The lift truck has been around ever since the early part of the 1920's. Since its inception, the forklift has become an indispensable equipment for the materials handling business.
The lift truck is also called a forklift and was first used to lift and transport luggage at train stations and airports. During the Second World War the use of these machinery exploded and the warehousing industry expanded greatly. The traditional machinery was adapted to handle the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were made to move faster and lift heavier cargo.
The forklift is most commonly utilized for stacking inventory within warehouses. Objects for the most part are packed onto pallets which are made specially to enable the forks to move beneath the openings of the pallets. The forklift can then carry the goods securely without it wobbling or falling onto the ground. When the pallets are in position, they can be easily transported to another location. Lift trucks are also used a lot in the docking, shipping, mining and agricultural business.
The forklift is also seen on constructions sites, because many models have been designed to pick up huge heavy boxes and heavy pipes, concrete slabs, ceramics and other equipment. Since it is quite a compact unit, this machine can move from one place to a different place at a fairly good speed.
The dimensions of the lift truck vary depending on the unit and its particular use. For warehousing applications, there are the narrow aisle truck units. These require the floor to be really flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Typically, they are made with rear wheel steering. There has been a significant increase in these machines within the mining and manufacturing machinery industries. As forklifts usually handle flammable supplies, pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals, the machinery have become stronger and more durable.
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 units 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 specific equipment. No one is able to legally use them without completing the correct training and documents.