The lift truck is a mobile equipment that utilizes 2 forks or prongs to lift and place loads into positions that will be usually hard to reach. Typically, forklifts fall into 2 major categories: industrial and rough-terrain.
Industrial forklifts are most often used around train and truck loading docks in addition to lots of warehouse applications. These machines have smaller tires which are designed to run on paved surfaces. Normally, industrial lift trucks are powered by an internal gasoline engine running on diesel fuel or propane.
Smaller forklifts may run off an internal battery charging an electric motor. And as the name implies, the rough terrain forklift is designed to be operated on rough and unpaved surfaces. Commonly, they are the great alternative for construction and military applications. Rough terrain lift trucks generally have large pneumatic tires which are generally powered by internal industrial engines that run on diesel or propane fuel. These forklift models could have a telescoping boom, capable of lifting cargo up and out from the equipment's base or they could utilize a vertical tower, which is responsible for carrying cargo 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 used around construction locations and could lift to a height of 30 inches or 76 cm and had a lifting capacity can carry 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 lift 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 the year 1958. It offered a capacity of 2724 kg or 6000 lbs. 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 very first telescoping boom rough terrain forklift emerged on the market during the year 1962. This model allowed loads to be positioned out from the base of the machine both below and above grade.