In manufacturing and warehouse environments, the kinds of machinery which drivers use to shuttle supplies from one location to another are referred to as forklifts. The machine lifts pallets, also referred to as skids, that are loaded with objects. The lift truck is made with forks that insert into the rungs of the pallet. Sometimes, forklifts are also known as as Lift Trucks, Pallet Trucks, High/Low, Skid Trucks, Side Loaders and Stacker Trucks.
The very first forklifts were sold during the early 1900s by companies like Clark and Yale & Towne Manufacturing. These days the majority of goods are delivered to warehouses and stores on pallets. Forklifts are normally found in manufacturing factories and warehouses, where they are utilized for the smooth operation of business.
The following are amongst the various types 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; 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' - utilized 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 because it is capable of offloading and onloading in very tight spaces.
Capable if lifting as high as 12 meters are the Guided Vary Narrow Aisle Trucks. The "non top-tied" type can lift up to 30 meters high. These types of trucks are available in man-riser and man-down models. This equipment should only be used on floors that are even and flat.