In manufacturing and warehouse environments, the kinds of machinery that drivers use to shuttle materials from one location to another are called forklifts. The equipment lifts pallets, also called skids, that are loaded with objects. The lift truck is designed with forks that insert into the pallet rungs. Forklifts are also sometimes known as as Pallet Trucks, Lift Trucks, Skid Trucks, High/Low, Stacker-Trucks and Side Loaders.
The first forklifts were marketed during the early 1900s by companies like Yale & Towne Manufacturing and Clark. Nowadays nearly all goods stores on pallets and are shipped to warehouses. Forklifts are normally found within warehouses and manufacturing factories, where they are used for the smooth operation of business.
Among the various kinds of skid lifts or pallets 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; Walkie stacker; Rider stacker; Slip Sheet machine; 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' - 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 hybrid is suggested for very narrow aisles as it could onload and offload within 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" type. These trucks are available in man down and man-riser models. This machine must just be used on even and flat floors.