The lift truck is a mobile equipment that utilizes 2 forks or prongs to lift and place cargo into positions that would be usually difficult to reach. Normally, lift trucks fall into 2 major categories: industrial and rough-terrain.
Industrial lift trucks are most commonly utilized around truck and train loading docks in addition to lots of warehouse operation. 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 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 engineered to be operated on unpaved and rough surfaces. Commonly, they are the ideal option for military and construction applications. Rough terrain lift trucks usually have big pneumatic tires which are normally powered by internal industrial engines which run on propane, diesel or propane fuel. These forklift units can have a telescoping boom, capable of carrying loads up and out from the machine's base or they may use a vertical tower, which is responsible for carrying 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 first machinery was used around construction sites and can raise 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 rapidly developed for industrial use and rough terrain forklifts became famous too. By the time the 1950s came around, there were available units which can raise up to heights of 9 meters or 30 feet and had lift capacities of 1135 kg or 2500 lbs.
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 1362 kg or 3000 lbs. and 35 feet or 11 meters. The first telescoping boom rough terrain forklift emerged on the market in 1962. This model allowed loads to be placed out from the base of the machine both above and below grade.