In manufacturing and warehouse environments, the kinds of machinery which operators use to transport supplies from one location to another are referred to as forklifts. The machine carries pallets, also referred to as skids, that are loaded with items. The lift truck is designed with forks that insert into the rungs of the pallet. At times, forklifts are also referred to as Pallet Trucks, Lift Trucks, High/Low, Skid Trucks, Side Loaders and Stacker Trucks.
Companies such as Yale & Towne manufacturing and Clark marketed the very first forklifts in the early 1900s. Nowadays the majority of supplies stores on pallets and are delivered to warehouses. Forklifts are commonly found in warehouses and manufacturing factories, where they are depended upon to operate the business smoothly.
Among the various kinds of pallets or skid lifts are as follows: 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; Electric counterbalanced truck; Walkie Order Picking truck; Reach 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' - used for narrow aisles; and 'Man Riser' Combination Order Picker/ Stacker truck
There are counterbalanced forklift trucks available for specialized uses, such as the articulated counterbalance truck. This particular hybrid is suggested for really narrow aisles because it is capable of onloading and offloading in really 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 trucks are available in man-riser and man-down models. This machinery should be used only on even and flat floors.