Lift trucks are mobile machinery which use 2 prongs or forks to be able to place loads into positions that will normally be hard to reach. Usually, lift trucks fall into 2 major categories: industrial and rough-terrain.
Industrial forklifts are most often utilized around truck and train loading docks in addition to lots of warehouse operation. These machinery have smaller tires that are designed to run on paved surfaces. Normally, industrial forklifts are powered by an internal gasoline engine running on propane or diesel fuel.
Smaller lift trucks may run off an internal battery charging an electric motor. And as the name implies, the rough terrain forklift is engineered to be operated on unpaved and rough surfaces. Usually, they are the ideal option for military and construction operation. Rough terrain forklifts normally have big pneumatic tires that are usually powered by internal industrial engines that run on diesel or propane fuel. These lift truck units can have a telescoping boom, capable of carrying loads up and out from the machine's base or they may utilize a vertical tower, that is responsible for lifting loads straight up.
During 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 initial equipment was used around construction sites and could lift to a height of 30 inches or 76 centimeters and had a lifting capacity can lift 1000 pounds or 454 kg. Vertical tower forklifts were rapidly developed for industrial application and rough terrain forklifts became popular too. By the time the 1950s came around, there were available models which can raise up to heights of 30 feet or 9 meters and had lift capacities of 1135 kg or 2500 pounds.
In the year 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 3000 lbs. or 1362 kg and 35 feet or 11 meters. The very first telescoping boom rough terrain forklift emerged on the market during the year 1962. This specific unit allowed loads to be placed out from the base of the machinery both above and below grade.