In warehouse and manufacturing environments, the kinds of equipment that drivers use to shuttle materials from one location to another are called forklifts. The machinery carries pallets, also referred to as skids, that are loaded with things. The lift truck is designed with forks that insert into the pallet rungs. Sometimes, forklifts are also referred to as Pallet Trucks, Lift Trucks, Skid Trucks, High/Low, Side Loaders and Stacker Trucks.
Companies like Clark and Yale & Towne Manufacturing sold the very first forklifts in the early 1900s. Nowadays nearly all supplies are delivered to warehouses and stores on pallets. Forklifts are commonly found inside manufacturing factories and warehouses, where they are utilized to operate the business smoothly.
The following are amongst the different kinds of pallet or skid lifts: Walkie low lift truck - with electrical motor; Rider low lift truck; Hand pallet truck; Telescopic handler; Towing tractor; IC counterbalanced truck; Sideloader; Slip Sheet machine; Walkie stacker; Rider stacker; Reach truck; Electric counterbalanced truck; Walkie Order Picking truck; Rider Order Picking truck - also referred to as "Order Picker"; Articulated Very Narrow Aisle Counterbalanced trucks - also called "Flexi Truck"; Truck Mounted Forklift / Sod Loader; Guided Very Narrow Aisle truck; 'Man Down' - for narrow aisles; and 'Man Riser' Combination Order Picker/ Stacker truck
The articulated counterbalance truck is a type of counterbalanced forklift truck that is used for specialized applications. This hybrid is suggested for very narrow aisles because it can offload and onload 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" version. These trucks are available in man down and man-riser models. This equipment must just be used on flat and even floors.