A forklift truck is an industrial heavy machinery that is used to lift heavy weights through a metal fork platform attached to the front. The platform is inserted under the cargo, heavy machine, or pallets to shift or move them. A truck-shaped structure having counterweights, wheels, and a mast is affixed to the platform at the back. Forklift trucks either work on an electrical or a gas engine. A gas engine uses CNG (compressed natural gas) OR LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas), whereas an electric engine uses fuel cells or rechargeable batteries. These trucks have infinite uses and are considered essential to daily operations in industries, warehouses, and truck loading and unloading.
Types of Forklift Trucks
Forklift trucks are used mainly in industries and warehouses, where they increase the productivity of businesses by efficiently moving and lifting heavy weights. However, each industry deals with different loads and goods and would need a particular forklift truck that fits their needs best. A variety of trucks are designed with the distinct requirements of a work site in mind. Here are a few of them:
- Counterbalance Forklift
Counterbalance forklifts are the most widely used type of forklift trucks that have a counterweight behind their motor to balance the heavy loads. The models come in three or four wheels with arms and legs sticking out from the front to stabilize the lifting. Counterbalance forklifts work on ground level and drive straight up to the object to lift it, ensuring a steady and safe connection between the object and forklift.
- Articulated Forklift
Articulated forklift trucks are specifically utilized to move and load material from narrow spaces. These types of forklifts can move the platforms right or left independently without the truck having to move. This feature allows the truck to stay in one place, whereas the forks twist and turn to do the loading and unloading.
- Rough Terrain Forklift
Not all warehouses and work sites have even and smooth ground. Rough terrain forklift trucks play their part in such situations as they are particularly designed to work on rocky and rough surfaces. These forklifts are further divided into three other types, namely straight mast, rotating telehandler, and telehandler or telescopic forklifts.
Benefits of Forklift Truck
Forklift trucks are one of the best inventions for lifting heavy material, which is not humanly possible. They work effortlessly and in a short amount of time without any repetitive actions. It has become effortless in the warehouses and storage spaces to reach out to the highest shelf, ensuring the safety of equipment and staff. Forklift trucks can work in narrow aisles, rough surfaces, smooth ground, outdoors, indoors, and many other spaces. From lifting the heaviest goods to shifting them with precision, these machinery can pick up more than 12 tons of goods. Besides that, maintenance of a forklift truck is extremely easy to carry out with the help of truck maintenance companies such as AZ truck repair.
Conclusion
Forklift trucks are the most useful trucks in the transportation industry, where they are used to transfer and lift heavy cargo and other materials. With a fork platform at the front of a truck structure, these machineries are widely used in warehouses, work sites, and truck loading. There are multiple types of forklift trucks, including Articulated, Counterbalance, rough terrain forklifts, and more. These trucks have made it easy for transportation companies to complete their tasks without extensive delays or human errors.