It was in the beginning of the 20th Century when the first lift trucks were launched. These equipment during the past 90 plus years has changed the material handling business and even the recycling business. The considerations for safe operation, the forklift's evolution and the many different kinds are discussed below.
History of Forklifts
Powered industrial trucks are also known as lift trucks and forklifts, were first introduced and invented in the latter part of the 19th Century. These first models were low lift trucks which can raise platforms only several inches high. Usually, these machines were used for moving supplies within a shop, like work-in-progress situations. In the late 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and truck design improvements began to take root from there. The tier trucks ultimately developed and this allowed for better stacking of loads and storage efficiency.
Throughout the 1930s, there were some really tough economic times. However, during this particular period, labor was freely available but capital for investment was increasingly harder to come by. This situation significantly slowed the growth of lift truck usage.
In World War II, forklifts became a strategic part of the war effort. During that period, vast shortages in manpower happened resulting from the wartime enlistment. It was found that a forklift and its driver can deal with the work of numerous men and were extremely productive. As the War continued, lots of women drivers filled the many demands. By the time the war was over, forklifts became a mainstay of the material handling industry. They were used a lot in the Pacific war efforts. A few of the leftover pallets and lift trucks in Australia left behind by the U.S. Military became the basis for the CHEP or Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool, who today is referred to as the largest pallet pooling business in the world.
Gasoline/Diesel
Diesel and gasoline engines have numerous benefits. They are always available around the globe; they deliver consistent power throughout the shift, they are suitable for heavy duty workloads and a lot of operators are quite familiar with the source of power.
Some of the diesel and gas engines disadvantages consist of: they need a lot more maintenance than electric models, because of the emissions they release, they are not suitable to be utilized inside, there is some cost and difficulty connected to oil and fluid disposal and they require a re-fueling post on-site if they are going to be in continuous use.