The lift truck has been around since the early part of the 1920's. Ever since its inception, the forklift has become an indispensable machine for the materials handling business.
The lift truck is also called a forklift and was first utilized to carry and transport luggage at train stations and airports. Throughout the Second World War the use of these machines exploded and the warehousing business expanded significantly. The traditional machine was adapted to handle the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were designed to move faster and lift heavier loads.
The forklift is usually used for stacking inventory within warehouses. Things for the most part are packed onto pallets which are designed particularly to allow the forks to move beneath the openings of the pallets. The forklift can then carry the cargo securely without it wobbling or falling onto the ground. Once the pallets are in place, they can be easily transported to a different place. Lift trucks are also utilized much in the shipping, docking, mining and agricultural business.
The forklift is also seen on constructions locations, because numerous units have been made to pick up large heavy boxes and heavy pipes, concrete slabs, other equipment and ceramics. Since it is fairly a compact unit, this equipment can move from one location to another at a moderately good speed.
The dimensions of the lift truck vary depending on the model and its particular application. For warehousing applications, there are the narrow aisle truck units. These are quite a bit smaller in size and need the floor to be extremely flat. Typically, they are made with rear wheel steering. There has been a dramatic increase in these machinery within the manufacturing and mining machinery businesses. Because lift trucks normally handle flammable supplies, pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals, the equipment have become tougher and more robust.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Some 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 specially regulated to ensure the safety of the individuals utilizing this specific equipment. No one can legally utilize them without finishing the correct documents and training.