The lift truck is a mobile equipment which uses 2 prongs or forks to carry and place cargo into positions that would be usually difficult to reach. Normally, lift trucks fall into 2 main categories: rough-terrain and industrial.
Industrial forklifts are most often utilized around truck and train loading docks in addition to lots of warehouse applications. These machinery have smaller tires that are designed to run on paved surfaces. Normally, industrial lift trucks are powered by an internal gasoline engine running on propane or diesel fuel.
There are several smaller industrial lift truck models which use an electric motor running off an internal battery. As the name implies, rough terrain forklifts are engineered to run on rough and unpaved surfaces. Commonly, they are the ideal alternative for military and construction operation. Rough terrain lift trucks usually have large pneumatic tires that are generally powered by internal industrial engines which run on propane, diesel or propane fuel. These lift truck units can have a telescoping boom, capable of lifting loads up and out from the base of the machinery or they can utilize a vertical tower, that is responsible for carrying loads straight up.
In the year 1946, the rough terrain forklift emerged as a 2 pronged lift attachment was placed on a tractor chassis or a power buggy. This initial machinery was utilized around construction locations and was able to lift to a height of 76 centimeters or 30 inches and had a lifting capacity could lift 1000 pounds or 454 kg. Vertical tower forklifts were quickly developed for industrial use and rough terrain forklifts became popular too. By the time the 1950s came around, there were available models that could raise up to heights of 9 meters or 30 feet and had lift capacities of 2500 pounds or 1135 kg.
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 3000 lbs. or 1362 kg and 11 meters or 35 feet. The first telescoping boom rough terrain lift truck emerged on the market in 1962. This model enabled loads to be positioned out from the base of the machinery both above and below grade.