The lift truck has been around ever since the early part of the 1920's. Since its inception, the lift truck has become an indispensable equipment for the materials handling business.
Sometimes called forklifts, amongst their initial uses was carrying and moving baggage at airports and train stations. Throughout the Second World War using these machines exploded and the warehousing business expanded greatly. The traditional machinery was adapted to deal with the requirement to stack inventory on higher shelves and they were designed to carry heavier loads and move faster.
Normally, lift truck trucks are utilized for stacking inventory inside warehouses. In most cases, things are packed onto pallets which make it ideal for the blades to move in between the open spaces of the pallets. The lift truck can then lift the goods securely without it wobbling or falling onto the ground. Once the pallets are in position, they can be easily transported to another place. Forklifts are also used much in the agriculture, mining, shipping and docking business.
Lift trucks are usually seen on construction sites. The manufacturers of these machinery make them to pick up large heavy boxes and concrete slabs, heavy pipes, other equipment and ceramics. Since it is fairly a compact unit, this specific machine could move from one location to a different location at a moderately good speed.
Depending on the specific unit and its intended use, the forklifts dimensions can differ. There are narrow aisle models specially for warehouse applications. These require the floor to be extremely flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Usually, they are designed with rear wheel steering. There has been a significant increase in these equipment in the manufacturing and mining equipment industries. As forklifts often handle flammable materials, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, the machinery have become more durable and stronger.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Several heavy duty models have been made to deal with as many as 50 tons. These models are often used to load shipping equipment off of and into ships. Lift trucks and their required training to operate are particularly regulated to ensure the safety of the individuals using this particular equipment. No one can utilize them legally without completing the proper documents and training.