Lift truck trucks have been around for many years. Ever since its inception, the forklift has become an indispensable machine for the materials handling business.
Sometimes referred to as forklifts, one of their initial uses was carrying and transporting luggage at train stations and airports. During WWII the use of these equipment exploded and the warehousing business expanded greatly. The conventional equipment was adapted to handle the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were designed to move faster and lift heavier cargo.
The lift truck is most commonly used for stacking inventory in warehouses. Things for the most part are packed onto pallets that are designed specifically to allow the forks to move beneath the openings of the pallets. The lift truck can then carry the goods securely without it wobbling or falling onto the ground. Once the pallets are in place, they can be easily transported to another place. Lift trucks are also used a lot within the agriculture, mining, docking and shipping industry.
The forklift is also seen on constructions locations, as numerous models have been made to pick up large heavy boxes and heavy pipes, concrete slabs, other equipment and ceramics. As it is quite a compact unit, this equipment is able to move from one place to a different location at a fairly good speed.
Depending upon the particular model and its intended use, the lift trucks dimensions may differ. There are narrow aisle units specifically for warehouse applications. These require the floor to be extremely flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Normally, they are made with rear wheel steering. There has been a dramatic increase in these equipment in the manufacturing and mining equipment businesses. Because lift trucks often handle flammable supplies, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, the machinery have become stronger and more robust.
Lift trucks have a load capacity varying from 1 to 5 tons. There are heavy-duty models that could handle up to 50 tons. These models are usually used to load shipping equipment onto and off of ships. Lift trucks and their required training to operate are particularly regulated to ensure the safety of the people utilizing this particular machine. No one is able to utilize them legally without finishing the correct training and documents.