that prevents the cart or ladder from moving when a worker is on the ladder. This mechanism also raises the ladder and allows the cart to roll when the ladder is not in use. These metal-shelf carts can withstand rougher handling and hold heavier loads than plastic-shelf utility carts. They are used to organize, transport, and store items, and they have open metal shelves that allow items to be efficiently loaded and unloaded onto or off of the carts.