In manufacturing and warehouse environments, the types of equipment which operators use to transport supplies from one place to another are called forklifts. The machine lifts pallets, also referred to as skids, which are loaded with things. The lift truck is designed with forks that insert into the pallet rungs. At times, forklifts are also called Lift Trucks, Pallet Trucks, Skid Trucks, High/Low, Side Loaders and Stacker Trucks.
The very first forklifts were sold in the early 1900s by companies such as Clark and Yale & Towne Manufacturing. Nowadays most supplies stores on pallets and are delivered to warehouses. Forklifts are commonly found inside manufacturing plants and warehouses, where they are relied upon to operate the business smoothly.
The following are some of the various types of pallet or skid lifts: 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; 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 known as "Flexi Truck"; Truck Mounted Forklift / Sod Loader; Guided Very Narrow Aisle truck ; 'Man Down' - for narrow aisles; and 'Man Riser' Combination Order Picker/ Stacker truck
The articulated counterbalance truck is a kind of counterbalanced forklift truck which is utilized for specialized applications. This hybrid is suggested for really narrow aisles as it is capable of offloading and onloading within really tight spaces.
Capable if lifting as high as 12 meters are the Guided Vary Narrow Aisle Trucks. The "non top-tied" kind can lift up to 30 meters high. These trucks are available in man-riser and man-down models. This machine should only be used on flat and even floors.