In manufacturing and warehouse environments, the kinds of equipment that drivers utilize to shuttle materials from one place to another are called forklifts. The machine lifts pallets, also known as skids, which are loaded with items. The lift truck is designed with forks which insert into the pallet rungs. Every so often, forklifts are also known as as Pallet Trucks, Lift Trucks, High/Low, Skid Trucks, Stacker-Trucks and Side Loaders.
The very first forklifts were marketed in the early 1900s by companies such as Clark and Yale & Towne Manufacturing. These days most goods stores on pallets and are shipped to warehouses. Forklifts are normally found within warehouses and manufacturing plants, where they are utilized to operate the business smoothly.
Amongst the different kinds of pallets or skid lifts are as follows: Walkie low lift truck - with electrical motor; Rider low lift truck; Hand pallet truck; Towing tractor; IC counterbalanced truck; Sideloader; Telescopic handler; Walkie stacker; Rider stacker; Slip Sheet machine; Walkie Order Picking truck; Reach truck; Electric counterbalanced truck; Rider Order Picking truck - also referred to 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' - for narrow aisles; and 'Man Riser' Combination Order Picker/ Stacker truck
The articulated counterbalance truck is a kind of counterbalanced forklift truck that is used for specialized applications. This particular hybrid is recommended for really narrow aisles because it can 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 equipment must be used only on even and flat floors.