The lift truck is a mobile equipment that utilizes 2 prongs or forks to carry and place loads into positions which will be usually hard to reach. Typically, lift trucks fall into 2 main categories: industrial and rough-terrain.
Industrial forklifts are most often used around train and truck loading docks in addition to a lot of warehouse applications. These equipment have smaller tires which are designed to run on smooth 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 rough and unpaved surfaces. Commonly, they are the ideal alternative for construction and military applications. Rough terrain lift trucks usually have big pneumatic tires that are generally powered by internal industrial engines which run on propane, diesel or propane fuel. These lift truck models can have a telescoping boom, that could lift cargo up and out from the machine's base or they may utilize a vertical tower, that is responsible for lifting cargo straight up.
In 1946, the rough terrain lift truck emerged as a 2 pronged lift attachment was placed on a tractor chassis or a power buggy. This initial machine was used around construction locations and can lift to a height of 76 centimeters or 30 inches and had a lifting capacity can lift 454 kg or 1000 pounds. Vertical tower forklifts were rapidly developed for industrial use and rough terrain lift trucks became popular too. By the time the 1950s came around, there were available units that could lift 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 in 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 11 meters or 35 feet. The very first telescoping boom rough terrain lift truck emerged on the market during the year 1962. This unit enabled loads to be positioned out from the base of the machine both below and above grade.