In manufacturing and warehouse environments, the kinds of equipment that operators use to transport supplies from one place to another are known as forklifts. The machinery lifts pallets, also called skids, which are loaded with items. The lift truck is designed with forks that insert into the pallet rungs. At times, forklifts are also known as as Pallet Trucks, Lift Trucks, High/Low, Skid Trucks, Side Loaders and Stacker Trucks.
The first forklifts were marketed during the early part of the 1900s by companies like Clark and Yale & Towne Manufacturing. Today most goods are delivered to warehouses and stores on pallets. Forklifts are normally found within manufacturing factories and warehouses, where they are used for the smooth operation of business.
Some of the various kinds of skid lifts or pallets are the following: Hand pallet truck; Walkie low lift truck - with electrical motor; Rider low lift truck; Towing tractor; IC counterbalanced truck; Sideloader; Telescopic handler; Slip Sheet machine; Walkie stacker; Rider stacker; Walkie Order Picking truck; Reach truck; Electric counterbalanced truck; Rider Order Picking truck - also called "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' - for narrow aisles; and 'Man Riser' Combination Order Picker/ Stacker truck
There are counterbalanced forklift trucks available for specialized uses, like for example the articulated counterbalance truck. This hybrid is suggested for very narrow aisles since it could offload and onload in 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" version. These kinds of trucks are available in man down and man-riser models. This machine must only be used on floors that are even and flat.