In manufacturing and warehouse environments, the types of machinery that drivers use to shuttle supplies from one location to another are known as forklifts. The machinery lifts pallets, also known as skids, which are loaded with objects. The lift truck is designed with forks which insert into the pallet rungs. Forklifts are also sometimes called Lift Trucks, Pallet Trucks, High/Low, Skid Trucks, Stacker-Trucks and Side Loaders.
Companies such as Yale & Towne manufacturing and Clark sold the very first forklifts in the early part of the 1900s. Nowadays the majority of goods stores on pallets and are delivered to warehouses. Forklifts are commonly found within manufacturing factories and warehouses, where they are depended upon to operate the business smoothly.
The following are among the various types of skid lifts or pallets: 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 referred to as "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, such as the articulated counterbalance truck. This hybrid is suggested for really narrow aisles as it can onload and offload within very tight spaces.
Capable if lifting as high as 12 meters are the Guided Vary Narrow Aisle Trucks. The "non top-tied" kind could lift up to 30 meters high. These types of trucks are available in man down and man-riser models. This machinery should be utilized only on floors that are flat and even.