In manufacturing and warehouse environments, the types of equipment which operators use to transport materials from one place to another are referred to as forklifts. The machine lifts pallets, also called skids, that are loaded with items. The lift truck is made with forks which insert into the pallet rungs. Forklifts are also sometimes called Pallet Trucks, Lift Trucks, High/Low, Skid Trucks, Stacker-Trucks and Side Loaders.
Companies like Yale & Towne manufacturing and Clark marketed the first forklifts in the early 1900s. Today most supplies stores on pallets and are delivered to warehouses. Forklifts are normally found within warehouses and manufacturing plants, where they are used to operate the business smoothly.
Amongst the various types of skid lifts or pallets are as follows: Walkie low lift truck - with electrical motor; Rider low lift truck; Hand pallet truck; Telescopic handler; Towing tractor; IC counterbalanced truck; Sideloader; Rider stacker; Slip Sheet machine; Walkie stacker; Walkie Order Picking truck; Reach truck; Electric counterbalanced truck; Rider Order Picking truck - also called "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 utilized for specialized applications. This hybrid is suggested for really narrow aisles as it is capable of offloading and onloading in very tight spaces.
Capable if lifting as high as 12 meters are the Guided Vary Narrow Aisle Trucks. The "non top-tied" type could lift up to 30 meters high. These trucks are available in man-riser and man-down models. This machine must just be utilized on even and flat floors.