The forklift is a mobile machinery that utilizes 2 prongs or forks to lift and place loads into positions that would be usually hard to reach. Typically, forklifts fall into 2 main categories: industrial and rough-terrain.
Industrial lift trucks are most commonly utilized around truck and train loading docks in addition to lots of warehouse applications. These machines have smaller tires which are engineered 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 lift truck is designed to be operated on unpaved and rough surfaces. Usually, they are the ideal alternative for military and construction applications. Rough terrain lift trucks normally have large pneumatic tires that are usually powered by internal industrial engines which run on propane, diesel or propane fuel. These lift truck units could have a telescoping boom, that can lift loads up and out from the base of the machine or they could utilize a vertical tower, that is responsible for lifting cargo straight up.
In the year 1946, the rough terrain lift truck emerged as a 2 pronged lift attachment was placed on a tractor chassis or a power buggy. This first equipment was utilized around construction sites and was able to lift to a height of 30 inches or 76 centimeters and had a lifting capacity can carry 454 kg or 1000 pounds. Vertical tower forklifts were quickly developed for industrial use and rough terrain forklifts became famous too. By the time the 1950s came around, there were units available which can raise up to heights of 9 meters or 30 feet and had lift capacities of 2500 pounds or 1135 kg.
In 1958, the original 4-wheel drive rough terrain forklift was introduced with a capacity of 2724 kg or 6000 lbs. and had a lift height of 7 meters or 22.5 feet or 1362 kg or 3000 lbs. and 35 feet or 11 meters. The very first telescoping boom rough terrain lift truck emerged on the market during the year 1962. This model enabled loads to be positioned out from the equipment's base both above and below grade.