In warehouse and manufacturing environments, the kinds of equipment which operators use to transport materials from one place to another are known as forklifts. The machine carries pallets, also referred to as skids, which are loaded with objects. The lift truck is made with forks that insert into the rungs of the pallet. Forklifts are also sometimes referred to as Lift Trucks, Pallet Trucks, Skid Trucks, High/Low, Stacker-Trucks and Side Loaders.
The very first forklifts were sold in the early part of the 1900s by companies such as Yale & Towne Manufacturing and Clark. These days nearly all goods stores on pallets and are shipped to warehouses. Forklifts are normally found inside warehouses and manufacturing plants, where they are relied upon for the smooth operation of business.
The following are amongst the various kinds of skid lifts or pallets: Hand pallet truck; Walkie low lift truck - with electrical motor; Rider low lift truck; IC counterbalanced truck; Telescopic handler; Towing tractor; Sideloader; Rider stacker; Slip Sheet machine; Walkie stacker; Reach truck; Electric counterbalanced truck; Walkie Order Picking truck; Rider Order Picking truck - also called "Order Picker"; Articulated Very Narrow Aisle Counterbalanced trucks - also called "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 which is used for specialized applications. This hybrid is recommended for very narrow aisles because it could onload and offload 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 kinds of trucks are available in man-riser and man-down models. This machine must be used only on floors that are flat and even.