In manufacturing and warehouse environments, the kinds of machinery that operators utilize to transport supplies from one location to another are called forklifts. The equipment lifts pallets, also called skids, that are loaded with things. The lift truck is designed with forks that insert into the pallet rungs. Sometimes, forklifts are also referred to as Pallet Trucks, Lift Trucks, Skid Trucks, High/Low, Stacker-Trucks and Side Loaders.
The very first forklifts were advertised in the early part of the 1900s by companies like Yale & Towne Manufacturing and Clark. Nowadays the majority of supplies are delivered to warehouses and stores on pallets. Forklifts are usually found within manufacturing factories and warehouses, where they are used to operate the business smoothly.
The following are among the various types of pallet or skid lifts: Hand pallet truck; Walkie low lift truck - with electrical motor; Rider low lift truck; IC counterbalanced truck; Telescopic handler; Towing tractor; Sideloader; Rider stacker; Slip Sheet machine; Walkie stacker; Electric counterbalanced truck; Walkie Order Picking truck; Reach truck; Rider Order Picking truck - also known as "Order Picker"; Articulated Very Narrow Aisle Counterbalanced trucks - also called "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, like for example the articulated counterbalance truck. This particular hybrid is suggested for really narrow aisles since it could offload and onload within really 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-riser and man-down models. This machine must just be used on floors that are flat and even.