The lift truck has been around ever since the early 1920's. Since its inception, the lift truck has become an indispensable equipment for the materials handling business.
Sometimes called forklifts, one of their initial uses was lifting and moving luggage at airports and train stations. During the Second World War the use of these machines exploded and the warehousing industry expanded significantly. The traditional equipment was adapted to handle the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were made to carry heavier loads and move faster.
The lift truck is usually utilized for stacking inventory in warehouses. Things for the most part are packed onto pallets which are designed specially to enable the forks to move underneath the openings of the pallets. The lift truck could then lift the load securely without it falling into the ground or wobbling. When the pallets are in position, they could be transported easily to a different place. Lift trucks are also used much in the docking, shipping, mining and agricultural industry.
The forklift is also seen on constructions sites, because numerous models have been made to pick up big heavy boxes and concrete slabs, heavy pipes, other equipment and ceramics. Since it is fairly a compact unit, this equipment can move from one location to a different location at a moderately good speed.
The dimensions of the forklift vary depending on the model and its particular use. For warehousing applications, there are the narrow aisle truck units. These are quite a bit smaller in size and require the floor to be very flat. Typically, they are designed with rear wheel steering. There has been a dramatic increase in these machinery within the manufacturing and mining machine businesses. As lift trucks often handle pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals and flammable supplies, the machines have become tougher and more robust.
Lift trucks have a load capacity varying from 1 to 5 tons. There are heavy-duty models that can handle up to 50 tons. These models are normally utilized to load shipping equipment onto and off of ships. Forklifts and their required training to operate are particularly regulated to ensure the safety of the individuals utilizing this particular equipment. No body can legally use them without finishing the proper documents and training.