Forklifts are machinery that forklift drivers use to transport supplies from one place to another in manufacturing and warehouse environments. The machine lifts pallets, also called skids, that are loaded with items. The lift truck is made with forks which insert into the rungs of the pallet. Forklifts are also sometimes known as as Lift Trucks, Pallet Trucks, High/Low, Skid Trucks, Side Loaders and Stacker Trucks.
The first forklifts were advertised in the early part of the 1900s by companies such as Yale & Towne Manufacturing and Clark. Nowadays the majority of goods are shipped to warehouses and stores on pallets. Forklifts are usually found in manufacturing factories and warehouses, where they are utilized to operate the business smoothly.
Amongst the different types of skid lifts or pallets are the following: Walkie low lift truck - with electrical motor; Rider low lift truck; Hand pallet truck; IC counterbalanced truck; Telescopic handler; Towing tractor; Sideloader; Walkie stacker; Rider stacker; Slip Sheet machine; Electric counterbalanced truck; Walkie Order Picking truck; Reach truck; Rider Order Picking truck - also known as "Order Picker"; Articulated Very Narrow Aisle Counterbalanced trucks - also called "Flexi Truck"; Truck Mounted Forklift / Sod Loader; Guided Very Narrow Aisle truck ; 'Man Down' - used for narrow aisles; and 'Man Riser' Combination Order Picker/ Stacker truck
The articulated counterbalance truck is a kind of counterbalanced forklift truck that is used for specialized applications. This hybrid is recommended for really narrow aisles because it is capable of offloading and onloading within really 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" kind. These trucks are available in man-riser and man-down models. This machinery must only be used on flat and even floors.