Forklift trucks have been around for numerous years. Ever since its inception, the forklift has become an indispensable machine for the materials handling industry.
Sometimes called lift trucks, one of their initial uses was carrying and moving baggage at airports and train stations. Throughout WWII using these equipment exploded and the warehousing industry expanded significantly. The conventional equipment was adapted to handle the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were designed to move faster and lift heavier cargo.
Normally, lift truck trucks are used for stacking inventory inside warehouses. In the majority of cases, objects are packed onto pallets which make it ideal for the blades to move in between the open spaces of the pallets. The forklift could then lift the cargo securely without it falling into the ground or wobbling. When the pallets are in place, they can be transported easily to a different location. Forklifts are also utilized a lot within the docking, shipping, agriculture and mining industry.
The forklift is also seen on constructions locations, because many models have been designed to pick up huge heavy boxes and heavy pipes, concrete slabs, ceramics and other equipment. As it is fairly a compact unit, this equipment is able to move from one location to another at a fairly good speed.
The dimensions of the forklift vary depending on the model and its specific use. For warehousing applications, there are the narrow aisle truck models. These require the floor to be really flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Normally, they are designed with rear wheel steering. There has been a significant increase in these equipment within the mining and manufacturing equipment businesses. Because forklifts normally handle flammable materials, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, the machinery have become more robust and stronger.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Some heavy duty models have been designed to handle as many as 50 tons. These units are normally used to load shipping equipment off of and into ships. Lift trucks and their required training to operate are specially regulated to ensure the safety of the people using this particular machinery. No body can operate them legally without completing the correct documents and training.