The forklift has been around ever since the early part of the 1920's. Ever since its inception, the forklift has become an indispensable machine for the materials handling industry.
Sometimes called forklifts, among their initial uses was carrying and transporting luggage at train stations and airports. During WWII using these machinery exploded and the warehousing industry expanded significantly. The conventional equipment was adapted to deal with the need to stack inventory on higher shelves and they were designed to move faster and lift heavier loads.
Most commonly, forklift trucks are utilized for stacking inventory inside warehouses. In the majority of cases, things are packed onto pallets which make it ideal for the forks to move in between the open spaces of the pallets. The forklift can then lift the load securely without it wobbling or falling onto the ground. Once the pallets are in place, they can be transported easily to a different location. Forklifts are also utilized a lot in the agriculture, mining, shipping and docking business.
The lift truck is also seen on constructions sites, because many units have been made to pick up huge heavy boxes and heavy pipes, concrete slabs, other equipment and ceramics. Because it is fairly a compact unit, this specific machinery can move from one place to another at a moderately good speed.
Depending on the particular unit and its intended use, the lift trucks dimensions can vary. There are narrow aisle units specifically for warehouse use. These need the floor to be extremely flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Typically, they are designed with rear wheel steering. There has been a significant increase in these machinery within the manufacturing and mining machinery industries. Since forklifts usually handle pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals and flammable materials, the machines have become more durable and tougher.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Several heavy duty models have been made to deal with as many as 50 tons. These models are normally utilized 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 specific equipment. No one could use them legally without completing the correct documents and training.