Forklifts are machinery that forklift drivers use to transport supplies from one place to another in manufacturing and warehouse environments. The equipment carries pallets, also known as skids, that are loaded with objects. The lift truck is designed with forks that insert into the rungs of the pallet. Every so often, forklifts are also referred to as Pallet Trucks, Lift Trucks, Skid Trucks, High/Low, Stacker-Trucks and Side Loaders.
The very first forklifts were sold during the early 1900s by companies such as Yale & Towne Manufacturing and Clark. Nowadays nearly all goods stores on pallets and are shipped to warehouses. Forklifts are commonly found in manufacturing plants and warehouses, where they are used for the smooth operation of business.
Some of the different types of pallets or skid lifts are the following: Hand pallet truck; Walkie low lift truck - with electrical motor; Rider low lift truck; IC counterbalanced truck; Telescopic handler; Towing tractor; Sideloader; Slip Sheet machine; Walkie stacker; Rider stacker; Walkie Order Picking truck; Reach truck; Electric counterbalanced truck; Rider Order Picking truck - also referred to as "Order Picker"; Articulated Very Narrow Aisle Counterbalanced trucks - also referred to as "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
There are counterbalanced forklift trucks available for specialized uses, like for example the articulated counterbalance truck. This hybrid is recommended for very narrow aisles since it could offload and onload in very 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-riser and man-down models. This equipment should just be utilized on flat and even floors.