The lift truck is a mobile machinery which utilizes 2 forks or prongs to lift and place cargo into positions that will be usually difficult to reach. Normally, forklifts fall into 2 main categories: rough-terrain and industrial.
Industrial lift trucks are most commonly utilized around train and truck loading docks in addition to a lot of warehouse operation. These equipment have smaller tires which are designed to run on paved surfaces. Normally, industrial forklifts are powered by an internal gasoline engine running on propane or diesel fuel.
Smaller lift trucks may run off an internal battery charging an electric motor. And as the name implies, the rough terrain forklift is designed to be operated on unpaved and rough surfaces. Commonly, they are the great alternative for construction and military applications. Rough terrain lift trucks usually have big pneumatic tires that are normally powered by internal industrial engines that run on diesel or propane fuel. These forklift models can have a telescoping boom, that could carry cargo up and out from the machine's base or they may utilize a vertical tower, that is responsible for lifting cargo straight up.
In the year 1946, the rough terrain lift truck emerged as a 2 pronged lift attachment was placed on a tractor chassis or a power buggy. This initial equipment was used around construction locations and can raise to a height of 76 cm or 30 inches and had a lifting capacity can lift 454 kg or 1000 pounds. Vertical tower forklifts were quickly developed for industrial use and rough terrain lift trucks became famous too. By the time the 1950s came around, there were available units which can raise up to heights of 9 meters or 30 feet and had lift capacities of 2500 pounds or 1135 kg.
In 1958, the original 4-wheel drive rough terrain forklift was introduced with a capacity of 6000 lbs. or 2724 kg and had a lift height of 22.5 feet or 7 meters or 1362 kg or 3000 lbs. and 11 meters or 35 feet. The first telescoping boom rough terrain forklift emerged on the market in 1962. This model allowed cargo to be positioned out from the equipment's base both above and below grade.