Ever since its introduction in the early 1920s, the forklift has become an invaluable piece of machinery found in many industrial operations and warehousing. Clark, among the pioneers of the very first lift truck, has grown to become a leader in the material handling industry and still remains a leading supplier. Different other well-known names in the manufacturing of these machines comprise: Cat, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Yale, Hyster and Nissan.
Hyster has grown to become one of the most popular units of lift trucks in the industry. In fact, in some places, the word "Hyster" is synonymous with forklift. Other common names for this industrial lifting machines consist of: fork truck, stacker truck, high/low, lift truck and jitney.
The ancestor of today's machines was first developed during the early 19th century. At this time, small, battery-powered units were invented for the purpose of moving traveler's luggage at the Altoona train station within Pennsylvania. During the First World War, several different kinds were developed within England specifically for use in the material handling industry. These equipment evolved as a solution to the manpower shortage at that time.
Today's machinery come in many configurations and sizes. Sod loaders are large truck-mounted forklift units and several of the bigger equipment, whilst the smaller machines consist of hand truck units. There are also a line of automated versions referred to as forklift automated guided vehicles that are basically robotic in nature. These models were developed as a way of lowering operational expenses and to improve production.
Attachments have been made to fit onto lots of regular forklifts, giving them the capability of performing a wider selection of tasks. The motors can be internal combustion or IC units, running on propane, diesel or gasoline, or there are battery operated options which require regular charging. Standard warehouse models would usually be rated to raise between around 1 and 5 tons.
Since their evolution, lift trucks have become a priceless component of the material handling industry. Thousands of these models are used on a daily basis throughout the globe to perform jobs which used to need much more man-power. Operators need to take stringent training programs in order to operate these heavy machinery legally and safely. Numerous employees have longer careers now and better health overall due to their not having to raise objects by hand anymore since the forklifts could handle those situations now instead.