Forklifts are machinery that forklift drivers use to transport supplies from one place to another in manufacturing and warehouse environments. The machinery lifts pallets, also called skids, which are loaded with items. The lift truck is made with forks which insert into the pallet rungs. Forklifts are also sometimes referred to as Pallet Trucks, Lift Trucks, Skid Trucks, High/Low, Side Loaders and Stacker Trucks.
Companies like Clark and Yale & Towne Manufacturing advertised the very first forklifts in the early part of the 1900s. Today most goods are delivered to warehouses and stores on pallets. Forklifts are normally found in warehouses and manufacturing plants, where they are utilized to operate the business smoothly.
The following are amongst the various types of pallet or skid lifts: Hand pallet truck; Walkie low lift truck - with electrical motor; Rider low lift truck; Telescopic handler; Towing tractor; IC counterbalanced truck; Sideloader; Rider stacker; Slip Sheet machine; Walkie stacker; Electric counterbalanced truck; Walkie Order Picking truck; Reach truck; Rider Order Picking truck - also called "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 kind of counterbalanced forklift truck that is used for specialized applications. This particular hybrid is suggested for really narrow aisles since it is capable of offloading and onloading in really tight spaces.
The Guided Very Narrow Aisle Trucks are capable of lifting as high as 12 meters, and even up to 30 meters if it is a "non top-tied" kind. These types of trucks are available in man down and man-riser models. This equipment should only be utilized on even and flat floors.