Forklift trucks have been around for many years. Since its inception, the lift truck has become an indispensable equipment for the materials handling industry.
Sometimes called lift trucks, amongst their initial uses was lifting and moving baggage at train stations and airports. During the Second World War using these equipment exploded and the warehousing business expanded greatly. The conventional machinery was adapted to deal with the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were made to carry heavier cargo and move faster.
The lift truck is most commonly used for stacking inventory inside warehouses. Objects for the most part are packed onto pallets which are made specifically to enable the forks to move under the openings of the pallets. The forklift can then lift the cargo securely without it falling into the ground or wobbling. When the pallets are in place, they could be transported easily to another location. Lift trucks are also used much in the agriculture, mining, shipping and docking industry.
The forklift is also seen on constructions locations, because many models have been designed to pick up huge heavy boxes and concrete slabs, heavy pipes, other equipment and ceramics. Since it is fairly a compact unit, this machine is able to move from one location to another at a fairly good speed.
Depending upon the specific unit and its intended use, the forklifts dimensions can differ. There are narrow aisle units particularly for warehouse use. These require the floor to be extremely flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Normally, they are designed with rear wheel steering. There has been a dramatic increase in these machinery in the manufacturing and mining equipment businesses. As forklifts normally handle flammable supplies, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, the machinery have become tougher and more durable.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Several heavy duty models have been made to handle as many as 50 tons. These units are normally used to load shipping equipment onto and off of ships. Lift trucks and their required training to operate are specifically regulated to ensure the safety of the people utilizing this particular machine. No one is able to legally use them without finishing the proper documents and training.