Forklift Truck Basics
The forklift truck which can sometimes be known as a lift truck or forklift
or side loader is used to lift and then transport goods and materials around
a location. Normally the truck is fitted with steel forks which are then inserted
underneath the load and lifted from the ground and carried to another location.
These types of trucks are commonly used for lifting products, goods etc that
have been placed on pallets.
This particular vehicle came in to being in 1920 and since that time has become
an essential piece of equipment in both warehousing and manufacturing sectors
of industry today. In fact the most common types of trucks you are now likely
to find within these sectors of business today are as follows:-
- Hand Pallet Truck - This is a manually operated machine where the handle
is designed to raise or lower a single pallet using a hydraulic hand pump
mechanism within it.
- Walkie Low Lift Truck - this particular vehicle is normally electrically
powered pallet truck.
- Reach Truck - This is a small forklift which has been specifically designed
for use where the aisles where goods are stored are narrow and small. Generally
as with the above mentioned truck these are powered using electricity.
- Rider Order Picking Truck - It is sometimes referred to as the Order Picker
and will be very similar in looks to a small forklift truck, but the operator
will ride up to the load then transfer the goods one at a time rather than
the complete pallet.
As well as the trucks mentioned above there are other trucks that are used
in manufacturing and warehouse locations and these include the rider low lift
truck, the walkie stacker, the rider stacker, the electric counterbalanced truck
and the side loader and the telescopic handler.
Each forklift truck in use today is rated for the loads that it is able to
transport. The rating provided for each truck relates to the maximum weight
that is allowed to carry as well as where the center of gravity on the vehicle
is to be found. This data can be located on the vehicles name plate which has
been provided by the manufacturer of the truck in question and at no times must
the load that has been specified on this name plate be exceeded. Unfortunately
these vehicles can be very unstable and this is why both the weight carried
and the center of the vehicles gravity may be taken into consideration at all
times when being used.
Fork Lift Trucks
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