Lift truck trucks have been around for numerous years. Ever since its inception, the lift truck has become an indispensable machine for the materials handling industry.
The forklift is also referred to as a lift truck and was first used to lift and move luggage at airports and train stations. During the Second World War utilizing these machinery exploded and the warehousing industry expanded significantly. The traditional machinery was adapted to handle the need to stack inventory on higher shelves and they were designed to carry heavier loads and move faster.
The forklift is normally used for stacking inventory inside warehouses. Items for the most part are packed onto pallets which are designed particularly to allow the forks to move underneath the openings of the pallets. The lift truck could then securely carry the load without it wobbling or falling onto the ground. When the pallets are in place, they can be easily transported to a different location. Forklifts are also used much in the docking, shipping, mining and agricultural industry.
Forklifts are usually seen on construction sites. The manufacturers of these machinery design them to pick up huge heavy boxes and heavy pipes, concrete slabs, other equipment and ceramics. Since it is quite a compact unit, this equipment is able to move from one place to another at a moderately good speed.
Depending upon the specific model and its intended application, the lift trucks dimensions may differ. There are narrow aisle models specially for warehouse applications. These require the floor to be very flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Typically, they are made with rear wheel steering. There has been a significant increase in these equipment in the manufacturing and mining equipment businesses. As lift trucks usually deal with petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals and flammable supplies, the machines have become more robust and tougher.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Some heavy duty units have been designed to handle as many as 50 tons. These models are normally used to load shipping equipment off of and into ships. Lift trucks and their required training to operate are particularly regulated to ensure the safety of the people using this particular machinery. No body can utilize them legally without completing the correct documents and training.