The lift truck is a mobile equipment that uses 2 prongs or forks to carry and place cargo into positions that would be usually hard to reach. Normally, forklifts fall into 2 major categories: industrial and rough-terrain.
Industrial forklifts are most often used around truck and train loading docks in addition to lots of warehouse operation. These equipment have smaller tires that are engineered to run on paved surfaces. Normally, industrial lift trucks 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 designed to be operated on unpaved and rough surfaces. Usually, they are the great choice for military and construction applications. Rough terrain forklifts usually have large pneumatic tires which are usually powered by internal industrial engines that run on diesel or propane fuel. These lift truck units could have a telescoping boom, that can lift loads up and out from the machine's base or they could use a vertical tower, that is responsible for lifting loads straight up.
The rough terrain forklift emerged in 1946, after a 2 pronged lift attachment was attached to a tractor chassis or a power buggy. This first machinery was utilized around construction sites and was able to lift to a height of 30 inches or 76 centimeters and had a lifting capacity could carry 454 kg or 1000 pounds. Vertical tower forklifts were quickly developed for industrial use and rough terrain lift trucks became popular too. By the time the 1950s came around, there were available models that could lift up to heights of 30 feet or 9 meters and had lift capacities of 1135 kg or 2500 pounds.
The original 4-wheel drive rough terrain forklift was introduced during the year 1958. It offered a capacity of 6000 lbs. or 2724 kg 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 very first telescoping boom rough terrain lift truck emerged on the market during 1962. This model enabled loads to be placed out from the machine's base both below and above grade.