The lift truck is a mobile machine that utilizes 2 prongs or forks to lift and place cargo into positions which will be usually difficult to reach. Typically, lift trucks fall into 2 major categories: rough-terrain and industrial.
Industrial lift trucks are most often utilized around truck and train 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 forklifts may run off an internal battery charging an electric motor. And as the name implies, the rough terrain forklift is engineered to be operated on rough and unpaved surfaces. Commonly, they are the great alternative for military and construction applications. Rough terrain forklifts generally have big pneumatic tires which are usually powered by internal industrial engines which run on propane, diesel or propane fuel. These lift truck units could have a telescoping boom, capable of carrying cargo up and out from the base of the machinery or they may use a vertical tower, that is responsible for lifting cargo straight up.
The rough terrain forklift emerged in the year 1946, after a 2 pronged lift attachment was attached to a tractor chassis or a power buggy. This initial machine was utilized around construction locations and was able to raise to a height of 76 centimeters or 30 inches and had a lifting capacity can lift 454 kg or 1000 pounds. Vertical tower forklifts were rapidly developed for industrial application and rough terrain lift trucks became famous as well. By the time the 1950s came around, there were available models that could lift up to heights of 9 meters or 30 feet and had lift capacities of 1135 kg or 2500 lbs.
The original 4-wheel drive rough terrain forklift was introduced during 1958. It offered 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 during 1962. This unit enabled loads to be positioned out from the base of the equipment both below and above grade.