In manufacturing and warehouse environments, the types of equipment that drivers utilize to shuttle materials from one location to another are called forklifts. The machine lifts pallets, also referred to as skids, which are loaded with objects. The lift truck is designed 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 very first forklifts were marketed in the early part of the 1900s by companies such as Clark and Yale & Towne Manufacturing. Today the majority of goods are delivered to warehouses and stores on pallets. Forklifts are normally found in warehouses and manufacturing plants, where they are depended upon to operate the business smoothly.
The following are amongst the various kinds 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; Walkie stacker; Rider stacker; Slip Sheet machine; Reach truck; Electric counterbalanced truck; Walkie Order Picking 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' - used 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 hybrid is suggested for really narrow aisles as it is capable of offloading and onloading in very 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 types of trucks are available in man-riser and man-down models. This equipment must just be used on even and flat floors.