In warehouse and manufacturing environments, the types of equipment which operators use to shuttle materials from one place to another are called forklifts. The machine carries pallets, also referred to as skids, that are loaded with objects. The lift truck is designed with forks that insert into the pallet rungs. Forklifts are also sometimes called Lift Trucks, Pallet Trucks, Skid Trucks, High/Low, Stacker-Trucks and Side Loaders.
The first forklifts were advertised during the early 1900s by companies like Yale & Towne Manufacturing and Clark. Nowadays nearly all supplies stores on pallets and are delivered to warehouses. Forklifts are usually found within manufacturing factories and warehouses, where they are depended upon to operate the business smoothly.
Some of the various types of pallets or skid lifts are the following: Walkie low lift truck - with electrical motor; Rider low lift truck; Hand pallet truck; Towing tractor; IC counterbalanced truck; Sideloader; Telescopic handler; Rider stacker; Slip Sheet machine; Walkie stacker; Walkie Order Picking truck; Reach truck; Electric counterbalanced truck; Rider Order Picking truck - also referred to as "Order Picker"; Articulated Very Narrow Aisle Counterbalanced trucks - also known as "Flexi Truck"; Truck Mounted Forklift / Sod Loader; Guided Very Narrow Aisle truck ; 'Man Down' - used for narrow aisles; and 'Man Riser' Combination Order Picker/ Stacker truck
The articulated counterbalance truck is a type of counterbalanced forklift truck which is used for specialized applications. This hybrid is suggested for very narrow aisles because it is capable of offloading and onloading in very tight spaces.
Capable if lifting as high as 12 meters are the Guided Vary Narrow Aisle Trucks. The "non top-tied" kind can lift up to 30 meters high. These types of trucks are available in man down and man-riser models. This equipment should just be utilized on flat and even floors.