In warehouse and manufacturing environments, the kinds of machines which drivers use to transport supplies from one place to another are known as forklifts. The equipment lifts pallets, also referred to as skids, which are loaded with things. The lift truck is made with forks which insert into the rungs of the pallet. Sometimes, forklifts are also referred to as Pallet Trucks, Lift Trucks, Skid Trucks, High/Low, Side Loaders and Stacker Trucks.
The first forklifts were sold during the early 1900s by companies such as Yale & Towne Manufacturing and Clark. Nowadays the majority of goods stores on pallets and are delivered to warehouses. Forklifts are normally found within warehouses and manufacturing plants, where they are relied upon for the smooth operation of business.
The following are some of the different types of skid lifts or pallets: Walkie low lift truck - with electrical motor; Rider low lift truck; Hand pallet truck; Telescopic handler; Towing tractor; IC counterbalanced truck; Sideloader; Slip Sheet machine; Walkie stacker; Rider 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 known 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
The articulated counterbalance truck is a kind of counterbalanced forklift truck which is used for specialized applications. This hybrid is suggested for very narrow aisles as it could onload and offload within very tight spaces.
Capable if lifting as high as 12 meters are the Guided Vary Narrow Aisle Trucks. The "non top-tied" kind can lift up to 30 meters high. These trucks are available in man down and man-riser models. This machine must be used only on floors which are flat and even.