It was in the start of the 20th Century when the very first lift trucks were introduced. These equipment during the past 90 plus years has changed the material handling industries and even the recycling industry. The factors for safe operation, the lift truck's evolution and the various different kinds are discussed below.
History of Lift Trucks
These powered industrial trucks, also referred to as lift trucks and forklifts, were created and launched to the market in the latter part of the 19th century. At first, these units were low lift trucks that were only capable of raising platforms a few inches high. Usually, these equipment were utilized for transporting supplies in a shop, like work-in-progress situations. During the latter part of 1910s, high lift trucks initially emerged and improvements in truck design began to take root from there. The tier trucks ultimately evolved and this allowed for better storage effectiveness and stacking of loads.
There were extremely tough economic times during the 1930s. Nevertheless, in this specific time, labor was freely available but capital for investment was more and more difficult to come by. This situation really slowed the growth of forklift usage.
In the second World War, forklifts became a strategic part of the war effort. In that period, vast shortages in manpower occurred resulting from the wartime enlistment. It was discovered that its driver and the lift truck were really productive and can handle the work of many men. As the War progressed, numerous women operators filled the many demands. When the war was over, lift trucks became a mainstay of the material handling industry. They were used a lot in the Pacific war efforts. Several of the leftover pallets and lift trucks in Australia left behind by the United States Military became the basis for the Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool or CHEP, who today is referred to as the world's largest pallet pooling business.
Gasoline/Diesel
There are many benefits to utilizing a diesel or gas powered engine. They are readily available all over the world; they are suitable for heavy duty workloads, they deliver consistent power throughout the shift and numerous drivers are quite familiar with the source of power.
Some of the main disadvantages of diesel and gasoline units include: they require much more maintenance than electric models, because of the emissions they release, they are not appropriate for indoor applications, there is some difficulty and cost associated to fluid and oil disposal and they need a re-fueling station on-site if they are going to be in continuous use.