The lift truck has been around ever since the early part of the 1920's. This type of equipment was developed in the 1920s and ever since its invention, has become one of the most of the indispensable pieces of manufacturing and warehousing equipment within the world.
Sometimes called lift trucks, among their initial uses was carrying and transporting luggage at airports and train stations. Throughout WWII the use of these machines exploded and the warehousing business expanded greatly. The conventional machine was adapted to handle the requirement to stack inventory on higher shelves and they were designed to move faster and lift heavier cargo.
The lift truck is most commonly utilized for stacking inventory inside warehouses. Items for the most part are packed onto pallets which are made specially to enable the forks to move under the openings of the pallets. The forklift can then carry the load securely without it falling into the ground or wobbling. When the pallets are in place, they could be transported easily to another location. Forklifts are also used much within the mining, agricultural, docking and shipping business.
Lift trucks are often seen on construction locations. The manufacturers of these machinery make them to pick up big heavy boxes and concrete slabs, heavy pipes, other equipment and ceramics. As it is fairly a compact unit, this particular machinery is able to move from one location to a different location at a fairly good speed.
Depending on the particular model and its intended use, the forklifts dimensions could vary. There are narrow aisle models specially for warehouse applications. These are quite a bit smaller in size and need the floor to be extremely flat. Usually, they are made with rear wheel steering. There has been a significant increase in these machinery in the manufacturing and mining machine businesses. As lift trucks normally deal with pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals and flammable supplies, the equipment have become tougher and more durable.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Some heavy duty units have been designed to handle as many as 50 tons. These models are usually used to load shipping equipment onto and off of ships. Forklifts and their required training to operate are specifically regulated to ensure the safety of the individuals utilizing this specific machinery. No one can use them legally without completing the correct training and documents.