In manufacturing and warehouse environments, the kinds of machines that operators utilize to transport materials from one location to another are called forklifts. The machinery lifts pallets, also referred to as skids, which are loaded with items. The lift truck is designed with forks which insert into the rungs of the pallet. At times, forklifts are also called Pallet Trucks, Lift Trucks, Skid Trucks, High/Low, Side Loaders and Stacker Trucks.
The first forklifts were sold during the early part of the 1900s by companies like Yale & Towne Manufacturing and Clark. Nowadays the majority of supplies stores on pallets and are shipped to warehouses. Forklifts are usually found inside warehouses and manufacturing plants, where they are used for the smooth operation of business.
Among the various types of skid lifts or pallets are as follows: 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 referred to as "Order Picker"; Articulated Very Narrow Aisle Counterbalanced trucks - also referred to as "Flexi Truck"; Truck Mounted Forklift / Sod Loader; Guided Very Narrow Aisle truck ; 'Man Down' - utilized for narrow aisles; and 'Man Riser' Combination Order Picker/ Stacker truck
The articulated counterbalance truck is a type of counterbalanced forklift truck that is used for specialized applications. This particular hybrid is recommended for very narrow aisles as it is capable of offloading and onloading in very tight spaces.
Capable if lifting as high as 12 meters are the Guided Vary Narrow Aisle Trucks. The "non top-tied" kind could lift up to 30 meters high. These types of trucks are available in man-riser and man-down models. This machine must only be utilized on even and flat floors.